Design a Super Sleek Text Effect with Water Drop Texture

Posted on May 26th, 2009 in Text Effects.

Tags: beginner, effect, sleek, text, texture, water

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In this tutorial, I will show you the steps I took to create the Super Sleek, eye-catching text effect with Water Drop Texture. This effect is simple but effective, and would be suitable for any water/rainy/ocean themed designs you’re creating.

Along the way, we will be using Photoshop techniques such as make selections, layer blending effects, image adjustment tools and a bit of masking. This is a beginner level tutorial and the steps are really easy to follow, have a try!

Here is a preview of the final effect: (click to enlarge)

Alternative Version: (click to enlarge)

Ok let’s get started!

To Complete this tutorial, you will need the following stock:

Font

Water Drop Texture – By eRiQ

Step 1

Firstly we can prepare some nice background for us to work on. Create a new document sized 1920 * 1080px with white colour background. On the background layer, use the Gradient Tool (G) to fill it with the followings:

Duplicate this background layer once, hit Ctrl + T and resize the duplicated layer as shown below:

In between the duplicated layer and the background layer, create a new layer call “Light bottom” and grab a big soft round brush with white colour (I chose 1600px, 0% hardness, 55% opacity), do a single-click on this newly-created layer on the position shown below:

Then on top of all previous layers, create a new layer called “light top” and use the same brushset for the “light bottom” layer, do a single-click to the following position as shown below:

You will have the following effect:

Step 2

Use the font we just downloaded, type some texts onto the document, resize (Ctrl + T) and position it in the centre of the canvas:

On the text layer, apply the following layer blending options:

Drop Shadow

Outer Glow

Gradient Overlay

And you will have the following effect so far:

Step 3

Load the water drop texture into Photoshop. Go back to our text document and load the selection of the text layer by using the following method:

1. Move your mouse over the thumbnail image of the text layer in the layer pallette: (You will notice your mouse cursor change into a hand)

2. Hold down the Ctrl key (the cursor will change into a hand + rectangular marquee) and left-click the thumbnail image of the text layer. You will see now the text layer is selected:

Once the text layer is selected, grab the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), move your mouse over the selection until you see the cursor changes into the following shape:

Left-click and hold, drag the selection over the water drop texture:

Hit Ctrl + Alt + R and bring up the refine edge tool, apply the following settings:

Press Ctrl + C to copy the selected portion from the water drop texture, go back to our text document and Ctrl + V to paste the texture on top of the text layer:

(Important: please maintain this selection on the water drop image, we will use it again in the next step)

Name this layer as “water drop texture 1″ and change its blending mode to “Overlay”, you will have the following effect:

Step 4

To add a bit variety for the water drops, simply go back to the water drop texture image, move the selection to a different portion:

Again we copy and paste the selection back to our text document, name the newly-created layer as “water drop texture 2″, change the blending mode to “overlay”.

You will have the following effect:

Optional: you can add more water drops to the text by repeating the above steps.

Here is what I have after adding another two layers of water drop textures:

Step 5

To make the actual text stand out a bit more, simply duplicate the text layer once and drag the duplicated layer upon the top. Reduce the opacity of this duplicated text layer to around 70%.

You will have the following effect:

Add a new Levels adjustment layer by going to Layer > New adjustment Layer > Levels and apply the following settings:

Add the following mask to the Levels adjustment layer:

And you will have the this final effect:

Ok that’s it for this tutorial! You can of course add some of your own texture or filter effect and see what the end results are! Remember to always keep your own creativity!

Here is my final image for this tutorial: (I simply black and white the image and add some of my own colours) – Click to enlarge:

Hope you enjoy this tutorial, drop me a comment if you have any question, I will try my best to help you out.

Cheers and have a nice day!

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