This tutorial will show you a very quick and easy way of creating a liquid metal text effect, using a couple of textures, patterns, and layer styles. Let's get started!
This text effect was inspired by the many Layer Styles available on GraphicRiver.
Tutorial Assets
The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:
- Skyoval font
- Metal scales seamless texture 1 by jojo-ojoj
- Texture 555 by Sirius-sdz
- Free Pack 6000 photoshop gradients by Supertuts007 (Load the CSP True Sky Gradients.grd, METALS.grd, and CHROMES.grd files.)
1. How to Add Default Patterns
Step 1
Go to Edit > Presets > Preset Manager, and choose Patterns from the Preset Type drop-down menu.
Then, click the little arrow to the right of the Preset Type drop-down menu, and click the Nature Patterns set. When the dialog box appears after that, just click Append.
Step 2
Open the Metal scales seamless texture 1 image in Photoshop, go to Edit > Define Pattern, name the pattern Metal Scales, and click OK.
2. How to Create a Textured Background
Step 1
Create a new 1000 x 600 px document. Then click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel and choose Gradient.
Step 2
Create the gradient fill using the colors #301e14 to the left and #0d0909 to the right.
Set the Style to Radial and the Scale to 250.
Step 3
Place the Texture 555 image on top of the Gradient layer, and rename its layer to BG Texture.
Change the BG Texture layer's Blend Mode to Soft Light, and resize it as needed.
Step 4
Add a Gradient Map adjustment layer, and clip it to the BG Texture layer. Use the gradient fill below, and check the Dither box. Then, change the Gradient Map layer's Blend Mode to Color and its Opacity to 75%.
3. How to Create Text Layers
Step 1
Create the text using the font Skyoval. Set the Color to #7f7b78 and the Size to 350 pt.
Step 2
Duplicate the text layer and change the copy's Fill value to 0.
Step 3
Duplicate the copy text layer.
4. How to Style the Original Text Layer
Double-click the original text layer to apply the following layer style:
Step 1
Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:
- Size: 18
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: 112
- Altitude: 32
- Gloss Contour: Cove - Deep
- Check the Anti-aliased box
- Highlight Mode: Linear Light
- Color:
#f3d6b7
- Color:
- Shadow Mode: Linear Burn
- Color:
#7a7a7a
- Color:
Step 2
Add a Contour with these settings:
- Contour: Half Round
- Check the Anti-aliased box.
Step 3
Add a Texture with these settings:
- Pattern: Clouds
- Scale: 25%
- Depth: 5%
Step 4
Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Screen
- Color:
#4e9d86 - Opacity: 50%
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: 90
- Distance: 8
- Size: 9
- Contour: Half Round
Step 5
Add an Inner Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Difference
- Opacity: 35%
- Color: Use the Bronze Bz55 gradient fill
- Source: Center
- Size: 29
Step 6
Add a Satin effect with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Hard Light
- Color:
#deb7a7 - Opacity: 50%
- Angle: 90
- Distance: 13
- Size: 15
- Contour: Rolling Slope - Descending
- Check the Anti-aliased box
- Check the Invert box
Step 7
Add a Color Overlay with these settings:
- Color:
#653739 - Blend Mode: Color Burn
Step 8
Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:
- Color:
#010101 - Opacity: 85%
- Distance: 15
- Size: 10
This will style the first text layer.
5. How to Style the First Copy Text Layer
Double-click the first copy text layer to apply the following layer style:
Step 1
Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:
- Size: 10
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: 69
- Altitude: 42
- Gloss Contour: Cone - Inverted
- Check the Anti-aliased box
- Highlight Mode: Linear Light
- Color:
#f3d6b7
- Color:
- Shadow Mode:
- Opacity: 0%
Step 2
Add a Contour with these settings:
- Contour: Cone
- Check the Anti-aliased box.
- Range: 100%
Step 3
Add a Texture with these settings:
- Pattern: Blue Daisies
- Scale: 25%
- Depth: 5%
Step 4
Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Burn
- Color:
#a5a7cb - Opacity: 50%
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: 90
- Distance: 5
- Choke: 10
- Size: 9
Step 5
Add an Inner Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Overlay
- Opacity: 11%
- Color: Use the stove pipe 100 gradient fill
- Technique: Precise
- Source: Center
- Size: 18
- Contour: Cone - Inverted
This will style the second text layer.
6. How to Style the Second Copy Text Layer
Double-click the second copy text layer to apply the following layer style:
Step 1
Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:
- Size: 32
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: -30
- Altitude: 48
- Gloss Contour: Cone
- Check the Anti-aliased box
- Highlight Mode: Vivid Light
Step 2
Add a Contour with these settings:
- Contour: Ring - Double
- Check the Anti-aliased box.
- Range: 100%
Step 3
Add a Texture with these settings:
- Pattern: Metal Scales
- Scale: 50%
Step 4
Add an Inner Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Light
- Opacity: 35%
- Color:
#e5d2b2 - Size: 29
- Contour: Cone - Asymmetrical
Step 5
Add a Satin effect with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Light
- Color:
#93c0f7 - Opacity: 50%
- Angle: 5
- Distance: 51
- Size: 65
- Contour:
- Check the Anti-aliased box
- Un-check the Invert box
Step 6
Add a Pattern Overlay with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Lighten
- Opacity: 35%
- Pattern: Metal Scales
- Scale: 50%
This will style the final text layer.
7. How to Adjust the Coloring
Add a Gradient Map adjustment layer on top of all layers, use the gradient fill below, and check the Dither box.
Then, change the Gradient Map layer's Blend Mode to Soft Light and its Opacity to 20%.
Congratulations! You're Done
In this tutorial, we created a background using a gradient fill and a texture. Then, we created a couple of text layers, and styled each one of them to achieve the liquid metal effect.
Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, and outcomes below.
