Just Text FX
3D Gold Metallic Type (using multi-level gradients)
Create a New Document.
Attributes: 300x150 pixels / RGB / White Background.
Click the Type tool and type a short word. I used the letters PSG, and chose Arial Black for my
font. Make your text large enough to fill most of the canvas area, but not all of it. My type was set at
100 pixels.
Photoshop 5+ users: for the purpose of this exercise, Render your type layer first before continuing. Then
click in the 'Preserve Transparency' checkbox to turn it on.
Photoshop 4 users: check to make sure the 'Preserve Transparency' checkbox is ticked ON after you've
entered your type to a layer, and Deselect the text if it has become selected.
Creating a multi-leveled gradient, for metallic effects:
(instead of me just giving you my gradient file, i'm going to show you how to make one. There's
nothing to be learned by me just giving you the file, right?)
Before we continue here we'll need to create a special type of gradient i like to use for metal effects. It has to
have about 6 to 9 varying levels of grey in it. These different levels of grey will help to simulate various kinds
of object and light reflections that may be present in the metal objects we create.
Here's how we're going to create this multi-level gradient:
First: Start by picking the Linear Gradient tool, then open the options palette for the tool (you
can double-click the tool to open it's Options palette). Within the options palette choose the
gradient style named 'Spectrum'.
Second: Click on the Edit button in the options palette. When the editor opens, click the
Duplicate button. Enter a new name for the gradient - name it "Metallic Grad", or "Spectrum
Metal", something to that effect.
Third: Now we're going to work from left to right, changing the colours in the spectrum style to
be different shades of grey instead. Start by clicking on the left-most colour slider. Then click on
the colour swatch just below the sliders. When your palette editor opens up, enter these
numbers in the R G B boxes > R=204 G=204 B=204.
Repeat these same steps for all the other colours in the Spectrum gradient. Work from left to
right. Below are the RGB numbers to enter for the rest of the colours in the gradient. Count the
amount of colours in the Spectrum Grad to make sure we have the same amount - there should
be 7 all together.
The Photoshop Guru's Handbook - 3D Gold Metallic Text
http://gurus.onlinedesignschool.com/intermediate/3d_gradients.shtml (1 of 3) [11/25/2000 6:09:59 AM]
1st colour = R-204 G-204 B-204
2nd colour = R-102 G-102 B-102
3rd colour = R-255 G-255 B-255
4th colour = R-153 G-153 B-153
5th colour = R-51 G-51 B-51
6th colour = R-153 G-153 B-153
7th colour = R-51 G-51 B-51
If you find you have more than 7 colour sliders,
simply delete the remaining ones by pressing
on them and dragging them downward. That
will delete them. If you need to add any colours,
just hold down the ALT key (Mac: Option) and
press and drag one of the existing sliders to the right or left. That will add a colour. Then press and drag the
new slider into the position you'd like it to be along the colour strip.
Applying the gradient:
Once you have your metallic grad designed, let's apply it to our type.
Start out by naming your type layer "Text 1". Then check that the 'Preserve Transparency' option has
been ticked ON for this layer. (PS 5+ users make sure your type layer has been Rendered). Then, click the
Linear gradient tool at the top of your text and drag it to the bottom. Hold the Shift key down while dragging
so the gradient will be perfectly straight.
Thickening the metal:
Duplicate the 'Text 1' layer and name this one 'Text 2'. Ctrl-click (Mac: Command) the 'Text 2' layer to
select the type. Now contract the selection by 2 pixels. Then Feather it by 1 pixel. Now invert the
selection the selection and hit the Delete key. Set this layer's Blend Mode to Exclusion.
Fine-tuning the reflections/adding a bevel:
Duplicate the 'Text 1' layer again, and drag the duplicate to the top of the palette. Name this one 'Text
3'. Press Ctrl+I (Mac: Command) to invert the colours of this layer; to the opposite of what they are.
Now we'll use a quick method for sizing simple objects in Photoshop. Open the Filter menu and go down to
the 'Other' selection in the list. In there, choose the filter 'Maximum' (aka: Maximum transparency). Set the
amount to 2 pixels. Click OK to apply. Set this layer's Blend Mode to Overlay.
Going for the Gold!: hahaa, Get it?!... i kill me ;)
Ok we're almost there. Creating the special gradient makes this seem longer than it really is. You'll
see, once you go through the steps again; like i KNOW you will.
Ok, so now you need create a New Layer and name it 'bevel colour'. Then Duplicate this layer and name the
dupe 'face colour'. Ctrl-click (Mac: Command) on the 'Text 1' layer again to create a selection of the type.
Now activate the 'bevel colour' layer again, by clicking on it. Fill the selection with this colour - R=204 G=204
B=153. Then Contract the selection by 2 pixels, and press the Delete key. Set the Blend Mode to Color.
Now activate the 'face colour' layer and fill the selection on this layer with this colour - R=255 G=204 B=0. Set
this layer's Blend Mode to Color Dodge, and turn down the Opacity level to 40%.
Voila! A nice clean gold metal effect.
GURU TIPS:
Other colours can also work here to produce different types
of metals. Experiment to see what different types of metals
you can come up with, by simply using a differnt colour. For
a straight chrome or stainless steel effect, just turn off the 2
coloured layers we made. Then follow these steps:
: Ctrl-click the 'Text 1' layer to create a selection of the type.
: Duplicate the 'Text 3' layer.
: Fill this layer with White, and then add noise / Amount=100 / Gaussian / Monochrome.
1.
The Photoshop Guru's Handbook - 3D Gold Metallic Text
http://gurus.onlinedesignschool.com/intermediate/3d_gradients.shtml (2 of 3) [11/25/2000 6:09:59 AM]
: Apply a Motion Blur to the layer at a -34 degree Angle / Distance=15.
: Emboss the layer / Angle= -145 / Height=7 / Amount=150.
: Set the Blend Mode to Lighten.
Done.
Playing around with the the layer Blend Modes can yield some different results also. Try changing the
Blend Mode for the 'Text 3' layer and see how the effect can change.
2.
Other effects can be achieved too by simple means. Such
as this effect here. Try these steps to produce this burnt
effect on yours: (reset the blend modes if you changed
them in the tips above)
Duplicate the 'Text 3' layer. Press Ctrl+I (Mac: Command)
to invert the colours of the gradient. Then apply a 2 to 3
pixel Gaussian Blur to the layer; make sure the type is not
selected. I used 2.5 pixels for mine. Then set the layer's
Blend Mode to Difference. And finally, change the 'bevel colour' layer's Blend Mode to Color Dodge,
and turn down it's Opacity to 50%. Done.
And here's one final example of what a little experimenting
can get you. All i'm going to tell you here for this one is that
it involves using the Clouds/Difference Clouds filter, and the
Emboss filter. It's not that difficult. So see if you can figure
out how i got the previous 'Burnt Metal' effect to look this
way. ;)
3.