How to Create Cool Text Effects in Photoshop

Learning how to create cool effects with text using photoshop cs.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Photoshop cs

1. 

   First begin by opening up a new document in photoshop. Select the type tool from the tool palette, then choose the type font and size for this project using the tool bar at the top of the screen. In my example i am using Franklin Gothic Medium with a 92.55 size font. Then type your word.

2. 

   Now duplicate this layer. You can do this by selecting the font layer and dragging it to the create new layer icon at the bottom of the layers palatte, or you can go to layer and click on duplicate layer from the drop down menu.

3. 

   With your duplicate layer selected you want to flip that layer vertically. Go to edit, transform, flip verticle.

4. 

   Now you want to lower this layer. Select the move tool, then using your down key on your key board start moving this layer downward. You want to lower it just below the original type layer.

5. Now in order to work with this layer you must rasterize this layer. With this layer still selected go to layer, rasterize, type.

6. 

   Now click on the opacity arrow on your layers palette and adjust the opacity from 100% to 60%. Keep in mind you can play around with the opacity until you reach your desired look. In this example I went down to 60%.

7. 

   Now choose your eraser tool from your tool palette. Choose a soft round brush and the desired size of the brush from the drop down brush menu in the tool bar at the top of the screen.

8. 

   Now we want to create the fading shadow look. With the this layer still selected create a mask layer by clicking on add layer mask at the bottom of the layers palette. Now change your foreground color to black by clicking on foreground color on your tool box palette and selecting black. Then select your gradient tool in your tool box palette. Now change your gradient options by clicking on the down arrow of the edit gradient box and choose from gradient to transparent option.

9. Now starting at the bottom of your layer you want hold down the left click mouse button and drag your cursor upward towards the top of your text of the original font layer. This will start to partially fade the bottom font. I repeated this step twice in this example. You can keep repeating this step until you get the faded look you so desire.
   
   HAPPY PHOTOSHOPPING!

[Virtuous1]

on 8/4/2009 Great article! You really know your stuff too 5 stars and a recommendation. Thank you

[ceholmes]

on 8/2/2009 I love photoshop. once you get the hang of it, it really isn't that difficult to work! these are great tips though that I can use, 5* and recom

[jennyabapo]

on 8/1/2009 wow...im moving right along on photoshop..keep the articles comin. Great instructions!

[sweetspirit]

on 8/1/2009 Well written article. Thanks for sharing.

[letstalkhow2]

on 8/1/2009 Thanks for the comments. Photoshop can be an easy tool, it just takes patience and pratice and in time what you think is hard, will become a sinch!