Make Your Text Shiny!

Step 1: As always we will start by opening up a new document. I made my document the size 300 by 300 which is all I need to make my design. The next step is to make a new layer. Go to layer/new layer. Call it text1. Once you have made this layer, grab the text tool and write in the document anything you want, with any font of your choice. Just make sure the size of the font is big and easy to work with. I will write out the word Shiny. You can obviously write what you want thats up to you.

Step 2: Now its time to pick a color for your, it can be any nice bright color. One of my favorites to work with is the blue. Once you have your font and you have chosen your color, you will want to duplicate the layer. So go to layer/duplicate layer, and call this text2. Select the layer text1. Go to layer/layer style/blending options. You will give this text a stroke of 3 pixels with the same color as the font. then you will set the opacity of it to anywhere from 20 to 30%.

So far what you should have.

Step 3: Since we have this now we want to make it into one layer with it being part of the background. The easiest way you can do this is by making the background invisible. So go to windows/layers. The layer palette will come up. Go down to your background, and click the eye thats by the layer. Now you should have a checkered board as your background. If you have that go to layer/ merge visible. Now just click on the on the spot where the eye is supposed to be and your background should come back.

Now that our text is all one layer we want to duplicate it again. So once again go to layer/duplicate layer and call it text3. Now this is where the fun part comes in. We will use the burn and dodge tool to make this text stand out. This will bring the shine effect to it. You can located your dodge and burn tools on your tool menue.

You also have to make sure that your burn tool has these settings. Range should be at highlights, and exposure should be at 17%. The size brush is up to you. Now your dodge tool should have the range highlights, and the exposure should be at 15%.

Step 4: Now what we are going to do is burn the bottom and dodge the top. That way its dark at the bottom but sines at the top. So Slightly start going over the bottom of your text with your burn tool. It helps if you zoom in a little bit.

Now you want to start dodging the top which means making it more light which will bring the shiny effect. Once you do that you should start seeing the pieces come together.

To complete our shiny text we have one last thing to do, and this is probably the most important thing. Once again I want you to duplicate the text. Call this layer final. Go to layer/layer style/blending options. Then go on color. Make the color pure white, then set the opacity to 50%.

Now since you have this white spot over your text grab the rectangular marquee tool and cut it exactly in half, and you have your shiny text. If you make your background black or into any darker color you will see the effect even better.