Mastering Text Effects

In this session we will present a number of text effect tutorials and inspirational articles to help you achieve the perfect text effect for your next project.

Prefer to watch a video course instead? Try this free course with Dan White, in which you can learn how to make an isometric 3D text effect from scratch. Check out the video to learn more.

Posts in this series

53 Mind-blowing Uses of Typography
Typography is an ancient foundation of graphic design. As any good designer knows, the way that words are presented has a powerful influence on the way they...
Danny Outlaw
7 May 2009
Design & Illustration
50 Years of Typography in Album Covers
In 1938, Alex Steinweiss of Columbia Records invented the concept of album covers and cover art, replacing the plain covers used before. Over time, cover art...
Sonali Vora
7 Dec 2010
Design & Illustration
How To Create a Gold Text Effect in Photoshop
Layer styles are one of Photoshop's most powerful and fun features. You can create all sorts of plastic, glass, water, ice, or metal styles. In this tutorial...
Fabio Sasso
14 Oct 2011
Design & Illustration
Quick Tip: Create a Chrome 4x4 Vehicle Emblem
In today’s quick tip tutorial we will demonstrate how to create a chrome 4x4 vehicle emblem using editable text and layer styles. Let’s get started!
Alberto Kaiser Sosa
7 Jan 2011
Design & Illustration
How to Create High Quality Metal 3D Text in Photoshop
Most of you probably know those awesome letters that were generated with 3D programs. But what about when you don't have any particular program and you need...
Wojciech Pijecki
26 Jan 2012
Design & Illustration
Quick Tip: Create a Futuristic, Grungy Metal Text Effect in Photoshop
In today’s quick tip tutorial, we will demonstrate how to create a futuristic, grungy, text effect with lots of scratches and fancy neon lights. Let’s get...
Dylan Roberson
17 Dec 2010
Design & Illustration
How to Create Eroded Metal Text With Photoshop
In this tutorial I'll show you how to create an eroded metal text effect. Throughout this tutorial we'll make use of various drawing techniques, channels,...
Eren Goksel
29 Jul 2011
Design & Illustration
Quick Tip: Create Liquid Filled Glass Text in Photoshop
Layer styles are a powerful tool in Photoshop that allow you to quickly create effects that you can then apply to additional objects. Today, we will...
Rose
19 Nov 2010
Design & Illustration
How to Create a Grass Text Effect in Photoshop
Here's a post by Envato founder, Collis Ta’eed, from May 2008, that demonstrates how to create a spectacular grass text effect in Photoshop. Let’s get started!
Collis Ta'eed
3 Jan 2024
Design & Illustration
Create Super Glossy 3D Typography in Illustrator and Photoshop
In today’s tutorial we will demonstrate how to create super glossy 3D typography using Illustrator and Photoshop. Let’s get started!
Matthew Harpin
3 Dec 2010
Design & Illustration
Add Fantastic Color to 3D Text - Part I
This is the first part of a two part series. Part two will be released tomorrow. In this piece you will learn how to bring a simple text to life and place...
Wojciech Pijecki
7 Sep 2009
Design & Illustration
Add Fantastic Color to 3D Text - Part II
This is the this last part of this two part tutorial on adding fantastic color to 3D text. In this tutorial, you will learn how to bring a simple text to...
Wojciech Pijecki
8 Sep 2009
Design & Illustration
Draw a Woodcut-Inspired Typographic Illustration in Photoshop
A popular method of drawing screen-printable illustrations is one inspired by woodcut illustration. While this method is usually made of black-only printing,...
Alex Beltechi
23 Dec 2010
Design & Illustration
How to Create a Richly Ornate Typographic Illustration
When looking for top quality content, you're usually forced to pay for your resources. They're generally better and easier to work with, and offer a wider...
Alex Beltechi
4 May 2009
Design & Illustration
Create a Spectacular Flaming Meteor Effect on Text
Take typography one step further by having text falling from the sky in a burning inferno. Yes, this is the text-on-fire tutorial to end all tutorials. It...
Fabio Sasso
26 Nov 2007
Design & Illustration
Create a Steam Powered Typographic Treatment - Part I
Whether or not you're a Steampunk fan, this two part tutorial is sure to test your knowledge on Illustrator, Cinema 4D and Photoshop. In the first half,...
Alex Beltechi
26 Oct 2009
Design & Illustration
Create a Steam Powered Typographic Treatment - Part II
We're back with the second half of our Steampunk style type experiment! In this Part II, we'll generate realistic textures and create a fitting scene for our...
Alex Beltechi
27 Oct 2009
Design & Illustration
How to Create an Incredible Typographic Illustration - Part 1
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. In this two-part tutorial, we're going to learn how to bring a simple proverb into a complex typographic...
Alex Beltechi
5 Apr 2010
Design & Illustration
How to Create an Incredible Typographic Illustration - Part 2
Today we're back with the second part of our 3D typography illustration tutorial; this time we're going to take all the pieces of the puzzle and finalize...
Alex Beltechi
7 Apr 2010
Design & Illustration