How to Create a Freddy Krueger Inspired Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

In this tutorial I will show you how to create an easy text effect inspired by Freddy Krueger from the horror movie A Nightmare on Elm Street, using patterns and a layer style. 

The Freddy Krueger text effect is a part of Horror Photoshop Styles - Part 4 from my Halloween and Horror Collection.

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during this tutorial:

• Exquisite Corpse font
  
• Horror background JPG image
  
• Skin and Fabric patterns
• Eye PNG image
  

Before you start creating this text effect, download all of the assets and install the font and patterns into your Photoshop.

1. How to Start the Project

Step 1

We will use the Horror background image as our 800 x 650 px document. To load it, go to File > Open and open the Horror background.jpg image from the tutorial assets.

Step 2

Pick the Type Tool, choose the Exquisite Corpse font, set the Font Size to around 260 ptand write the word FRED all in capitals. The color of the text isn't important.

2. How to Add a Layer Style

This text effect is made of one layer, so when you are done, you can save it as a new style in your Styles panel for future use.

Step 1

Select your text layer in the Layers panel, right-click on the layer and choose Blending Options from the menu.

Add a Bevel & Emboss with these settings:

• Style: Inner Bevel
• Technique: Smooth
• Depth: 154%
• Direction: Down
• Size: 7 px
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box before setting Angle: -90° and Altitude: 21°
• Highlight Mode: Normal with Opacity: 0%
• Shadow Mode: Color Dodge with Color#d6ad79 and Opacity: 68%

Step 2

Add a Texture with these settings:

• Click on the Pattern box and choose the Fabric pattern.
• Scale: 25%
• Depth: +10%

Step 3

Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Linear Burn with Color#388033
  
• Opacity: 30%
• Uncheck the Use Global Light before setting Angle: 108°.
• Distance: 4 px
• Choke: 0%
• Size: 7 px

Step 4

Add an Inner Glow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Linear Burn
  
• Opacity: 24%
• Noise: 31%
• Pick the color #1c1313
• Technique: Precise
• Source: Edge
• Choke: 1%
• Size: 4 px
• Range: 55%

Step 5

Add a Satin effect with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Linear Burn with the color #633f3f
• Opacity: 76%
• Angle: 96°
• Distance: 3 px
• Size: 2 px
• Uncheck the Invert box

Step 6

Add a Color Overlay with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Color
• Click on the Color box and choose the color #8c8d91.
• Opacity: 22%

Step 7

Add a Gradient Overlay with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Normal
• Check the Dither box
  
• Opacity: 100%
• Style: Linear
• Angle: 90°
• Scale: 150%
  
• Click on the Gradient and set these color and opacity stops:
• Opacity stops with the Opacity: 100% on Locations: 0% and 51%
• Opacity stops with the Opacity: 0% on Location: 54%
• Color stops with the Color:#840a0c on Locations: 0%, 21% and 41%
• Color stops with the Color:#cf1214 on Locations: 10%, 30% and 50%
• Color stops with the Color:#3d503b on Locations: 11%, 20%, 31% and 40%
• Color stop with the Color:#452617 on Location: 51%

Step 8

Add a Pattern Overlay with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Normal
  
• Click on the Pattern box and choose the Skin pattern.
  
• Opacity: 100%
• Scale: 100%

Tip! While you are in the Pattern Overlay tab, you can left-click somewhere in the document and drag the pattern into a more appealing position.

Step 9

Add an Outer Glow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Color Dodge
  
• Opacity: 63%
• Click on the Set color of glow box and pick the color #bc5928
• Technique: Softer
• Spread: 0%
• Size: 24 px
• Range: 51%
• Jitter: 0%

Step 10

Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Multiply
• Pick the color #000000
• Opacity: 82%
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box before setting an Angle: 96°
• Distance: 9 px
• Spread: 0%
• Size: 7 px

Hit OK to apply all of the changes.

3. How to Add an Eye Image

You are almost done. As a final touch, we will add an opened eye under the text layer. If you like the text effect without it, you can skip this part.

Step 1

Place the image of an eye by going to File > Place and select the Eye image from the tutorial assets. Hit Enter to place it.

Step 2

Now we will move the Eye layer below the text layer. To do so, select the Eye layer in your Layers panel and go to Layer > Arrange > Send Backward.

Step 3

Change the position of the Eye image by hitting Control-T and using the Arrow keys on your keyboard. When you are done with positioning, hit the Enter key. This is your final result.

Congratulations! You're Done!

In this tutorial, you learned how to create a Freddy Krueger inspired text effect in Photoshop.

We started out by creating our document with a text layer. Then we added layer styles in order to create our text effect. Finally, we added the eye image.

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial, and if you like the final effect, don't forget to save this style to your Layer Styles panel for future projects.

The Freddy Krueger text effect is a part of Horror Photoshop Styles - Part 4 from my Halloween and Horror Collection.