Text - Glass

You can make text that seems to stand out and shines like glass in Photoshop.

Step 1 : This is the image that I have opened. Choose a photo that has both light and dark areas such as this one. The text will not work with a light colored image or just a plain single color background.

Step 2 : Click the Type Tool.

Step 3 : I have typed in 'Through The Looking Glass' as the Text in the Text Box. You can type in whatever you want.

Step 4 : Click the Tick Mark in the top panel at right to commit the Text.

This is what the Layers pallette looks like -- the Text above the Background layer.

This is how the photo looks.

Step 5 : Press CTRL+ALT and click the New Layer button. This will form a new layer directly beneath the current layer, which is highlighted.

Step 6 : This popup apears. Click ok.

Step 7 : The new layer has formed below the Text layer, which is the current layer.

Step 8 : Make sure the Foreground Color is set to Black and Background to White. If not, press X then D on your keyboard. It will set it to the default.

Step 9 : Press ALT+BACKSPACE to fill with the Foreground Color which is Black.

Step 10 : The layer filled with Black.

Step 11 : Right click the Text layer and click Rasterize Text.

Step 12 : The Text has ben rasterized. Now CTRL+Click on the layer thumbnail of the Text Layer.

Step 13 : A selection of the text forms.

Step 14 : Now press CTRL+BACKSPACE to fill the selection with the Background color which is white. Press CTRL+D to deselect.

Step 15 : Go to File>Save As

Step 16 : The Save as dialogue box opens. I will save the file in My Pictures. Save as a psd file.

Step 17 : In the Save as dialogue box check 'As A Copy' and uncheck 'Layers'.

Step 18 : Now click of the eye icons of the Text layer and Layer 1 and click on the Background layer.

Step 19 : Go to Filter>Distort>Glass.

Step 20 : The Glass dialogue box opens.

Step 21 : The controls of the Glass Filter are on the right as shown above. Click the button where the white arrow points to and the 'Load Texture' appears.

Step 22 : The Load Texture dialogue box opens. You can find the psd file there. I can see the psd file I saved (look at the white arrow).

Step 23 : I have set the Distortion at 9 and Smoothness at 2. There is nothing hard and fast about it. It will depend on your image. Sometimes checking the Invert also helps. Here I do not need to check it. Leave the Scaling unchanged at 100%.

You can see the effect as you drag the Distortion and Smoothness sliders. Click ok after you are satisfied.

The finished Glass Text.

Changing Hairstyle with Photoshop

You can change hairstyles for a fun effect with photos.

Step 1 : I have opened photos of two girls with different hairstyles. I will use the hairstyle of the girl on top on the girl below.

Step 2 : Go to Filter>Extract.

Step 3 : The Extract dialogue box opens. In the left top corner is the Highlighter which I will use. Click to select.

Step 4 : The Highlighter.

Step 5 : Use the Highlighter to go around the edges of the hair. Cover all strands of hair with the Highlighter. You can make the tip of the Highlughter smaller with the left [ key and bigger with the right ] key.

Step 6 : Use the Hand Tool to scroll the image and magnifying glass to zoom in.

Step 7 : I have highlighted all the hair.

Step 8 : Now click the Fill Tool.

Step 9 : Position the Fill Tool on the highligted hair and click.

Step 10 : The Fill Tool fills the hair selection with a light bluish color.

Step 11 : Click ok or hit Enter. The hair will be extracted.
Step 12 : Click the Zoom Tool.
Step 13 : Zoom in on the image. You will notice that the Extract Tool has left behind bits and pieces which will have to be removed with the Erazer Tool.

Step 14 : Click the Erazer Tool to select it.

Step 15 : I am clearing out the muck left behind with the Erazer.

Step 16 : Go carefully around the edge of the hair and eraze the bits and pieces of pixels left behind.

Step 17 : Some more erazing to the right.

Step 18 : I have erazed all the pixel debris around the hair.

Step 19 : Now drag the extracted hair onto the other girl's image.

Drag with the Move Tool. I hope you know that.

Step 20 : The extracted hair has landed on the other photo, but it appears too large.

Step 21 : Press ALT and drag a corner handle downwards diagonally.

Step 22 : If you cannot see the selection, it is because the Show Transform Controls (Bounding Box in Photoshop 7) is unchecked. Check it.

Step 23 : Press ALT and drag diagonally to resize the hair to fit. But sometimes it does not as is the case here.
Step 24 : Go to Edit>Transform>Skew.

Step 25 : Drag the corner handles again to resize.

Step 26 : Press CTRL+T and again resize with the corner handles.

The hair now fits better.

Step 27. Again presing CTRL+T, I have again tweaked the bottom right corner handle. You must remember that each image will need different tweaks, but if you follow these steps you will be able to make the hair fit. Press Enter to commit the transformation.

This is how the image looks. Not exactly right though.

Step 28 : Click the Add Layer Mask button and a Layer Mask forms next to the layer thumbnail on Layer 1.

Step 29 : Click the Brush Tool.

Step 30 : Make sure the Foreground Color is set to Black. If it is not press X then D on the keyboard to set it back to the default.

A word about the Brush Tool. To make the tip larger use the right ] key, to make it smaller use the left ] key. To soften the brush press SHIFT+[ and to make it hard press SHIFT+] key. The brush is set to a hard tip. See on the top panel at left.

I have now set the brush to a soft tip. Note that the size of the brush which is set at 40 does not alter when you change from hard to soft tip.

Step 31 : With brush tip now soft I am brushing away the hair from the eyes to reveal it.

Step 32 : I am also using the brush on the right to shape the hair.

I have also brushed away the hair on the shoulder. Now the hair fits perfectly. That is all.

Shatter effect with Photoshop

You can easily create a shatter effect in photoshop.

This is fairly simple to make. Here is the tutorial.

Other turorials are here.

Brushes - Burnt Parchment

You can create a burnt parchment from scratch in Photoshop, then add text.

The parchment has been created with special Photoshop brushes, then text has been added. Here is the tutorial.

Other tutorials are here.

Fire in Photoshop

You can light a blazing fire with photoshop in a few easy steps.

Other tutorials are here.

I have opened a photo of a building at the top. The same building on fire created in photoshop. Here is the tutorial.