Colorful Light Text Effect

In this tutorial, we will create a nice bright colorful light text effect.

The Final Result

Tutorial Details

• Software Used : Photoshop
• Version : CS5 Extended
• Time : 0:30 – 0:45

Resources

• ThickDeco font.
• Sparkle Brushes by ~Scully7491.

Step 1

Create a new 1024 x 768 px document and fill the Background with Black. Create the using the font ThickDeco, the Size 250 px, and the color #fff43e. If you want to arrange the words separately, create each one in a separate layer, then group them and call the group original text.

Duplicate the group, then right click the copy, and choose Merge Group.

Step 2

Go back to the original text group, and double click any of the layers to apply the following Layer Style:

– Outer Glow

• Color : #fff43e
• Range : 100

– Inner Glow

• Color : #fff43e
• Size : 10
• Range : 60

Click OK, then change the layer’s Fill value to 0.

Now, we want to copy the style to the other layers in the group. So right click the styled layer, and choose Copy Layer Style, select all the remaining layers in the group, then right click any of them and choose Paste Layer Style.

This is what you should get. (You will need to remove the eye icon next to the merged group’s layer on top of the original text group to see the changes, but don’t forget to click it back so that it’s visible again.)

Step 3

Double click the original text copy layer to apply the following Layer Style:

– Inner Glow

Use the default values.

– Bevel and Emboss

• Depth : 225
• Size : 2
• Gloss Contour : Valley Low
• Check the Anti-aliased box

– Contour

Just check the Anti-aliased box.

When you hit OK, change the original text copy layer’s Fill value to 0.

Step 4

Set the Foreground color to White, create a new layer and call it Sparkles.

Choose the brush shown below from the Sparkle Brushes pack. Change the brush Size as you like, here, it is something around 35 px. Start adding some sparkles randomly all over the text edges, but try not to overdo it and keep it simple.

Once you’re done adding the sparkles, create two duplicates of the Sparkles layer, and rename them to Vertical Blur, and Horizontal blur.

Select the Vertical Blur layer, then go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur, change the Angle to 90, and the Distance to 135.

Now, select the Horizontal Blur layer, and again, go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur, but this time, change the Angle to 0, and keep Distance as it is.

Step 5

The final step is adding the colors. Create a new layer on top of all layers, call it color, and change its Blend Mode to Color. Then, choose a soft round brush and change its Size to something around 250 px. You can use the [ key to increase its size and the ] key to decrease it while you’re adding the colors if needed.

Pick some bright vivid colors and start clicking inside your document to add different color spots everywhere, until the whole text is covered.

Also, you can switch between the Normal and Color Blend Modes to check things out if needed.

Once you’re done coloring, make sure to change the Blend Mode to Color, and you’re done!