3D Text Photoshop – Steel Effect

Adobe Photoshop has its own unique way of making simple texts in mesmerizing designs that stays in the view’s heart for a long time. Texts can be given shapes, colors, effects and touch of imaginations to bring life into it and make it attractive. 3D text in Photoshop is thus a great way to decorate any design or banner and can be used in miscellaneous ways to beatify the original context of the design.

Here the design explained is called ‘Steel Effect’ in text as it looks like made of stainless steel. It’s an easy yet beautiful way to shine 3D Text in Photoshop to give it a steel outlook. First create a page with 900 x 600 pixels with 100 pixels/inch resolution or as per requirement. Use white background and black foreground, keyboard shortcut D. Next select the type tool for the text. The text and its setting can be customized as required, here used the word ‘Shuttervoice’ with Impact Bold font in 120 pixels size.

Next curve out a rectangular box outside the text to give it a border, use the Rectangular Marquee Tool, keyboard shortcut M. Then right click the layer on the right hand layer panel and select rasterize Type. Next step is to use stroke on the border, go to Edit -> Stroke on the Menu Bar and select 10 Pix Width in Inside Location settings.

The next step to make this 3D text in Photoshop is to Ctrl+ Left Click on the main layer thumbnail in the right layers palette to select it. After the layer is selected, go to Main Menu ->Select -> Save Selection. Use any name to save, here channel_main is used, after that click ok to apply. Then Press Ctrl + D to deselect it. Then go to Channel panel just right of the layer panel and select only the channel_main and deselect the other channels. With the channel_main selected, go to Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur from the main menu and use 2 Pixels radius to apply.

Add a new layer just over the text layer and go to Edit ->Fill from the main menu keeping the new layer selected. Then select ‘50%’ Grey on the Use option and ok to apply, which will fill the page with grey color. Then select the Filter -> Render -> Lightening Effects from the main menu and select the ‘channel_main’ from the Texture Channel options. Then adjust the eclipse to get lightening effects as per required.

Next step is to give the glossy effect to the current tin metal. Go to Image -> Adjustments -> Curves from the menu bar. Set the curve that gives the best effect or use the settings as per done here, bend the curve in 3 radius so that the input and output value becomes 233 & 86 accordingly or similar. Click OK to apply the settings. Then hold the Alt button and click exactly between this layer and the txt layer to mask this layer, which will pretty much give the final outlook.

The finished design can be enhanced by adding drop shadow, color overlay or other blending properties as per requirement and depending upon the artist’s imagination.