In this tutorial I will show you how to create a camouflage or "camo" fabric text effect in Adobe Photoshop. You will learn how to use some Photoshop filters and create patterns with them. Then you will learn how to use the patterns with layer styles to create the final result.
If you'd like to skip this tutorial but still wish to buy the text effect, you can head over to GraphicRiver and buy Fabric Styles.
The complete pack has eight different text effects and works with shapes and text.
Tutorial Assets
The following assets were used during this tutorial:
- Aller Display
- Background and Contour inside the zip file attached to this tutorial.
1. How to Create the Fabric Pattern
Step 1
Open Photoshop and create a new 18 x 18px document.
Step 2
Change the foreground color to #6b6b6b.
Step 3
Press Control-Shift-N to create a new layer. Then pick the Rectangle Tool and draw a 6 x 6 px square in the top left corner (You can zoom in on the image with Control-Space-Left-Click).
We need a texture just like the image below. Note that we have three different colors on the image: #6b6b6b for the light color, #3f3f3f for the medium color, and #121212 for the dark color. Keep doing 6 x 6 px squares on separate layers until you fill the entire 18 x 18 px document.
Step 4
Go to Edit > Define Pattern and name the pattern Fabric Texture Tutorial. Then click OK to save the pattern.
2. How to Create the Camo Texture
Step 1
Create a new 486 x 486 px document.
Step 2
Press D to reset the foreground and background colors. Then go to Filter > Render > Clouds.
Step 3
Go to Filter > Pixelate > Mosaic, set the Cell Size to 18 square, and click OK.
Step 4
Go to Filter > Filter Gallery. Then select Cutout in the Artistic category with these settings:
- Number of Levels: 4 or 5 (test and see which one you like more)
- Edge Simplicity: 1
- Edge Fidelity: 1
Step 5
Now double-click on the Background layer to unlock the layer. Then rename it Base Camo and click OK.
Step 6
Double-click the layer Base Camo to open the Layer Style window. Add a Pattern Overlay with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Hard Light
- Opacity: 52%
- Pattern: Select the pattern that we created before (Fabric Texture Tutorial)
- Scale: 100%
- Link with Layer: Checked
Click OK.
Your image should look like this:
Step 7
Go to Window > Adjustments to open the Adjustments panel.
Step 8
Add a Gradient Map by clicking on the last icon of the panel.
Step 9
Double-click on the gradient icon of the layer Gradient Map 1. The Properties panel will pop up.
Step 10
Click on the gradient bar of the Properties panel to open the Gradient Editor.
You can play with this next step and make different colors. I'm going to create a green texture.
Create a gradient with these settings:
- First Stop Color:
#0c1005 - First Stop Position: 0%
- Second Stop Color:
#8aa269 - Second Stop Position: 51%
- Third Stop Color:
#e3efcc - Third Stop Position: 100%
Step 11
Select the layer Base Camo and go to Edit > Define Pattern, and then name the pattern Camo Fabric and click OK.
3. How to Create the Texture of the Border
Step 1
Create a new 4 x 4 px document with a black background.
Step 2
Zoom in on the image until you see the individual pixels. Then pick the Pencil Tool with a size of 1 px and draw a diagonal white line as shown in the image below.
Step 3
Go to Edit > Define Pattern and name it Border Texture.
4. How to Create the Layer Styles
Step 1
Open the Background image that is inside the zip attached to this tutorial.
Step 2
Pick the Type Tool (T) with the font Aller Display and size of 179 pt and write FABRIC. Then place it on the shelf of the background.
Step 3
Double-click on the text layer to open the Layer Style window.
Let's start with the Pattern Overlay so that we will be able to see what is happening on the image.
Add the Pattern Overlay with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Normal
- Opacity: 100%
- Pattern: Select the texture that we created (Camo Fabric)
- Scale: 25%
- Link with Layer: Checked
Step 4
Add a Bevel & Emboss with these settings:
- Style: Emboss
- Technique: Smooth
- Depth: 174%
- Direction: Up
- Size: 4 px
- Soften: 0 px
- Use Global Light: Unchecked
- Angle: 90º
- Altitude: 48º
- Gloss Contour: Click on the box and Load to install the contour file that is inside the zip
- Highlight Mode: Screen
- Highlight Mode Color:
#ffffff - Highlight Mode Opacity: 10%
- Shadow Mode: Normal
- Shadow Mode Color:
#364928 - Shadow Mode Opacity: 81%
Step 5
Add a Stroke with these settings:
- Size: 4 px
- Position: Outside
- Blend Mode: Normal
- Opacity: 100%
- Overprint: Unchecked
- Fill Type: Pattern
- Pattern: Select the pattern Camo Fabric
- Scale: 25%
- Link with Layer: Checked
Step 6
Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Light
- Opacity: 2%
- Use Global Light: Unchecked
- Angle: -27º
- Distance: 6 px
- Choke: 6%
- Size: 8 px
- Contour: Linear
- Anti-Aliased: Unchecked
- Noise: 0%
Step 7
Add an Inner Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Overlay
- Opacity: 20%
- Noise: 0%
- Color:
#ffffff - Technique: Softer
- Source: Center
- Choke: 39%
- Size: 27 px
- Contour: Linear
- Anti-Aliased: Unchecked
- Range: 85%
- Jitter: 0%
Step 8
Add an Outer Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Light
- Opacity: 100%
- Noise: 59%
- Color:
#969c8e - Technique: Softer
- Spread: 100%
- Size: 4 px
- Contour: Linear
- Anti-Aliased: Checked
- Range: 100%
- Jitter: 0%
Step 9
Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Normal
- Color:
#000000 - Opacity: 100%
- Use Global Light: Unchecked
- Angle: 146º
- Distance: 1 px
- Spread: 26%
- Size: 10 px
- Contour: Linear
- Anti-Aliased: Unchecked
- Noise: 0%
- Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: Checked
Step 10
Select the text layer and press Control-J to duplicate it. Then rename the copy to Camo TOP.
Step 11
Right-click on the layer Camo Top and choose Clear layer style. Then double-click it to open the Layer Style window.
Add a Bevel & Emboss with these settings:
- Style: Emboss
- Technique: Smooth
- Depth: 174%
- Direction: Up
- Size: 4 px
- Soften: 0 px
- Use Global Light: Unchecked
- Angle: 90º
- Altitude: 48º
- Gloss Contour: Select the contour that we installed before (Fabric Custom)
- Anti-Aliased: Checked
- Highlight Mode: Screen
- Highlight Mode Color:
#ffffff - Highlight Mode Opacity: 0%
- Shadow Mode: Normal
- Shadow Mode Color:
#4d6326 - Shadow Mode Opacity: 15%
Step 12
Add a Stroke with these settings:
- Size: 2 px
- Position: Outside
- Blend Mode: Linear Dodge (Add)
- Opacity: 45%
- Overprint: Unchecked
- Fill Type: Pattern
- Pattern: Select Border Texture (This will create the illusion of stitching on the edges)
- Scale: 200%
- Link with Layer: Checked
Step 13
Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Soft Light
- Color:
#000000 - Opacity: 20%
- Use Global Light: Unchecked
- Angle: -27º
- Distance: 0 px
- Choke: 62%
- Size: 10 px
- Contour: Linear
- Anti-Aliased: Unchecked
- Noise: 0%
Step 14
Add an Inner Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Overlay
- Opacity: 4%
- Noise: 0%
- Color:
#ffffff - Technique: Softer
- Source: Center
- Choke: 53%
- Size: 16 px
- Contour: Linear
- Anti-Aliased: Unchecked
- Range: 85%
- Jitter: 0%
After that, click OK.
Congratulations, You're Now Done!
In this tutorial, you learned how to create a camo fabric text effect in Adobe Photoshop.
We started out by creating a fabric texture, then we created a camo texture and merged both textures. Then we created a third texture for the border of the text. After that, we created two layer styles using all three textures.
Don't forget to save the styles, so you can use it with other things.
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial, and feel free to leave your comments below.
This text effect we just created is part of Fabric Styles.
