Graphic Media Knowledge

STEP 1: To begin a text effect like this, of course, you need to start with some text. Create a new 12th document at 100 ppi. Press D tenet your Foreground color to black, and Option-Delete (PC: Alt-Backspace) to fill the Background layer with black. Press X to snatch your Foreground color to white. Using the Type tool (T), set the letters "st-vi" at around 160 pt. We used a font called Terminator, which was a free font over at dafont.com. The letters, in case you were wondering, stand for Seal Team 6, since they're so popular these days. To make the letters lean slightly. insert your text cursor anywhere in the text, hold the Command (PC: Ctrl) key, and drag the top center control handle to the right.

STEP 2: Open the first texture file You may certainly download and use thus texture we have here, or use any texture of a really rough surface. (I took this near the beach when I was in the Bahamas last year.) Using the Move tool (V), drag this image into the text file we created in Step One.

 

STEP 3: If necessary, scale the texture to fit in the image area using Free Transform (Command-T [PC: Ctrl-T]). Then, press Option-Command-G (PC: Alt-Ctrl-G) to clip the texture inside the text. Floor the texture is only visible inside the text.

STEP 4: Open another, smoother texture file. This one from Fotolia.com has nice variation throughout but isn't nearly as roughen the first one Again, drag this texture to the text file and position it just above the first texture In the Layers panel. If it doesn't automatically become panel the clipping group, use the same keyboard command from Step Three remake it pan of the clipping group.

 

STEP 5: With the clipping groups set, you can move the textures around ii needed in the text area to get the look you want. Once the positioning is complete, select the Brush tool (B) from the Toolbox.

STEP 6: open the Brush panel (Window>Brush). Any rough-edged brush tip will do in this case, butt like the one called "Chalk 17 pixels." Once you locate that brush, in the Brush Tin Shape section, set the Size to around 30px and set he Spacing to around 10%.

STEP 7: Next, activate Shape Dynamics in the list on the left side of the Brush panel Set both the Size Jitter and Angle Jitter to 100%, and go to the bottom and check on Flip X Jitter and Flip Y Jitter This will add some more variation to the brush

STEP 8: Now activate Scattering. Check on Both Axes and set the Scatter amount to around 150%. You can see down in the preview area how the brush will behave when you paint with it.

STEP 9: Back in the page, Click on the topmost texture layer, the smoother of the two, in the Layers panel to makers active. Then, click the Add Layer Mark icon (Circle in a square) at the bottom of the Layers panel Press X until your Foreground color inset to black. Start to paint on the layer mask around the edge of the text. You can see the rougher texture showing through, giving the text some dimension.

STEP 10: Before Painting any further, let's enhance that effect with a quick layer style using the already masked area as a guide Click the Add a Layer Style icon (fx) at the bottom of the Layers panel and choose Bevel and Emboss Use these settings shown here as a starting point, but if you're using different textures or different text then these settings will vary. Click OK when done.

STEP 11: Once the layer style is made, click the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to make sure it's still active and continue to paint around the edges of the text and other random areas. The layer mask will update as you Paint, adding more shadow and dimension to the texture.

STEP 12: Click on the text layer in the Layers panel and then choose Inner Shadow from the layer style menu. Click on the color swatch in the Structure section, change the color to a light blue or gold color, and click OK to close the Color Picker. Set the Angle to -90° so that the light appears to be corning from the bottom. This will be used to enhance the flare effect, which I’ll add later. Click OK to dose the Layer Style dialog. 

STEP 13: Now open the last texture file. I shot this one in New York a while back. Lots of great textures there, Remove the color by pressing Shift-Command-U (PC, Shift-CtrI-U), then drag the texture over to the text layout and place it below the text layer, making it the back. ground element.

STEP 14: prop the layer Opacity to 50% and add a layer mask. Switch to the Gradient tool (G). With the foreground color set to black. Right-click in the document and select the Foreground to Transparent preset in the Gradient Poker. In the Options Bar, select the Radial Gradient icon. Click-and-drag to mask the texture in random areas. This will result in a more subtle effect.