These free online tutorials show you how to create a variety of popular text effects in Photoshop. Techniques include beveled, embossed, textured, outlined, chrome, fire, metallic, neon, glowing, dripping, plastic, 3d, and many more. Not just for type, these techniques are useful for learning how to create special effects for all kinds of objects and will give you insight on many of Photoshop's filters and commands.
Wrapping text in creative ways adds a fun and playful quality to a picture. Learn how to wrap text around an object using three different effects in Adobe Photoshop.
[Video Tutorial] Use Adobe Photoshop to create text with a sand-like texture, using the same displacement effect design pros use to blend text or objects seamlessly into picture backgrounds.
[Video Tutorial] Create a text reflection effect in Adobe Photoshop and make text contents pop from their background.
Learn how to create glass-like see-through text in Photoshop 5.5.
Protect your photos and images by adding a translucent copyright watermark over them to identify them as your own work. This technique does not require you to render the layer, so your text remains editable.
Create a distressed gold text effect as you work with filters, alpha channels, and layer effects.
An elaborate technique for creating 'aqua' style gel text. Lengthy, but it looks real sharp.
Use the crystallize filter to create a chipped, ragged type effect. This site is not compatible with Netscape 4.
Create soft lightning cubes around your type for a pixelized effect.
"When a question was asked concerning curved type reflected off a surface, Al Ward wrapped his brain around the concept and found a simple answer. See how it's done..." from creativepro.com.
Create text with sketch lines.
"In this excerpt from "Photoshop Studio Skills: For Photoshop 7 and Photoshop CS," you learn how to make beautiful folding text using the Displace Filter and the "Blend If" function in Layer Styles."
Create elevated type complete with reflections.
Create embossed transparent text that allows your background image to show though.
Create a plastic texture for text or objects using lighting effects and screen blend mode. This site is not compatible with Netscape 4.
Create gold textured text using Photoshop 6.0.
A variation on the gel text effect. This one has an outline and a shiny appearance.
Create a translucent 'gel' text effect using no filters or layer styles. There's a lot of steps, but it's written for beginners.
Create mysterious looking ghost text, then change just one setting and get a chalk effect.
The classic airbrush Gold Text effect.
How to create inset divider bars or text. Version unspecified.
A neat effect of text encrusted with jewels. Uses channels, lighting effects, drop shadows, layer effects, and more. Great effect for dingbat fonts and other objects, too.
Create dimensional letters that are intertwined. Uses alpha channels, lighting effects, layers, and more.
Create glowing neon text in Photoshop 5.5.
Learn how to create beveled perspective up (or down) text. Also witness an interesting psychological illusion.
I call this 'Postcard Text' because of those ubiquitous postcards with the location spelled out in pictures. It makes for a cool effect which can be useful for many applications.
Use a layer clipping group to make 'postcard' text, text with pictures inside each letter.
Paste into is another way to fill type with pictures.
Punch your type into the background.
Use curves to create a chrome type effect.
Learn how to select the outside edges of your text to apply a rough edge effect. Good selection tips here in addition to the text effect. Part two shows you a few techniques using custom brushes.
Give your type a nice feeling of speed.
Using selection techniques, layer effects, and lighting effects to create interesting text effects in Photoshop 5.
This typeFX looks great at higher resolutions but, if handled carefully, works with tiny designs too.
