In this beginner Photoshop tutorial we are going to learn how to create a plastic effect using layer styles.
Here is the desired effect we want to achieve:
http://photoshopatoms.com/plasticeffect/finished.gif
The first thing we will need to do is create the Photoshop document. You can do that quickly by pressing CTRL + N. I am going to use the web preset of 640×480.
Step 2) Fill the document with a black background
Press the letter D on the keyboard to reset your foreground and background colors. Now you can use the keyboard shortcuts to fill your background by pressing ALT + Backspace. This will always fill your background with the foreground color, which in our case should be black because we reset the colors at the beginning of this step
Step 3) Add Text to your Document
Grab your type tool from the tools palette, or you can press T to quickly access it.
Then with the type tool selected, go up to the options bar at the top of the screen and select your font. I am going to use Helvetic for mine. You can choose whichever font you like, normally a larger thicker font would work best.
Press the letter X on your keyboard to swap your foreground and background colors. We are going to choose a better color for the text using layer styles, but for now white will do. Then, click inside your document and add your text
Resize your text as needed using Photoshop’s free transform tool or CTRL + T. Hold down SHIFT to constrain your text’s proportions and drag any of the corner handles to resize the text. Hold down Alt as well as you drag to force the text to resize from its center point. Press Enter when you’re happy.
Step 4) Choose a color for your Text
Now that we have added our text to the document, we are going to start creating our plastic effect. The first thing we are going to do is choose a better color. With the text layer selected click on the layer styles palette:
Choose color overlay from the list:
This brings up the layer style dialog box set to the color overlay option. Click on the color swatch to the right of the blend mode to choose a new color
This brings up Photoshop’s color picker. I am going to choose a light blue for my text.
Click ok then you have chosen your color to exit out of the color picker. Your text will now appear in your chosen color on the document.
Step 5) Adding an inner shadow to the text
Next, we’re going to give our text more of a three dimensional look by adding an inner shadow. We want the text to appear to be surrounded by the shadow, so instead of using the readymade inner shadow that Photoshop gives us, we are going to create our own inner shadow style by converting inner glow into a shadow.
To do that, click on the words inner glow in the list of layer styles on the left of the layer style dialog box. Make sure you click directly on the words.
The middle column of the layer style dialog box will change to show the inner glow options:
In order to change the inner glow to an inner shadow, all we need to do is change the blend mode at the top. Click the down pointing arrow to the right of the word screen, and change the default blend mode to multiply. Our glow is now a shadow, or at least it will be a shadow once we select a darker color for it. The default yellow won’t work very well as a shadow, so click on the color swatch directly below the word noise, which will bring the color picker back up. Choose a much darker version of the color you chose for the text, lower the opacity of the shadow to around 50% so it’s not as intense. Make sure edge is selected for the source and finally increase the size of the shadow to about 13px.
Step 6) Apply the Bevel and Emboss Layer style
Now we are going to add a bevel and emboss effect to our text, so click directly on the words bevel and emboss in the list of layer styles.
The middle column of the layer style dialog box will change to the bevel and emboss options. The first thing we want to do here is load a new Gloss Contour, so go down to where is says gloss contour in the shading options and click on the down pointing arrow to the right of the contour preview thumbnail.
Then click on the right pointing arrow in the top right corner of the contour selection box.
Then select contours at the bottom of the list that appears to load a new set of contours.
Photoshop will ask you if you want to replace the original contours with these new ones or simply add the new ones to the bottom. Click Append
You will see the new contours added to the bottom of the originals. To make things simpler, click once again on the right arrow and select large list from the options
Now that we can see the actual names of each contour, scroll down the list until you come to the one named Ring Triple and double click to select it.
With the ring triple contour selected, let’s change the bevel and emboss options.
These are the settings I used for my text. Starting from the top and working our way down, increase the depth to around 131% and the size to about 18 pixels. In the shading options, set the angle to 120 degrees if it isn’t already, and set the altitude to 60 degrees. Make sure anti-aliased is check beside the contour preview thumbnail. Increase the highlight mode opacity all the way to 100% and finally lower the shadow mode opacity to 0%.
Step 7) Apply the contour
Click on the word contour on the left of the layer style dialog box.
The middle column of the layer style dialog box will change to the contour options. We’re going to use another contour from the ones we loaded in a moment ago. Click on the down pointing arrow to the right of the thumbnail
This time, scroll down the list until you come to one name shadow slope valley
You can fine tune the shiny effect to your liking by dragging the range slider left or right until you’re happy with the results.
Here is what it looks like after adding the styling
Step 8) Duplicate the text layer
Press CTRL + J to duplicate the text layer, so now we will have two text layers
Then click on the original layer so we are working on the original again and not the duplicate layer above it
Step 9) Add a stroke to the text
With the original text layer re-selected, click once again on the layer style icon and select stroke from the list
The layer style dialog box pops back up with stroke options in the middle column. First, increase stroke size to 6 pixels
Then click on the stokes color swatch to choose a new color
The color picker pops back up, rather than choosing a color directly in the color picker, move your mouse over the text. You will see your mouse cursor change into an eyedropper icon. Click near the edge of one of the letters to sample a shade of the color that’s about midway between the lightest and darkest colors
Step 10) Apply the bevel and emboss to the stroke
Switch back to the bevel and emboss options by click on the words in the layer style dialog box
The layer style dialog box will change to show the bevel and emboss options once again in the middle column. We want to apply the bevel and emboss style to the stroke itself, click on the down pointing arrow to the right of the words inner bevel and change the style to stroke emboss
Go back down to the gloss contour option and once again click on the down pointing arrow to the right of the thumbnail. This time scroll down the list until you come to shallow slope valley.
While your down at the bottom of bevel and emboss options, increase shadow mode opacity to 40%
Finally go back up to the top and lower the depth value to about 41%, then increase the size by dragging the slider bar to the right until you can see the letter strokes merging together.
Here is the final result:
Congratulations you have successfully completed this tutorial. As always the source files will be available for you to download and help you along the way.
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