Tutorial: Plastic Text Effect
Software: Adobe Photoshop 6.0
Difficulty: Beginner

This Adobe web tutorial will show you how to create plastic style text effects to add some cool effects to your text.

Step 1: Fire up Adobe Photoshop and go to File + New to create a new file image. Set the width and the height to the settings that you want. Remember to make the file image big enough to place your text onto it.

(Step 1 diagram)



Step 2: Now you will need to select the type tool by clicking the T icon >> and then click onto the blank file image and start typing your text. I chose to type 'Plastic' with the verdana font and used the color orange - #FF9B00. Note: It doesn't really matter what color you use for your text or what font you use for that matter. I also used black #000000 for the background color of the file image.

(Step 2 diagram)



Step 3: Now go to the layers palette and click on Add a layer style >> and then click on Inner Glow from the drop-down menu. An Inner Glow box will now appear - make your settings the same as the ones shown in the 'Step 3 diagram' below and then click on OK.

(Step 3 diagram)



The color used is orange #FFD87C

Your file image should look similar to the below image;



Step 4: Now go back to the layers palette and click on Add a layer style >> and then click on Bevel and Emboss from the drop-down menu. A Bevel and Emboss box will now appear - make your settings the same as the ones shown in the 'Step 4 diagram' below and then click on OK.

(Step 4 diagram)



The color used for Highlight mode is white #ffffff
The color used for Shadow mode is white #ffffff

Step 5: Now go back to the layers palette and click on Add a layer style >> and then click on Outer Glow from the drop-down menu. An Outer Glow box will now appear - make your settings the same as the ones shown in the 'Step 5 diagram' below and then click on OK.

(Step 5 diagram)



The color used for is orange #FFD87C
The Contour used is Gaussian

Now to finish it off go to Layer + Flatten Image and then save it to your hard-drive.

The finished Plastic Text Effect should look like the below diagram.



You can also add things like a stroke etc. Once you are comfortable with this tutorial try some different layer effects.

I hope this tutorial was of help.

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