Make some Gold Text!
NOTE: Some knowledge of Paint.NET may be required, and some knowledge of using Alpha Mask helps.
Want to make some pretty cool text like this?
You do? Well, read on!
Plugins Needed:
Align Object
Alpha Mask - See here for more information on Alpha Mask: Clicky!
Multi-color Gradient
Outline Object
Panelling
The Method:
[*:33ad8grh]Open a new image (Ctrl+N) at a fairly large size. I used 1500x300.
Add a radial gradient
background, using Hex: #543600 as your primary colour, and Hex: #161300 as your secondary colour. If you don't know where to insert the colour codes, just click on the "More" button in the colours window, and type or copy and paste them into the "Hex:" field. You should have something similar to this: 
[*:33ad8grh]Now, add a new layer
and name it "text mask". With white as your primary colour type your text in (all in capital letters). Using a font like Times New Roman gives good results, and try to use a size that covers most of the canvas. Then, Effects > Align Object. Apply these settings: Under the Both option, click the middle button(it should be the circle and at the bottom of the plugin it should say Middle Center). Your text should be nicely aligned in the middle of your canvas.Then add a new layer
, move it directly below :Down: the "text mask" layer and fill it with black. Image > Flatten 
(Ctrl + Shift + F). Your mask should look like this:
Save it (Filename - text mask, Filetype - .png) somewhere like My Documents or Desktop, just make sure you know where you saved it. Then Ctrl + Z, to undo the flatten. You should be able to see your 3 layers again after you've removed the flatten.
[*:33ad8grh]You can delete :Delete: your black background layer, you won't be needing that now. Now on your "text mask" layer, apply Effects > Object > Outline Object:
Width: 1
Softness: Anything less than 250.
Color: Black (R: 0, G: 0, B: 0)
All other setting default.
You should have a thin black outline around your text, like this:
Add a new layer
and call it "Gold Text". This will be the actual colour of the text.Select the "text mask" layer and using the magic wand tool
: Tolerance<50, Flood Mode: Global select the outside of the text, by clicking anywhere on the canvas, but not on the text itself. Then Invert Selection (Ctrl+I). Next, select the "Gold Text" layer and apply Effects > Render > Multicolour Gradient:Use these settings:
De-select (Ctrl+D)
Delete :Delete: the text mask layer, then, Effects > Object > Alpha Mask: load your mask file. Tick the Mix Alpha button and click OK! You should now have neat, anti-aliased gradient text like this:
[*:33ad8grh]Duplicate
the "Gold Text" layer 3 times. Re-name the layers so it looks like this:
Now to apply some Bevel to the text. So..
For the "Light Bevel" layer:
Effects > Drop Shadow:
Offset X: 4
Offset Y: 0
Widening Radius: 0
Blur Radius: 0
Color: White
Uncheck the "Keep Original Image" box.
Then, Effects > Object > Alpha Mask:
Load the mask file, and make sure the "Invert Mask" box is ticked.
Then, Effects > Distort > Panelling:
Move Vertical: 0
Move Horizontal: -4
Then, Effects > Blurs > Gaussian Blur:
Radius: 2
Then, Effects > Object > Alpha Mask:
Load the mask file, and make sure the "Invert Mask" box isn't ticked.
Then, apply a blend mode on the layer. Layers > Layer Properties (F4) :Properties: , or double click the layer. Set the blend mode to "Overlay".
This is what it should look like so far:
For the "Dark Bevel" layer:
Effects > Drop Shadow:
Offset X: -4
Offset Y: 0
Widening Radius: 0
Blur Radius: 0
Color: Black
Uncheck the "Keep Original Image" box.
Then, Effects > Object > Alpha Mask:
Load the mask file, and make sure the "Invert Mask" box is ticked.
Then, Effects > Distort > Panelling:
Move Vertical: 0
Move Horizontal: 3
Then, Effects > Blurs > Gaussian Blur:
Radius: 2
Then, Effects > Object > Alpha Mask:
Load the mask file, and make sure the "Invert Mask" box isn't ticked.
Then, apply a blend mode on the layer. Layers > Layer Properties (F4) :Properties: , or double click the layer. Set the blend mode to "Reflect".
You should end up with this:
Now, we're nearly done so don't give up yet!
For the "Shadow" layer:
Effects > Drop Shadow:
Offset X: 0
Offset Y: 0
Widening Radius: 0
Blur Radius: 10
Color: Black
Uncheck the "Keep Original Image" box.
Optional:
Then, apply a blend mode on the layer. Layers > Layer Properties (F4) :Properties: , or double click the layer. Set the blend mode to "Reflect".
It should now be looking like this:
Well, guess what!? All you need to do now is save the .pdn of the text (just incase). Then Flatten (Ctrl+Shift+F)
, Resize(Ctrl+R) 
and set the percentage to 50%. 
Save it as a .png and post it here!
Result:
If you had any problem following this tutorial, then feel free to post and ask for help. I also hope that by following this tutorial you learnt something new; big or small. I also encourage you to try out different figures and colours to create maybe Silver Text? or Ruby? or Sapphire? or Emerald?
But It's a really nice effect!
