In this tutorial I’ll show you how to make a simple but nice abstract forum signature. You can then modify it however you please, maybe by changing some of the colours, or adding your own text effects.

Step 1:

Start this tutorial off by making a new document in photoshop sized about 380 x 100 pixels, a nice forum signature size.
Reset your colors to black and white by pressing D on your keyboard. Now apply Filter > Render > Clouds on the background layer.

Step 2:

After applying Clouds apply Filter > Sketch > Chrome, then Filter > Distort > Wave using the default settings with both.

Change the layer mode for this layer to Lighten to get a cool effect.

Merge your layers together (ctrl+e) then apply Filter > Sharpen > Sharpen once.

Step 3:

After you merged your layers together you should be left with just one, so duplicate that layer then apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur with a radius of about 2.0.
After applying Gaussian Blur, change the layer mode for your blurred layer to Overlay and leave the opacity at 100%.

That will have given it a nice bright glow.

Step 4:

Create a new Gradient Map Adjustment Layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map) and use the following settings:

Your image will now look something like this:

Now change the layer mode for the Gradient Map layer to Color.

Duplicate your Gradient Map layer then change the layer mode to Overlay and lower the opacity to 40-50%.

Step 5:

Again with the adjustment layers, add in a Color Balance layer by going to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance, use the following settings:

Now you should have some nice colors like this:

Step 6:

Now you might want to repeat the part where you merge the layers, then duplicate, blur, layer mode change etc, so you get more of a vibrant picture.

Lastly you might want to add a soft border, and of course text.

Thanks for reading.

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