Metallic Text Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to create 3D text with a metallic look and finish using only Adobe Photoshop. Here's what we'll be creating:

If you're ready we can begin.

*left-click on any of the pictures below to enlarge them.

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Start with a new project and follow the instructions below:

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Next, take the text tool and type in any text you want. Then right-click it on the Layers tab and rasterize it as shown below:

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Next, go to Edit > Transform > Distort and drag the corners to make the text have perspective view.

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Now. Duplicate the text layer using Ctrl + J. Rename the top layer 'Top' and the lower layer 'Bottom'. Select the top layer and use the arrow keys to put it above the lower layer until it looks something like this:

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Duplicate both layers using using Ctrl + J and position them as shown below:

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Turn off the 'Top' and 'Bottom' layers but leave their duplicates on. Now select the 'Top copy' layer and make 5 duplicates of it. Do the same for the 'Bottom copy' layer. Now, select 'Top copy 5' and hold Shift and left-click on the 'Top copy' layer. This should select all 50 layers. Right-click on the layers and select 'Link Layers'.

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Now we select 'Top copy 5'. Go to the upper toolbar of the move tool. Click on Align Right Edges, Distribute Vertical Centers and Distribute Horizontal Centers. Our letters are now 3D.

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Select all linked layers and merge them together using Ctrl+E. Name the merged layer

'text_merged'.

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Now we go to the Layers panel. Turn on 'Top' and open its Blending Options. Apply a Gradient Overlay and make a gray-to-white gradient. I used #6e6e6e to #f2f2f2. Change the angle to make it darker at the top of letters and lighter at the bottom.

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Now, turn off 'text_merged, then hold Ctrl and left-click on its thumbnail. Create a new layer and title it 'sides_color' and use the Fill Tool and fill it with a neutral gray color such as #707070. To deselect press Ctrl+D.

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Open the blending options of 'sides_color' and select Gradient Overlay. Select the third preset in the Gradient Editor - Black, White. Change the gradient as shown below. Now set the scale to 90 and change the angle to fit with the letters. I set mine to '113'. We're almost there!

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Next de-select 'text_merged' and 'Bottom'.

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Now for some added shine. Ctrl+left-click on the 'Top' layer's thumbnail. Then create a new layer, place it above the other layers and name it 'lines'. Now press 'M' and right-click on your the selection. Select "Stroke" and set the Width to 1 px, and the Color to white. Now select the Eraser, make the hardness 0 and the flow 25 and remove some of the line except around the highlighted parts and some edges. Follow my example below:

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Now duplicate 'Bottom'. Merge all the layers except 'Bottom copy' and rename it to 'TEXT'.

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Select 'Bottom copy' and apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur to it. Set the Radius to 3. Using the arrow keys, position the shadow pixels to make a shadow below the letters.

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...and we should have something like this:

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You can add some details and revise it however you want. Here is my final result:

I hope you enjoyed this Adobe Photoshop tutorial. Feel free to comment on and share this free tutorial.


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