How to Create Laser Cut Text in Photoshop

Laser-cut text in a brushed metal background.

Laser cut text is a great look that can be used on web pages, in animation or wherever a clean crisp metal-type text is needed. Creating the text is a two-step process: Create the brushed metal background and then create the text. The result is a text that looks as though it has been laser-cut into a metal surface.

Instructions

Create a Metal Background

1. 

   Click "File" and choose "New. " Create a new Photoshop document with a white background. Click "OK."

2. Click the "Edit" tab and choose "Fill." Choose "50% Grey" from the pull-down menu and click "OK."

3. 

   Click the "Filter" tab in the main menu bar and choose "Noise." Choose "Add Noise." Change the noise amount to "20%" and check the "Monochromatic" box. Click "OK."

4. 

   Click the "Filter" tab in the main menu bar and choose "Blur." Reset the distance to "25" and the angle to "-48." Click "OK."

5. 

   Select the "Blur Tool" in the tool bar. Choose a soft brush and change the brush size to "35." Brush across the grain of the background until you get a soft brushed metal look.

6. 

   Click "File" and save your metal background.

Create the Text

1. Click "Layer" and choose "New." Name the layer "Text" and click "OK." Make sure the new layer is selected in the "Layers" palette.

2. Click the "Text Tool" in the tool menu. Create a text box on the background. Change the font style to "Niagara Engraved" and the font color to "#010101." Type your text into the text box. Use the "Move Tool" to move the text book to the desired location on the background.

3. Right-click on the "Text" layer in the layers palette to open the blending options box.

4. 

   Check "Outer Glow." Change Blend Mode to "Normal," change the gradient picker to "Foreground to background" and check "Anti-aliased." Change the Range and Jitter to "100%." This will add some metal shavings to the sides of your letters.

5. 

   Check "Bevel & Emboss" and change the direction to "Down." Click "OK" to save your layer changes. You now have text that looks like it was laser-cut into brushed metal.

Tips & Warnings

• Change the font type used to alter the laser effect. For instance: Niagara Engraved creates an engraved laser look while Comic Sans produces a raw laser effect.

• Add a laser burst to the text with a star brush. Select a large star brush in the brushes palette and drop a star on the edge of the text. Alternate with yellow and white stars to give it a bright laser feel.

References

• Exploring Adobe Photoshop CS4 (Design Exploration); Annesa Hartman; 2008

Resources

• Photoshop