Photoshop is giving photographers, graphic designers, retouchers, etc., a lot of tools to bring out the best of their creativity by providing a wide variety of options to choose from. Today, we shall learn to create a swirl text effect done through Photoshop! The tools in use for this are layer styles, layers, adjustment layers, etc.
The following are the steps which must be adhered to get the desired results:
Step 1:
Press Ctrl+N/Cmd+N to create a new document. Set 1600 x 1200 pixels as width and height respectively and resolution as 72 pixels per every inch. Press Shift+T repeatedly or choose Text Tool. The font in use for this tutorial is Haettenschweiler, but any font could be used.
Step 2:
To adjust the dimensions of the text make use of Free Transform Tool. To activate transform tool, press Ctrl+T/Cmd+T . Start dragging any of the corners after holding Shift. To return, press Enter/Return.
Step 3:
Choose the floral brush. To create a new layer, press, Ctrl+Shift+N/Cmd+Shift+N. From the tool panel, take the Brush Tool or simply press Shift+B repeatedly until it appears. Choose the brush which has been highlighted.
Step 4:
Rotate the swirl by 90 degrees for which follow accordingly: Edit–Transform–Rotate 90 degrees CW. The swirl will get transformed up to 90 degrees clockwise.
Use Free Transform Tool to change the dimensions of the swirl and Ctrl+T/Cmd+T to activate the same. It is suggested to adjust the dimensions as per requirement.
Step 5:
The layer which contains swirl has to be renamed as Swirl. Change the colour of swirl to white. Press and hold on to Ctrl/Cmd and press on the layer thumbnail of the respective layer which will load a selection. Choose Edit–Fill and white colour after the same. Press “ok”. To deselect, press Ctrl+D/Cmd+D.
Change the mode to Difference from the Blend mode of “Swirl”.
Step 6:
To duplicate the “swirl” layer, simply press on Ctrl+J/Cmd+J. The swirl goes invisible because of the Difference Blend Mode.
Let the “Swirl Copy” layer be placed below the “swirl” layer. Press the “right-click” on the “swirl copy” layer and later press on Create Clipping Mask. Press Ctrl+T/Cmd+T to enable Free Transform Tool and dimensions are to be adjusted likewise.
Step 7:
Click on the “swirl” layer and invert the image. To invert, follow; Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Invert.
Step 8:
Add layer styles to the next layer. Enable the text layer. Follow; Layer – Layer Style – Gradient Overlay. Change the setting as mentioned below and do not press ok.
Select Stroke and change the setting accordingly.
Step 9:
Select Channel via Windows. Press and hold Shift and then select all the 4 channels (RGB, Green, Red and Blue). Then press on Load Channel as Selection.
Create a new layer by clicking Ctrl+shift+N/Cmd+shift+N and rename the newly created layer as “Colour”. Switch the foreground colour as #440e62. To fill the selection with the foreground colour, press Alt+Backspace/Opt+Delete.
Step 10:
Select the following; Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Levels and change the setting as mentioned below.
Follow; Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Curves and change the curve as mentioned below.
Step 11:
Let’s transform the background from dull to interesting. For this, create a new layer by pressing Ctrl+shift+N or Cmd+shift+N and Back as its new name. From the tool panel, take the Gradient Tool or simply press Shift+G repeatedly until it appears! Change the foreground colour, to #0d1253. Let Transparent be the Gradient Type and Radial as a mode.
Drag the mouse as per the illustration below.
Change the Blend Mode to Linear Dodge (Add) from “back” layer.
Step 12:
Make the “Swirl” go invisible!
Press Ctrl+Shift+N/Cmd+Shift+N and rename the same to “Noise”. Reset your foreground to black by pressing on D and white as the background colour. To fill the “Noise” layer with the black, press on Alt+Backspace/Opt+delete. Filter followed by Noise and Add Noise and set 17.28% as the amount. Turn on Monochromatic and distribution as Uniform.
Blend mode of “Noise” layer to be changed as Screen.
To reduce the noise, follow Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Levels. Adjust black, grey and white as the requirements but before that do click on Create Clipping Mask!
This is how a swirl text is added using Photoshop! Photoshop is initially a daunting task, but if the basics are understood, it becomes really easy for one transform images and experiment.
