Wooden Text Effect in Photoshop

 

Preparations

We will use an image of Krakograff texture and a wood texture that can be found on FreeFoto.

Click here to download Krakograff texture.
Click here to download the city image.

All rights of these resources belong to their respective owners.

   

Step 1 – Setting Up Background

Create a document of size 750 by 550px and place the texture image at the center of it.

Go to Filter > Render > Lighting Effects.

Fill in the settings shown in the diagram.

   

Step 2 – Adjusting Colors

Create a new Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer. Fill in 0 for Hue, -75 for Saturation and 0 for Lightness.

Create another Levels Adjustment Layer and fill in the values 0, 0.60, 255.

   

Step 3 – Placing Your Texts

The font I used in this tutorial is called Stencil. You can download it at Dafont with you have not got it.

Type in your text at the center of the document. Try not to use small font sizes as we will be doing emboss effects later on.

   

Step 4a – Applying Texture

I placed the wood texture on top of my "10". Ctrl+left click on the text to load selection.

Apply a layer mask on the wood texture with this selection.

   

Step 4b – Applying Texture

Similar to Step 4a, I reduce the size of the wood texture since "Steps.SG" is of a smaller font size.

Ctrl+left click on the texts to laod selection.

Apply a layer mask on the wood texture with this selection.

   

Step 5a – Apply Emboss Effects

Right-click on the "10" and select choose Blending Options.

Activate Bevel and Emboss and fill in the settings as shown.

The colors used for Highlight Mode is #CEBE80 and Shadow is #000000.

   

Step 5b – Apply Emboss Effects

Activate Inner Glow and fill in the settings as shown.

Right-click on the "10" layer and choose Copy Layer Style. Then right-click on the "Steps.SG" and choose Paste Layer Style.

The color used for Blend Mode is #2E2E00.

   

Step 5c – Apply Emboss Effects

Change the Blend Mode of "Photoshop Tutorials" to Soft Light.

You should be seeing something similar to the example.

   

Step 6 – Adding Border

Create a new layer below all these texts.

Load their selections and go to Select > Modify > Expand by 6 px.

Fill the selection with #FFFFFF on the new layer. This shall form a white border around the texts.

   

Step 7a – Adding Pillow Emboss

Right-click on the border layer and choose Blending Options.

Activate Bevel and Emboss. Fill in the settings as shown in the diagram.

The colors used for Highlight Mode is #DBC09C and Shadow is #000000.

   

Step 7b – Adding Pillow Emboss

Activate the Inner Glow and fill in the settings as shown in the diagram.

The color used for Blend Mode is #000000.

Finally, set the Blend Mode of this border layer to Soft Light.

   

Optional

There you have it! I have added a faded skull behind to complete the design.

Hope you like this tutorial.

Click here to view the final image.

 
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I am Johnson Koh, a graphic and web designer in Singapore. Founded 10Steps.SG in August 2008 with the purpose to share my experiments and interesting design news.

105 Comments | Write a Comment

  1. beautiful text tutorial with some really useful techniques.

  2. Torben says:

    cool tut! Thumbs up!!

    Step 4:

    Finally layer masks :D missed them in other tuts. You can make changes afterwards.

    Even more elegant here: cut masks (cut mask with the wood texture above the type layer)

  3. Adam K. says:

    Wow! Great effort dude! Learnt quit new things.

  4. Very interesting tutorial about wood text and texture! Good job! Thanks

  5. Hugo says:

    Hey guys! Seems there is a new free font site out there called http://www.fonts2u.com.

  6. i always love to learn and know more about photoshop and photo retouching
    technics , great tutorial .. thanks for the post .

  7. Andy says:

    splendid effects. I am not good at photoshop but i try to at least keep up to date with the tuts like these.wish i had skills like you do.

  8. akai says:

    really thank, good tutorial ;)

  9. just smile says:

    wounderful my dear.. I hope lucky future for you

  10. just smile says:

    wounderful my dear.. I hope lucky future

  11. Kaplang says:

    going through your tutorial has really helped me, thanks :) really cool effect too.

  12. tabiji says:

    I don’t think that looks good at all.

  13. Dear Jonhson Koh, this is the link of post in my blog http://www.gparts.com.br/?p=353, hope you like.
    Thanks!

  14. Johnson Koh says:

    @Paulo Henrique: Yes, you may translate this tutorial into your site with clear credit to 10Steps.SG. :) Drop me a link when you are done? Thanks!

  15. Hello, i have a site in brazilian portuguese about photoshop, you permit me translate in my site?
    Thanks.

  16. Great result. Please keep posting these amazing tuts.

  17. Thanks a Lot! this is Amazing!

  18. jessa says:

    ahmm sir how can you load new fonts???tnx

  19. majid says:

    thank you my friend

  20. YASH RAI says:

    NICE WORK
    BUT
    WHERE IS PSD FILE……………..
    SEND ME………….
    AT ABCCOOLX@YAHOO.IN

  21. Joe says:

    This one goes to our selection Great Job!
    Thanks!

    needtodesign.com

  22. Deepikapub says:

    Incredible tutorial.thnxs.. :)

  23. stompyq says:

    Outstanding tutorial. Agree with most of the posters your tutorials are very clear and very easy to follow. Keep up the good work!!

  24. wormaz says:

    Nice !
    Thanks very much !

  25. Sneak Design says:

    Great tutorial

  26. Johnson says:

    Hi Kel, you will need to open up the wooden texture and drag into your document as a layer above your texts.

    Then press CTRL+left click on the texts layer and you will get blinking dotted lines around your texts. This mean you have selected them.

    Once you got the selection, click on the Layer Mask button. It’s located at the bottom of Layers panel. Looks like a grey box with a white circle in the middle.

    Hope these helps :)

  27. Kel says:

    Hey! I didn’t get the procedure in Step 4a. Can you please elaborate it more. More details. I hate to say this but i’m just a beginner in Photoshop as in BEGINNER. Tnx a lote mate!

  28. Jufriadi says:

    thx a lot

  29. ГЫ +) says:

    это круто)))))

  30. Johnson says:

    Thanks Ramiro!!! It’s interesting that Internet can bring all of us together so easily.

    Your words gave me lots of energy :D
    Hope you will continue to enjoy the stuffs here!

  31. Ramiro says:

    I´m from Argentina so i`m not speak good english but… i like say you… YOU ARE FANTASTIC!!! ^^, I LOVE YOURS TUTORIALS! :) Thanks ^^

  32. Johnson says:

    Hi Robin,
    You will need to create the new layer below your letters.
    If you have already done the whole Step 6, how about just re-arrange the white border below the letters?

  33. Robin says:

    Hey, I am trying to get the Step 6 – Adding Border:

    Create a new layer below all these texts.

    Load their selections and go to Select > Modify > Expand by 6 px.

    Fill the selection with #FFFFFF on the new layer. This shall form a white border around the texts.

    But it doesn’t seem to work properly ;/
    If I fill the selection with #FFFFFF on the new layer the insides of my letters get colored White aswell and not only the border that I selected I have no clue what I’m doing wrong I’ve tried everything so far.
    Could you help me out?

  34. ghawyy says:

    thanks its really great tut i was looking for some thing like that and i see ur tut are great and easy so much i will back gain for more nice tut thank you so much
    :)

    ghawyy

  35. Johnson says:

    Great work David :D

  36. David says:

    And also…. AWESOME END RESULT!!

  37. David says:

    Thanks. =) Got it now.

  38. Johnson says:

    Hi David, Here is how to create a layer mask in Step 4a.

    With the selection on, click on the texture layer and then click on the Layer Mask button shown below

  39. David says:

    The layer mask stuff screws me up.

  40. David says:

    I cant do it. You don’t explain how to do anything.

  41. Johnson says:

    I’m glad you guys enjoyed this tut. Thanks!

  42. jackgopher says:

    Beautiful and Easy.

  43. warchiLd says:

    amazing.. I will going to use this to one of my school work. but I’m going to change some to have my own style! haha

  44. Lefousteph says:

    Hi! Nice 1, I love the expand feature – I tried something similar, but didn’t know about that option so I ‘expand’ my text with the pen tool (much longer to say the least!)

    So thanks!

  45. Johnson says:

    Hi mikki, It’s a great idea! Let me try to doing up a logo tut ;)

    Hi Tadd, Thanks for featuring my site once again!

  46. Tadd says:

    This is a great tutorial. Very nice, easy to follow and great results.

    Keep up the great work!

  47. mikki2 says:

    Again, nice one!

    Can I make a request? Can you make some logo design tutorials? I’m trying to get into Logo Design and it’s seems your tutorials are the only ones on the whole internet that I can follow without hour-long problems(no joke). Just one or two will be okay…I’ll be able to take it form there.

  48. Johnson says:

    Thanks Dainis again :D

  49. Easy but great technique! :) )

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