This is an excerpt from "Photoshop Filter Finesse" © 1994 By Bill Niffenegger Published by Random House. ISBN # 0-679-75324-9 
Readers must obtain permission to copy the exerpt onto any other media.

TERRIFIC TEXT EFFECTS

Author note:  In Photoshop Filter finesse, I give a lot of text effect information. Text effects are a valuable  bit of information for everyone. Everyone likes hot effects so here is a little teaser that will singe your fingers.

The ability to produce quality type on a desktop was the pivotal factor in making desktop computers thrive in the design world.  One holdout to manual dexterity has been the calligraphic effects and hyper-airbrushed paintings of the lettering experts.  The sheen of metal or the glow of a neon halo around text required great feats of manual skill. Now these effects can be produced with the wonderful expanded tool kit of Plug-in technology.  No textural effect is out of reach with filters.  New filters even allow multiple-colored fills that follow every nuance of the letter forms.  These techniques can produce sublime effects. They can also produce hideous overproduction of illegible typography.  Since I am totally unrestrained by cautious art directors, I will humor you with a lettering extravaganza that may not show up on the next Fortune 500 Annual Report project. But, these same techniques can be applied with more muted tones and be worthy of the boardroom in any corporation.		

COALS WITH GLOWING EMBERS


FILTERS  WE WILL NEED

Kai's Power Tools 2.0
Gradient Designer
Gradients on Paths

Aldus Gallery Effects, Classic Art, Series 1
Ripple


1.	Open a copy of the "Master Text File" and load the selection. (KPT Tips & Tricks CD Readers can make their own text of choice.)

2.	Fill the background with black.  Load the pre-selected text and fill the text with a blend that is red at the top and blends to black at the bottom. (Figure, 4-26)


 











Figure 4-26

3.	Feather the  selection by 3 pixels.

4.	Apply the KPT/ Gradients on Paths with the preset, Hot Plasma Tube. (Figure, 4-27)

 











Figure 4-27

5.	Apply Gallery Effects/ Ripple filter to the selected text with a setting of Ripple Size of 4 and Ripple Magnitude of 4.

6.	Deselect the text. Use the rectangular marquee to select the top of the text and all of the black background directly above the text.

7.	 Feather the selection by 6 pixels and apply the Photoshop/ Motion Blur filter with a setting of -90 degrees and a range of 44 pixels.

8.	Apply the Gallery Effects/ Ripple filter with a Ripple Size of 7 and a Ripple Magnitude of 10. (Figure, 4-28)

 











Figure 4-28

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