How to Create a Glossy, Puffy Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

This tutorial will show you how to use Photoshop's layer styles to create a super quick and easy glossy, puffy text effect. 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:

• Sleepy Fat Cat font
• Bokeh black and white overlay by Jenbrooke1
• Autumn Blur | Free texture / background by SuperSweetStock
• Ice Cubes Texture by FantasyStock
• Type pattern by Atle Mo

1. How to Create a Colored Bokeh Background

Step 1

Create a new 1000 x 600 px document. Go to File > Place Linked, and add the Bokeh black and white overlay image.

Resize the texture as you like, and rename its layer to Bokeh Texture.

Step 2

Add the Autumn Blur | Free texture / background image on top of the Bokeh Texture layer, rename its layer to Color Texture, change its Blend Mode to Color, and resize it as needed.

2. How to Create Text Layers

Step 1

Create the text in All Caps using the font Sleepy Fat Cat. Change the Size to 215 pt and the Tracking to 10.

Step 2

Change the text layer's Fill value to 0, and duplicate it.

3. How to Create a Colored, Textured Layer Style

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

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Depth: 200
• Size: 35
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: 40
• Altitude: 50
• Gloss Contour: Valley - Low
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode: Linear Light
  • Opacity: 100%
• Shadow Mode: Screen
  • Color: #888888
  • Opacity: 70%

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Log
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

Add a Texture with these settings:

• Pattern: Type
• Scale: 200%

Step 4

Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Color Dodge
• Color: #ffffff
• Opacity: 25%
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: -108
• Distance: 10
• Size: 10

Step 5

Add a Color Overlay with these settings:

• Color: #e0dadb
• Blend Mode: Multiply

Step 6

Add a Gradient Overlay with these settings:

• Check the Dither box
• Blend Mode: Linear Burn
• Opacity: 50%
• Create the Gradient using the colors #ec3017 to the left and #00a0a4 to the right. You can use different colors and play with the Color Stop's Location values if you like. The Location values used here are 12 and 95.

Step 7

Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:

• Opacity: 15%
• Distance: 10
• Spread: 30
• Size: 10

This will create the main effect.

4. How to Add a Stroke Style

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

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Style: Stroke Emboss
• Size: 7
• Soften: 1
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: 60
• Altitude: 60
• Gloss Contour: Cove - Deep
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode: Linear Light
  • Opacity: 100%
• Shadow Mode: Screen
  • Color: #888888
  • Opacity: 70%

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Cone - Inverted
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

Add a Stroke with these settings:

• Size: 5
• Opacity: 0%

Step 4

Add a Color Overlay with these settings:

• Color: #5c5c5c
• Blend Mode: Overlay

This will add a stroke and intensify the colors.

5. How to Add a Texture Overlay

Step 1

Place the Ice Cubes Texture image on top of all layers. Rename its layer to Texture Overlay, change its Blend Mode to Overlay, and resize it as needed.

Step 2

Command-click the text layer's thumbnail to create a selection.

Step 3

Click the Add layer mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to mask the selection.

Congratulations! You're Done

In this tutorial, we used a couple of textures to create a colored bokeh background. Then, we created text layers, styled them, and added a texture overlay to achieve the effect.

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