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TEXT EFFECTS

Create a 3D Retro TextEffect Using Layer Stylesin Adobe Photoshopby Rose 2 Feb 2015 29 Comments English

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What You'll Be Creating

This tutorial will show you how to use layer styles, smart objects, and some otherbasic elements in Adobe Photoshop to create a simple, retro looking, 3D text effect.

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Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:

Freshman Normal font30 Simple Patterns by mslooten

1. Creating the Background Gradient

Step 1Create a new 800 x 600px document, and duplicate the Background layer.

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Step 2Double-click the Background copy layer to apply a Gradient Overlay effect usingthe following values:

Check the Dither boxStyle: RadialScale: 150%

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Create the Gradient using the colors #c8c5b8 to the left and #aaa593 to theright.

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This will create the background gradient.

2. Adding Subtle Noise to the Background

Step 1

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Duplicate the styled Background copy layer, and then right-click the new copy andchoose Rasterize Layer Style.

If you're working with CS6 or earlier versions of Photoshop, you'll need to group thelayer (Layer > Group Layers), and then merge the group (Layer > Merge Group)instead.

Set the Foreground color to #c8c5b8 and the Background color to #aaa593 .

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Step 2Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise, change the Amount to 5 and the Distribution toUniform, and check the Monochromatic box.

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Step 3Change the Background copy 2 layer's Blend Mode to Darken. This will add

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subtle noise to the background gradient.

Step 4Click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layerspanel and choose Levels.

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Step 5Change the Shadows value to 72, the Gamma to 1.05, and the Highlights to 236.This will adjust the coloring of the background.

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3. Creating the Text and the 3D Extrusion

Step 1Create the text in All Caps using the font Freshman Normal. The Size is 125 pt,the color is #43a0a8 , and the Kerning is set to Optical.

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Step 2Duplicate the text layer and drag the copy layer below it.

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Step 3Enter the Free Transform Mode by going to Edit > Free Transform (Command-T). Tap the Right Arrow Key once, and then tap the Down Arrow Key once aswell, to move the copy text one pixel to the right and one pixel downwards. Then hitthe Return key to accept the changes.

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Step 4Press the Option-Command-Shift-T (Alt-Ctrl-Shift-T for Windows) ten times toduplicate the layer with the transformation to create the 3D extrusion.

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4. Creating the Smart Objects for the 3DExtrusion and the Shadow

Step 1Select all the copy text layers, and change the text color to #c7b299 .

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Step 2With all the copy text layers still selected, go to Filter > Convert for Smart Filters.Rename the smart object's layer to 3D Extrusion, duplicate it, drag the copy belowit, and rename the copy to Shadow.

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5. Styling the Original Text Layer

Double-click the original text layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1Add a Stroke with these settings:

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Size: 2Position: InsideColor: #f2eee1

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Step 2Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:

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Color: #464646Opacity: 100%Uncheck the Use Global Light boxAngle: 129Distance: 5Spread: 50Size: 2

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Step 3Add a Pattern Overlay with these settings:

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Blend Mode: Soft LightPattern: Fine diagonal lines

You can actually try the other patterns in the set as well—some of them look reallycool.

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This will style the main text layer.

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6. Styling the 3D Extrusion

Double-click the 3D Extrusion layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

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Technique: Chisel HardSize: 13Uncheck the Use Global Light boxAngle: 82Altitude: 11Check the Anti-aliased boxHighlight Mode - Opacity: 0%

What you're doing here is changing the Bevel and Emboss's Angle and Altitudevalues to create a 3D shading based on the extrusion's angle.

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Step 2Add a Contour with these settings:

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Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

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Add a Color Overlay with these settings:

Color: #265559

This is the part where you choose the extrusion's color, so feel free to change it upif you like.

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You can see how this creates the illusion of a flat 3D effect just by using a couple ofeffects. You can of course further enhance the result you get by adjusting theshadow for the corners that need adjusting.

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You can also pick the Move Tool and move the 3D extrusion a tad upwards if youlike. Just take the time to work with the result you get if you feel like it.

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7. Working on the Shadow

Step 1Select the Shadow layer, then go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur. Change the Angleto -55 and the Distance to 20. You need the Angle value to match the 3Dextrusion's angle.

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Step 2Change the Shadow layer's Blend Mode to Multiply, and then use the Move Toolto drag the shadow and move it around until you like how it looks.

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Step 3Click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layerspanel and choose Hue/Saturation.

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Step 4Click the Clip adjustment to layer icon at the bottom of the Properties panel, andchange the Saturation value to -65.

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Congratulations! You're Done

In this tutorial, we created a gradient background and used the Add Noise filter toadd a subtle noise effect to it.

Then we created the text, duplicated it with a transformation to create the 3D

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extrusion, and converted the copy layers into Smart Objects to create the shadowlayer as well.

After that, we styled the text and the 3D extrusion layers to achieve the 3D retroeffect.

Finally, we created the shadow using the Motion Blur filter, adjusted its layer's BlendMode and color, and moved it around to achieve the final result.

Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, and outcomes below.

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Suggested Tuts+ Course

Related Tutorials

Difficulty:

Beginner

Length:

Short

Categories:

Text Effects Adobe Photoshop

Layer Styles Retro

Translations Available:

Tiếng Việt

Tuts+ tutorials are translated by our communitymembers. If you'd like to translate this post intoanother language, let us know!

About Rose

Rose is a Graphic Designer who has beenusing Photoshop since 2007. Rosecurrently runs Textuts.com.

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29 Comments Tuts+ Hub

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• Reply •

Hecton Eciro • 2 months ago

Great tutorial...Congratulations for the good work.Thanks XD

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masoud • a month ago

Recommend

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• Reply •

Hi goodmasoud & live in iran

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• Reply •

kieutriet • a month ago

My name is Thanh Binh, which means Peace in English :) Thank you for your tutorial.

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md.parvez alam • 2 months ago

thanks.

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• Reply •

Grizlee • 2 months ago

Hello , thanks for your tutorial !

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• Reply •

Mary Winkler • 2 months agoMod > Grizlee

Fantastic work! :) This will be featured in an upcoming community round-up here on tuts+. Thanks so muchfor sharing!

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• Reply •

Gridi Duka • a month ago

Nice Tutorial.

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• Reply •

Anshul Raikwar • a month ago

great tutorial B|

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• Reply •

Iana • a month ago

Thanks!!!

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• Reply •

Đình Nam • a month ago

Thanks a lot. I made it

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Ali Agoub • a month ago

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• Reply •

thanks :)

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• Reply •

Daniele • 2 months ago

Grazie ancora Rose per condividere, ciao a tutti.

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• Reply •

duken • 2 months ago

Fantástico gracias Por el tutsAMo lo gratis, free o librethanks for tuts

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• Reply •

Vikranth • a month ago

Nice tutorial, very easy to follow. Here's mine, messed up the shadow and tweaked the colors :p

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• Reply •

Guest • a month ago

hi, may name is ...... and i am sooo retro !!!!!

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• Reply •

EquiNox • 3 days ago

check out my work here 1△ ▽

Cigra Cendikia • a month ago

Thank man. You are great! :D

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• Reply • 1△ ▽

• Reply •

Gabby Jaime • a month ago

Red

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• Reply •

Art • a month ago

Nice tutorial

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Bob • 2 months ago

Another great tutorial - very pleasing effect

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• Reply • 1△ ▽

• Reply •

sadra • a day ago

thank you :)

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• Reply •

Houssame Housni • 9 days ago

thanks

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Kreative Kam • 11 days ago

A very useful tutorial which will come in handy in the future Cheers!

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Patty Nuñez • 15 days ago

So much Fun! Thanks!!!

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• Reply •

Rose • 18 days ago

Just wanted to comment again because you guys are awesome!A lot of absolutely wonderful variations!

Really glad you enjoyed the tutorial.

Many thanks for sharing all your amazing work :D △ ▽

TFX • 19 days ago

Thanks for the tutorial. I did my own interpretation of this C:

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Anton Amihud • 24 days ago

Good tutorial :D

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• Reply •

natalie • a month ago

Thanks for great tutorial!

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Rose • a month ago

WOW! I've been checking out all your wonderful work, and it looks just amazing!Loving all the variations and different patterns and colors.

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19,276 Tutorials 498 Video Courses

• Reply •

Many thanks for the lovely comments and for sharing your great work everyone :D △ ▽

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