Today I’ll be showing you how to create a realistic metal text effect using only 2 layers! Sound to good to be true? Well read on… even a beginner can following this quick and easy tutorial.

Final Image:

Here is the final image that we will be creating from scratch using layer styles and filters:

Step 1

First we will create a pattern.

Please create new document. Press Ctrl+N on your keyboard.

Use 150 px as a width and height.

Use white background. Now go to Filter -> Noise -> Add Noise

Next press Ctrl+F to apply filter again with same settings.

Now go to Edit -> Define Pattern

Step 2:

Next create new document. Press Ctrl+N on your keyboard.

Use dark grey for a background.

To do this press Shift+Backspace , and from the dropdown menu choose color.

and choose 353535 from color window.

Next apply

Pattern Overlay:

Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 49%
Choose pattern we just created
Scale: 25%

Step 3:

Select Horizontal Type Tool and type desired letter, with desired font. Font I used is Intro Inline. Use 800pt size.Color is not important at this stage, we can use black.

We will use Layer Styles to style the layer.

Inner Shadow:

Color: ffffff
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Angle: 120 degrees
Distance: 18px
Choke: 0%
Size: 11px
Noise: 0%
Contour:Cone

Stroke

Size: 7px
Position:Inside
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Fill Type: Gradient
Gradient Ranging From: cacaca through 848484 to 333333
Style: Linear
Angle: -90
Scale: 91

Bevel and Embos:

Style: Inner Bevel
Technique: Chisel Hard
Depth: 297px
Direction: Up
Size: 6px
Soften: 0px
Gloss Contour:Cone
Higlight Mode: ffffff Screen 97%
Shadow Mode: 000000 Multiply 36%
Contour: Half Round Range 0%

Satin:

Blend Mode: Linear Dodge
Color: ffffff
Opacity: 51%
Angle: 19 degrees
Distance: 12px
Size: 14px
Contour: Invert

Color Overlay:

Color: 999999
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%

Drop Shadow:

Color: 000000
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 54%
Angle: 90 degrees
Distance: 12px
Spread: 0%
Size: 16px
Noise: 0%

Step 4:

Now Press Ctrl+J to duplicate your text layer, next remove previously applied layer styles from this new copy layer.

Now change Fill Opacity to 0% to do this go to Layer -> Layer Styles -> Blending Options…

Now please apply

Stroke

Size: 7px
Position:Inside
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 0%
Fill Type: Color
Color: 000000

Bevel and Embos:

Style: Stroke Emboss
Technique: Chisel Soft
Depth: 113px
Direction: Up
Size: 30px
Soften: 11px
Higlight Mode: ffffff Linear Light 44%
Shadow Mode: 000000 Multiply 14%
Gloss Contour:Ring Double
Angle: 110 41
Contour: Half Round Range 0%

Inner Shadow:

Color: 484848
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Angle: -90degrees
Distance: 20px
Choke: 0px
Size: 26px
Noise: 2%

Inner Glow:

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 35%
Noise: 0%
Color: ffffff
Technique: Softer
Source: Edge
Choke: 74px
Size: 9px
Range: 50%

Satin:

Blend Mode: Color Burn
Color: 000000
Opacity: 50%
Angle: 19 degrees
Distance: 10px
Size: 9px
Contour: Gaussian Invert

Gradient Overlay:

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 38%
Gradient Ranging From: cacaca through 848484 to 333333
Style: Linear
Angle: 90 degrees
Scale:100%

Pattern Overlay:

Blend Mode: Overlay
Opacity: 100%
Choose same pattern we created in first step of this tutorial
Scale: 25%

Drop Shadow:

Color: 000000
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Angle: 90 degrees
Distance: 3px
Spread: 76px
Size: 3px
Noise: 0%

And we are done!

I hope that you liked and found useful this tutorial . Please Leave your comments.

Final Image:

Here is the final image that we will be creating from scratch using layer styles and filters:

Step 1:

Please create new document. You can do this by pressing Ctrl+N.

Use 1200 px as a width and 800px as height.

Use dark grey for a background. To do this press Shift+Backspace, and from the dropdown menu choose color.

and choose 353535 from color window.

Step 2:

Select Horizontal Type Tool and type what you want, with desired font. Font I used is New Athletic M54. Color of the type is not important for now.

Step 3:

We will use Layer Styles to style the layer.

Inner Shadow:

Color: fbf504
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Angle: 120 degrees
Distance: 0px
Choke: 100px
Size: 3px
Noise: 0%

Outer Glow:

Color: bd6401
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Noise: 0%
Technique: Softer
Spread: 100px
Size: 3px
Range: 50%
Jitter: 0%

Inner Glow:

Color: 876a00
Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 23%
Noise: 0%
Technique: Precise
Source: Edge
Choke: 100px
Size: 7px
Range: 50%
Jitter: 0%

Bevel and Embos:

Style: Pillow Emboss
Technique: Smooth
Depth: 800px
Direction: Up
Size: 9px
Soften: 0px
Higlight Mode: b9a56e Screen 20%
Shadow Mode: ac3900 Multiply 76%

Gradient Overlay:

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Gradient Ranging From: a72f00 to ffd200
Style: Reflected
Angle: 90 degrees
Scale:102%

Satin:

Blend Mode: Normal
Color: cd9600
Opacity: 52%
Angle: 19 degrees
Distance: 12px
Size: 14px
Contour: Invert

This is how it should look so far.

Step 4:

Now right-click on text layer and choose Convert to Smart object.

Then right-click on layer and choose Rasterize Layer

Step 5:

Create 3 copies of your layer by pressing Ctrl+J 3 times. Name them as follows.

Next choose Layer named “bottom” and while holding Shift press Down Arrow twice, then choose “middle” and again while holding Shift press Down Arrow once.

Step 6:

Now with “middle” selected go to Filter -> Blur -> Motion Blur

Angle: 90 degrees
Distance: 20px

Step 7:

After this still while “middle” selected press Ctrl+J 15 times, then select all copies of middle layers (you can do this by pressing “middle copy 15″ and while holding shift scroll to “middle” and click on it) then press Ctrl+E to merge these layers. Now again you will have three layers.

And this is how it should look.

Step 8:

Please select “top” layer and apply Drop Shadow:

Color: 000000
Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 22%
Angle: 90 degrees
Distance: 32px
Spread: 26px
Size: 29px
Noise: 0%

Step 9:

Select “middle copy 15″ layer and apply Layer Styles:

Inner Shadow:

Color: 000000
Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 22%
Angle: -90 degrees
Distance: 21px
Choke: 0px
Size: 38px
Noise: 0%

Inner Glow:

Color: 000000
Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 25%
Noise: 0%
Technique: Softer
Source: Edge
Choke: 0px
Size: 10px
Range: 50%
Jitter: 0%

and Color Overlay:

Color: 903300
Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 27%

Step 10:

Select “bottom” layer and apply Drop Shadow:

Color: 000000
Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 49%
Angle: 90 degrees
Distance: 3px
Spread: 0px
Size: 8px
Noise: 0%

and Inner Shadow:

Color: 000000
Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 66%
Angle: -90 degrees
Distance: 21px
Spread: 0px
Size: 38px
Noise: 0%

Step 11:

Download the photo of a rock texture from the resources section for this tutorial. Paste it in the document, position over background layer. Center it verticaly and horizontaly. Use keyboard shortcut ctrl+T to resize it. My setting was 40%.

Next add Gradient Overlay

Blend Mode: Linear Burn
Opacity: 44%
Gradient Ranging From: a3a3a3 to 000000
Style: Radial
Angle: -180 degrees
Scale:150%

Finally go to Filter -> Sharpen -> Smart Sharpen

Amount: 50%
Radius: 0.7px

And we are done!

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and found it useful. Do not hesitate to leave your feedback!