Plasticized Text - Steps Added for an Addt'l Result

[lynxster4]

This tutorial is available as a PDF. Click here to view or download it

 

In perusing the text effects I realized we didn't have any plastic-looking text, so I made one.  

 

We will be making this:

 

 

 

Plugins required:   Align Object      Inner Shadow Selection      Edge Expander      AA's Assistant      EdgeShaderMJW      Contour      BlurBlend

 

Spoiler

 

Open 800 x 600 canvas

Add new layer, fill bottom layer with black.

Use Alba font at 180pt Bold and type your text in color 58, 255, 255.

Align text.

Add new layer. Select text with Magic Wand at 50%, Invert Selection (Ctrl+I).  Move to blank layer.

Use  Effects-->Selection-->Inner Shadow on blank layer with the following settings:

 

 

On same layer, keeping lettering seleted, use Effects-->Object-->Edge Expander with these settings:

 

 

Do (1) AA's Assistant on the white inner shadow layer, Deselect and uncheck.

 

Return to original text layer and apply Effects-->Advanced-->EdgeshaderMJW with these settings, using Primary Color 30, 140, 140  and Secondary Color 58, 255, 255.

 

 

Add new layer.

Select your blue text layer again with Magic Wand at 50% and Invert Selection (Ctrl+I).

Use Effects-->Selection-->Inner Shadow at these settings:

 

 

Deselect.

Return to white Inner Shadow layer and Select All (Ctrl+A) and choose the 'Move Selected Pixels' Tool.

Move selection right 4 px and down 5 px. Deselect.

Return to blue text layer and select with Magic Wand @ 60%, go to White Inner Shadow layer and hit the Delete key.

Do another AA's Assistant on White Inner Shadow layer.

Merge first (3) three layers down and apply another AA's Assistant.

 

Duplicate text layer and uncheck top layer. On bottom text layer use Magic Wand at 60%, Invert Selection (Ctrl+I).

Use Effects-->Artistic-->Contour at these settings:

 

 

Check top layer and set blend mode to Multiply, opacity 130.

Merge layers down and apply another AA's Assistant.

 

Select text with Magic Wand at 60%, Invert Selection (Ctrl+I).

Use Effects-->Blurs-->Blur Blend at these settings:   Radius - 3    Blend - Multiply

Another AA if you wish and you are done!

All the settings above are specific to the font size used. You will have to play with the settings if you use a different font and size.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's another example:

 

 

 

This is Alba 288 Bold. I had to adjust the settings, but it's perfectly doable. I duplicated the text layer again and ran Pyro's Trail on the bottom layer,

set the top layer to Multiply 130 and ran BoltBait's Feather on each layer.

 

Here are some additional steps to achieve what I call 'The Fluffy Sticker' effect.  Use this on text where you have applied Pyro's Trail plugin on the bottom layer.

 

Start with your layered PDN file or do the tutorial from the beginning.  Here are some examples:

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

Open your layered PDN file and select the text that does not have 'Trail' applied and duplicate it.

Magic Wand the duplicated layer, invert selection and apply Effects-->Render-->Gradients Galore at these settings:

 

 

Set layer to Additive and play with the opacity slider.  Go to bottom un-Trailed layer and play with Hue / Sat plugin from the Adjustments menu, till color is to your liking.

Apply some (2) AA's Assistant and finish with a Feather to achieve a 'smooth; look.

 

 

 

 

 

There are probably lots of ways to apply a colored plastic coating to the letters. This one turns out the best, I think.  Experiment!

 

Added note: On the above screenshots showing Gradient Galore plugin I made a notation in red. The reason is I was avoiding the dark green and black color

you get if your size is set at default or higher.  Just didn't look right.

 

I hope you enjoy this tutorial!  😃

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2019 by lynxster4
Added additional steps

[Woodsy]

I've been kind of waiting for something like this @lynxster4, bright colors and all. And a PDF has been added.

[barbieq25]

Very nice!

[dipstick]

Very good Lynx! There is a plugin for Gimp that does this too. Your's looks very similar to that effect. I wonder if someone and write a plugin to do the steps required?

 

[lynxster4]

Thank you @Woodsy for the PDF!  I'm glad you will find this tut useful!  😊

 

Thank you @barbieq25!  

 

Thank you @dipstick!   I'm vaguely aware of that plugin...I really don't use GIMP.  The above tutorial was inspired by this PS tutorial.  I just got rid of the 'sticker' part and added a lot of my own.  Maybe one of our coding geniuses could come up with something.  Any takers?     The tut is very flexible in that you can make your 'shine' spots really any size you want. I kept mine on the thinner side.  Was your example above made with the Gimp plugin?  Looks really good!

 

Thank you @ReMake for the rep!  

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by lynxster4

[HyReZ]

I started to try it but on a canvas that is 5K x 5K pixels. Some of the plugins just took to long to render. It is a great text effect for small canvases.

[HyReZ]

I used more than a few work-a-rounds and was able to achieve this design:

I worked on a 5K x 5K pixel canvas. To get highlings in the text layer that would not take long to render, I used a text layer with

black shadows and shading then reversed the colors of the text layer to get the edge highlights and and plastic like shimmer.
I resized the canvas to a 1920 x 1920 pixel JPG to send to my web host.
 

Edited August 2, 2019 by HyReZ

[Pixey]

Brava @lynxster4 What a fabulous tutorial and a very impressive use of many of the developers' Plugins

 

 

 

[Seerose]

Dear @lynxster4!  

 

Thank you so much for the tutorial.  

 

[lynxster4]

@HyReZ, @Pixey and @Seerose   What great outcomes!     

 

All have a distinct 'style' to them!  Fist Bump to you all!  👊  😆

 

(get to Pixey and Seerose tomorrow...ran out of reps)   😲

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by lynxster4

[dipstick]

12 hours ago, lynxster4 said:

Was your example above made with the Gimp plugin?  Looks really good!

 

I made that one in Gimp using an old script written by Graechan to convert an object into plastic effect. I also used a 3-D extrude on it, which is basically the same thing as Trails in PDN. The effect takes only a couple seconds to make using the script.

 

Your method yields just as good results. Maybe someone could write a plugin to automate the steps need. 

[klaxxon]

Thanks lynxter4. A small variation to get a candy text...

 

Edited May 23, 2019 by klaxxon

[lynxster4]

Very nice outcome @klaxxon!     At least you will be ready for the upcoming holidays!  

 

Additional thanks to @Maximilian, @Pixey and @Seerose for the reps!   

 

Edited May 16, 2019 by lynxster4

[Seerose]

 Dear @lynxster4! I couldn't keep my fingers off it. 💐  One more.  

 

[lynxster4]

Doesn't hurt to do more than one @Seerose!  Both are fabulous!    

 

I'm glad to see that this tutorial is of some interest to forum members. 

 

[lynxster4]

Added additional steps for a different 'finished' look.  

 

[Woodsy]

The PDF has been adapted.

[lynxster4]

Thank you @doughty and @klaxxon for the reps!  

 

And thank you @Woodsy for updating the PDF!     

 

[lynxster4]

Thank you @welshblue for the rep!   

 

[lynxster4]

11 hours ago, welshblue said:

My choice of font was all wrong.  Should have gone for a more rounded one

 

It still looks good, but a more 'rounded' font works better.  I like the little 'ridges' you have going on.

 

Great result, welshy!  

 

How do you get rid of spoiler if you accidently hit it???  (A: Wait a while, a creepy Mod will sneak in and do it for you)

Edited May 26, 2019 by Ego Eram Reputo
Removed empty spoiler tags

[ReMake]

Place the text cursor behind the spoiler and press Delete or Backspace. Or select the spoiler and click Delete or Backspace.

[lynxster4]

Thank you @ReMake for the explanation and thank you @Ego Eram Reputo for removing them!      (The creepy Mod strikes again...no I didn't!)

 

[lynxster4]

Love that @welshblue!    It looks plasti-licious!  😆  It looks like lemon candy...I can taste it now...

 

[Seerose]

 Dear @lynxster4!

 

Many thanks for the addition.  

 

[Seerose]

 @welshblue!

 

Masterly Mr. Master. Thank you for sharing your result!