Glittering Text Effect

In this tutorial, we’ll create a sparkly glittering text effect, by using Layer Styles and applying some Filters.

The Final Result

Tutorial Details

• Software Used : Photoshop
• Version : CS5 Extended
• Time : 0:45 – 1:15

Resources

• Forte font.
• 4 Free Leather Textures.

Step 1

Create a new 1024 x 768 px document. Set the Foreground color to #f8f400, and the Background color to #131313. Then go to Filter > Render > Clouds.

Go to Filter > Sketch > Photocopy. Set the Detail value to 20, and the Darkness value to 25.

Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur. Set the Angle value to 65, and the Distance value to 999.

Duplicate the Background layer, and change the copy’s Blend Mode to Color Dodge.

Step 2

Open the Brush panel (Window > Brush). Pick one of the sparkle brushes available, and change its Settings as below:

Brush Tip Shape.

Shape Dynamics

Scattering

Step 3

Create a new layer and call it BG Sparkles, change its Blend Mode to Color Dodge. Then, pick the Pen Tool, and draw a line (by clicking where you want it to start and where you want it to end). It is better to draw the line over the brighter areas in the background.

Make sure that the BG Sparkles layer is selected, then right click on the path and choose Stroke Path.

Choose Brush from the Tool drop down menu, and check the Simulate Pressure box.

Hit Enter/Return to get rid of the path.

Repeat this to create as many lines as you like.

Step 4

Create the text using the font Forte, the Size 300px and the color #4e4e4. Duplicate the text layer, and change the copy’s Fill value to 0.

Open the black texture (number 2) from the 4 Free Leather Textures pack.

Go to Edit > Define Pattern, and type in a name for the pattern.

Double click the original text layer, and add a Pattern Overlay effect. Change the Blend Mode to Overlay, choose the defined pattern from the drop down menu, and change the Scale to 25%.

Step 5

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

– Drop Shadow

• Distance : 0
• Size : 13

– Inner Shadow

• Color : #868686
• Distance : 0
• Size : 10

– Bevel and Emboss

• Size : 9
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle : 70
• Altitude : 20
• Gloss Contour : Notched Slope
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Shadow Mode – Color : #737373

– Contour

• Contour : Ring Triple

You should end up with something similar to this:

Step 6

Right click any of the text layers and choose Create Work Path.

Open the Brush panel again, and this time, choose a round hard brush. Change the Size to 6px, and the Spacing to 115%.

Create a new layer on top of all layers, and call it Brush Stroke.

Change the Foreground color to #fff43e, then place the cursor somewhere near the work path and hit Enter/Return. This will stroke the work path with the brush.

Press Ctrl/Cmd + H to get rid of the work path.

Step 7

Double click the Brush Stroke layer to apply the following Layer Style:

– Drop Shadow

• Distance : 0
• Size : 13

– Inner Glow

• Blend Mode : Overlay
• Color : #fff43e

– Bevel and Emboss

• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle : 70
• Altitude : 20
• Gloss Contour : Valley High
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Shadow Mode – Color : #737373

– Contour

• Contour : Peaks

– Gradient Overlay

• Blend Mode : Soft Light
• Angle : 90

This will style the stroke.

Step 8

Create a new layer between the two text layers and call it Glitter Sparkles, then change its Blend Mode to Vivid Light. Ctrl/Cmd + Click one of the text layers’ thumbnail to create a selection.

Set the Foreground color to #575525 and the Background color to #fbfcb2, and fill the selection with the Foreground color.

Then, go to Filter > Render > Fibers. Change the Variance to 15, and the Strength to 50.

Go to Filter > Texture > Stained Glass. Change the Cell Size to 2, the Border Thickness to 1, and the Light Intensity to 3.

Go to Filter > Distort > Wave. Change the values as shown below.

This is what you will end up with.

Step 9

You can then add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer on top of all layers, then change the Saturation value to 50. This will make the colors more vivid. You can also change the Hue value to change the color.

This is the final result once again.