PS Online Tutorial: Radiant Metallic Text Effect

1. Getting set up

• Open Online PS (zaixianps.cc)
• Have a metal texture image ready (for example metal-pattern.jpg) — you'll define it as a pattern later.

2. Create a new document

① Create an 800 × 600 px document filled with black

File → New → set Width 800 px, Height 600 px, Background Contents: Black (#000) and click "Create".

3. Add your text

① Pick the Type tool T and type your text in the centre of the canvas

A bold face at a fairly large size works best (around 150 pt), with the color set to #FDF701 (bright yellow).

4. Define the texture pattern

① Open the texture asset (metal-pattern.jpg)

File → Open, then choose the metal texture you prepared.

② Define it as a pattern

With the texture layer selected, choose Edit → Define Pattern…, give it any name in the dialog (e.g. "Metal‑Pattern") and click "OK".

Tip: the Pattern Overlay style later on uses this pattern.

5. Add the first layer styles to the type layer

① Open the Layer Style panel

Double-click to the left of the "text" layer thumbnail (the blue area), or right-click → "Blending Options…"

② Bevel & Emboss

③ Inner Shadow

④ Inner Glow

⑤ Color Overlay

Blending mode: Overlay
Color: #ffb400 (orange-yellow)

⑥ Gradient Overlay

Use a white → transparent linear gradient, blending mode Overlay, with "Reverse" unchecked.

⑦ Pattern Overlay

Pattern: the "Metal‑Pattern" you just defined
Blending mode: Overlay
Opacity: 100 %
Scale: 100 %
Align with layer: centered

Together, Bevel & Emboss, Inner Shadow, Inner Glow, Color Overlay, Gradient Overlay and Pattern Overlay give the text a metallic, gleaming finish.

6. Create text copy ① (Inner Glow + Drop Shadow)

① Duplicate the type layer

Select the original text layer and press Ctrl + J (⌘ + J on Mac) to create a "text copy" layer.

② Clear the existing layer styles

Right-click the copy layer's thumbnail → "Clear Layer Style".

③ Reopen "Blending Options" and set it up

• Inner Glow: color #e6b155, mode Overlay, size 7 px.
• Drop Shadow: blending mode Multiply, color #ff3000 (orange-red), distance 5 px, spread 0 px, size 8 px, angle 120°, uncheck "Use Global Light".
• Blending mode: Lighten
  (this keeps only the brighter pixels when blending, producing an outer halo)

④ Adjust Fill

In the Layers panel, set the copy's Fill to 0 %. The light from the layer styles stays, but the letters themselves become transparent, leaving a faint red glow around their edges.

7. Create text copy ② (combined highlights)

① Duplicate once more

Select copy ① and press Ctrl + J → this creates "text copy ②".

② Clear the layer styles and start again

Right-click → "Clear Layer Style" again. Then open "Blending Options" and add the styles in this order:

1. Bevel & Emboss (same settings as step 5)
2. Contour: Wave
3. Inner Shadow: color #2a2a2a, angle 120°, distance 2 px, size 6 px, "Use Global Light" off
4. Inner Glow: color #ffb400 (orange-yellow), mode Overlay, size 5 px
5. Pattern Overlay: the same "Metal‑Pattern", blending mode Overlay
6. Outer Glow: color #ff7000 (bright orange), blending mode Overlay, size 12 px, opacity 80 %
7. Drop Shadow: blending mode Multiply, color #000000, distance 3 px, size 5 px, angle 120°, "Use Global Light" off

③ Set Fill to 0 % again

In the Layers panel, set this layer's Fill to 0 % as well, so the light clings only to the letter outlines — the "cool outer halo" of metallic type.

8. Final result

Hide every layer you don't need (keep just the three text layers) and you'll see bright yellow letters with a metallic texture and bevelled relief, wrapped in orange and red glows — genuinely eye-catching.

For even more metallic shine, raise "Depth" in Bevel & Emboss, or increase "Size" and the opacity of Outer Glow.