Today I shall instruct you on how to make some text that looks like this:
Pretty cool, right?
Plug-ins necessary to complete this tutorial:
AA's Assistant (dpy) - dpy's pack
Bevel Selection (BoltBait) - BB's pack
Trail (pyrochild) - pyro's pack
Alpha Mask Import (illnab1024) - [link]
Align Object (moc426) - [link]
Additional resources:
fontsquirrel, dafont (font sites - all free-of-charge and virus-free - tested)
Step one: Open a 500x150 canvas (no need to worry about anti-aliasing).
Step two: Add a new layer, name it TextMask.
Step three: Choose a font (preferably serif) and type up some text. By the way, I used Garamond Bold for this. If you are wondering, in the 'csm725' image, I put the numbers at a smaller size so that they would be as tall as the letters. Just letting you know.
Step four: Align to the Middle Center using Align Object.
Step five: Make a new layer between Background and TextMask, call it TextColor.
Step six: Select an area that covers up one letter, like so:
Step seven: Fill each letter-selection with a different color, make sure that the colors don't clash:
Step eight: Invert the colors of the TextMask layer so it is white. Make a new layer under it and fill it with black. Merge TextMask onto the black layer, select all, and copy. You can then delete the layer:
Step nine: Load Alpha Mask with the following settings (onto the TextColor layer):
Step ten: Duplicate the TextColor layer and name the bottom one text shine.
Step eleven: Open up trail at the following settings:
Step twelve: Apply AA's Assistant at default settings to both the TextColor and TextShine layers.
Step thirteen: Magic Wand at 31% tolerance, shift-select any transparent area on the TextShine layer, invert selection. You should have all the text selected.
Step fourteen: Bevel Selection at the following settings:
Step fifteen: Adjustments > Curves (Ctrl-Shift-M) at the following approx. settings:
Step sixteen: Repeat AA's Assistant on the TextShine layer.
Step seventeen: Set TextColor's opacity to 63:
Step eighteen: Merge TextColor onto TextShine. You should now have two layers.
Step nineteen: Duplicate TextShine and Layers > Flip Vertical.
Step twenty: Drag the flipped duplicate and drag it until the 'top' of the flipped letters meet with the bottom of the actual layers.
Step twenty-one: Do a transparent gradient (linear) like so:
Step twenty-two: Make a new layer above everything, call it Glints.
Step twenty-three: Go to the brush tool with white and draw some dots on the letters, this is where your glint-spots are going to be.
Step twenty-four: Gaussian Blur these spots at 3-10, depending on your taste. It should look something like this:
Step twenty-five: Delete the background layer, flatten, and save.
Enjoy!
#tut725
Edited by csm725, 13 June 2010 - 01:56 PM.
