Inlay Enameled Text

[lynxster4]

Hello everyone! We will be making this:  

Plugins needed:  Invert Colors - Built in

Gaussian Blur - Built in

Paste Alpha-Fill from Clipboard-Feather-Bevel Object (found in Boltbait's pack)

Texture Shader (by MJW)

Edge Expander (by MJW)

AA's Assistant (found in dpy's pack)

Gaussian Blur-clamped (by toe_head)

Emaps needed: Download from my Dropbox

 

The first few steps are taken from MJW’s tutorial here.  Used with his permission.

Please note that the Texture Shader settings are unique for this example only.

 

Spoiler

New canvas 800 x 600, add new transparent layer above
Type the text in black (I used Francisco Lucas Briosa, 288, bold), align text   Find the font here.
 

Merge black text down onto white background, Adjustments-->Invert Colors
Copy image to Clipboard (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C)
 

Apply Blurs-->Gaussian Blur at 8

 

Apply Object-->BB’s Paste Alpha at default (you now have white text on transparent background)

 

Add new layer below, fill with color 64,64,64 (so you can see what you’re doing)
Duplicate text layer (2) times
 

Open 1st emap image in PDN and copy to Clipboard (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C)

 

Uncheck top 2 text layers and return to TEXT1 layer
On this layer apply Effects-->Height Maps-->Texture Shader at these settings:
Image – Clipboard
Clipboard Image Size – 9.2923
Clipboard Image Offset – 0.5333, 0.4333
Clipboard Image Rotation – default (0.00)
Clipboard Image Mapping Method – Reflection Map (Equirectangular)
Mapping Displacement – 0.406
Texture Height Scale – 5.84
Texture Height Curvature – default (0.000)
Make sure Intensity Increases with Height is checked
Uncheck Use Alpha from Texture
Ambient Light Color – 60, 60, 60
Directional Color – 255, 255, 255
Directional Light Direction – keep at default (all zero’s)
Directional Light Intensity at default (1.00)
Specularity – 0.300
Specular Concentration – 45.00
Apply Surface Color to Highlight – Do Not Check
Antialias – Check and set to 6

 

Go to TEXT2 layer and check it, apply Object-->Edge Expander at just enough distance to cover below letter outline (in this instance, 😎

 

Select canvas with Magic Wand (global) and return to TEXT1 layer and hit the Delete key

 

Uncheck TEXT2 layer and move to bottom as you are done with it
Go to TEXT1 layer and apply 1 or 2 AA’s Assistant (Object Menu)
 

Open 2nd emap and copy it to the Clipboard

 

Check TEXT3 layer and Select the TEXT3 canvas with Magic Wand (global) and invert (Ctrl+I), create new layer above it and Fill from Clipboard the image at 0.113, 0.213, zoom 0.091, tiling and mirror both directions

 

While still selected apply Blurs-->Gaussian Blur-clamped at 20, then deselect
(You could set this layer to multiply if you wish or leave it on normal)

 

Merge new layer down onto TEXT3 layer, apply Object-->Feather at 4

 

On TEXT3 layer apply Object-->Bevel object at 135, 4, 0.50, hard edge checked, keep original checked, no drop shadow ---- Colors Tab – Light Color white (255,255,255) and Dark Color 96, 96, 96

 

Apply an AA’s Assistant on TEXT3 layer and you are finished!

 

There are so many possibilities with this technique. If you use a different font or a different emap image the settings for Texture Shader will have to change. Use what looks best for you and what you are trying to achieve.

I tried this on some Shapes I made. I found it will work on something very simple.
If you have too many lines in the shape it just gets all muddied.

Also, make your own emap images. I found @frio's Seamless Simplex Clouds works great for this. Here are some examples.

 

A simple Christmas Tree shape:

Using frio’s Seamless Simplex Clouds for the Texture Shader emap:

Have fun!!  😊

 

 

Another simple shape that works:

Spoiler

 

 

 

[Pixey]

An excellent tutorial @lynxster4 and great use of the Plugin you used - I will be trying this again and again 🥰

 

[lynxster4]

Thank you @Pixey. The ornament looks wonderful. I see you're ready for Christmas! 😄 Thank you for the rep.

 

Thank you, also, to @frio, @Tactilis, @Ego Eram Reputo, @ReMake, and @Lemonade for the reps.

[lynxster4]

Thank you @MJW for the rep! ☺️

[Marilynx]

THis is SUCH a cool technique. I am not sure I understand all of it, but have DL the effects packages -- already had Boltbait's, of course -- and figure out where they go. 

 

I know what I want to use it for... I just hope it will work. 

 

 

[lynxster4]

Thank you @Marilynx. I'm glad you like it. I hope it works for what you have in mind. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask.  😊

 

Thank you @toe_head2001 for the rep. 😊

[Marilynx]

On 2/10/2024 at 5:50 AM, lynxster4 said:

Thank you @Marilynx. I'm glad you like it. I hope it works for what you have in mind. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask.  😊

 

If I can find the right backdrops and a commercially usable font (really liked the one you chose, but noted that someone asked about using in commercially in 2016 and apparently never got an answer!) I hope to use it for the covers of the books I have been working on. Still trying to get the right DNA -- may post about that elsewhere. But no matter what I've tried, from Text Formations to other tricks has given the lettering for the cover the right kind of boldness to stand out. This may.

[lynxster4]

Something like this?

 

Yes, I used the same font as my tutorial. Maybe you could find something similar?

 

I found the author's website. See it here.

 

You could also check here for a nice font with commercial licenses.

 

[Marilynx]

15 hours ago, lynxster4 said:

Yes, I used the same font as my tutorial. Maybe you could find something similar?

 

I found the author's website. See it here.

 

You could also check here for a nice font with commercial licenses.

 

 

I will emphatically check the author's website, because I very much liked the font you used in your tutorial!

 

And I will also check your second site. I'm gonna lose my mind with this. I have learned that for physical covers, one need 1800 x 2700, 300 dpi, plus a suitable bleed, and MAY need wrap around for the whole book. But for e-books, they want it in a ratio of 1/1.6, 300 dpi prefered, also with a .25" bleed. 

 

 Once I learn your tutorial, I have a feeling that I am going to be doing it so many times I will have the darn thing memorized!2-3 times for each book -- and there will be 7 books in the series! (Geeze, I wish I were a clever programmer who could figure out how to automate this! Because seriously, I like this letttering effect better than almost anything else I have seen!)

[Djisves]

Another good one. Thank you @lynxster4 

Here are a couple of my tries...

 

[lynxster4]

Excellent @Djisves! Love the 4 leaf clover!  😍🤗