This tutorial will show you some tips and tricks to create a marquee bulb sign text effect using Photoshop's 3D tools and settings, along with a few images, textures, layer styles, and adjustment layers.
But if you're short on time and you can't create a light bulb text Photoshop design from scratch, visit Envato Elements. There you'll find unlimited Photoshop text effects and marquee light fonts that will save you a lot of time. Scroll down after this tutorial to find out more, and explore useful links like this one:
And if you prefer video tutorials, we’ve got you covered as well. Visit the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel to learn how to make a Photoshop lighting bulb text effect in this new video:
What You'll Learn in This Light Bulb Text Effect Photoshop Tutorial
- How to adjust a background texture
- How to create editable 3D text
- How to adjust the 3D Mesh and Cap settings
- How to create textured material
- How to adjust a 3D scene's lighting
- How to render and modify a rendered 3D scene
- How to create a vignette effect
- How to add light bulbs
- How to build up Layer Styles and duplicate objects
- How to add sparks in Photoshop
What You'll Need
The following assets were used during the production of this light bulb text effect Photoshop tutorial:
- Burford Base font
- BrickSmallBrown0478 Image - 1
- Metal gradient seamless textures by jojo-ojoj
- Letter E Bulbs by makamuki0
- Bulb by ivoxis
- Fireworks0023 (use any images you like)
1. How to Adjust a Background Texture
Step 1
Create a new 1000 x 750px document, go to File > Place Linked, and open the BrickSmallBrown0478 image to add it as a Smart Object.
Resize the image to fill the document and hit the Return key.
Step 2
Go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, and change the Lightness value to -65.
Step 3
Double-click the BrickSmallBrown0478 layer to apply a Color Overlay effect with these settings:
-
Color:
#e0e0e0 - Blend Mode: Linear Burn
This will create a dark background texture.
2. How to Create Editable 3D Text
Step 1
Create the text in All Caps using the font Burford Base. Change the Size to 450 pt and the Tracking to -75.
Step 2
Go to 3D > New 3D Extrusion from Selected Layer. This will convert the type layer into an editable 3D layer.
3. How to Work With the 3D Scene
Step 1
To access the 3D mesh settings and properties, you’ll need to open two panels: the 3D panel and the Properties panel.
The 3D panel has all the components of the 3D scene, and when you click the name of any of those, you’ll be able to access its settings in the Properties panel. So make sure to always select the tab of the element you want to modify in the 3D panel before you change its settings in the Properties panel.
Step 2
If you select the Move Tool, you’ll find a set of 3D Modes for it to the right of the Options bar.
When you choose one of those, you can then click and drag to perform changes (on the selected element in the 3D panel).
Use those modes to change the Current View into an angle you like.
4. How to Adjust the 3D Mesh and Cap Settings
Step 1
Select the text mesh tab in the 3D panel, and change its Extrusion Depth in the Properties panel to 0.
Step 2
Click the Cap icon at the top of the Properties panel to access its settings.
Step 3
Click the Contour picker to create a custom contour. Once the Contour Editor opens, click on the line to add a point.
Step 4
With the added point selected, check the Corner box at the bottom.
Step 5
Add another point and check its Corner box as well.
Step 6
Next, you are going to select each of the points you added, and type in its Input and Output values at the bottom.
The values for the point to the left are:
- Input: 5
- Output: 95
The values for the point to the right are:
- Input: 95
- Output: 95
Click OK when you're done.
Step 7
Change the Bevel Width value to 12 and the Angle to 85%. You can also use any other values you like if you want to get a different result.
5. How to Create Textured Material
Step 1
Select the text mesh Front Inflation Material tab, and click its Diffuse folder icon in the Properties panel to choose Load Texture.
Open the misto 1.jpg image from the Metal gradient seamless textures pack.
Step 2
Click the Diffuse texture icon and choose Edit UV Properties.
Step 3
Adjust the Tile and Offset values to get a result you like.
Step 4
For the rest of the settings, use these values (the color values used are in RGB):
- Specular: 135, 59, 33
- Illumination: 191, 96, 27 - Intensity -4.77
- Shine: 70%
- Reflection: 3%
6. How to Save and Reapply 3D Materials
Step 1
Click the Material Picker box, click the pop-up menu icon, and choose New Material.
Step 2
Type Front and Back Material in the Name field, and click OK. This will add the material to the picker so that you'll be able to reapply it later on.
Step 3
Select the Back Inflation Material tab, open the Material Picker, scroll down to the Front and Back Material's icon, and click it to apply it.
7. How to Create More Textured Materials
Step 1
Click the text mesh Front Bevel Material tab, click its Diffuse folder icon, and choose Load Texture to open the d.jpg image from the Metal gradient seamless textures pack.
Step 2
Select the Extrusion and Back Bevel Material tabs, click the Diffuse folder icon, and choose the d texture name from the list.
Step 3
Select the Front Bevel, Extrusion, and Back Bevel Material tabs, and use these settings:
- Specular: 104, 86, 64
- Illumination: 191, 96, 27 - Intensity -4.77
- Shine: 85%
- Reflection: 20%
- Refraction: 1.536%
Step 4
Select only the Extrusion and Back Bevel Material tabs, and change their Shine value to 30%.
8. How to Adjust a 3D Scene's Lighting
Step 1
Select the Infinite Light 1 tab, and change its Intensity to 50% and its Shadow Softness to 100%.
Step 2
Use the Move Tool to move the light to an angle you like, or you can click the Coordinates icon at the top of the Properties panel to use numerical values.
9. How to Adjust Miscellaneous 3D Settings
Step 1
Because we are using the Bevel Contour to create the 3D mesh, without any Extrusion Depth, there might be some random lines appearing all over the text.
To get rid of those lines, click the Scene tab, and under Remove Hidden: in the Properties panel, check both the Backfaces and Lines boxes.
Step 2
Since we are going to add the bulbs manually using a stock image, it will be hard to match the 3D text's perspective.
There are two ways to fix this. You can select the Custom View tab and choose the Front preset from the View menu.
Or you can adjust the camera view manually using the Move Tool's 3D Modes, and then click the Current View tab, and click the Orthographic icon.
10. How to Render and Modify a Rendered 3D Scene
Step 1
Once you're done making adjustments and changes, go to 3D > Render 3D Layer. The rendering might take a while, but you can stop it at any time by pressing the Esc key.
After the rendering is done, right-click the 3D layer and choose Convert to Smart Object to avoid making any accidental changes.
Double-click the 3D layer to apply the following layer style:
Step 2
Add an Outer Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Light
- Opacity: 7%
-
Color:
#ffcb8d - Size: 131
Step 3
Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:
- Opacity: 75%
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: 63
- Distance: 6
- Size: 10
This will style the 3D text.
11. How to Create a Vignette Effect
Step 1
Click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel and choose Solid Color.
Set the Fill Color to Black, and change the layer's Blend Mode to Soft Light and its Opacity to 50%.
Step 2
Pick the Elliptical Marquee Tool and create a selection around the text.
Select the Solid Color layer mask's thumbnail, and fill the selection with Black.
Press Command-D to deselect.
Step 3
With the mask's thumbnail still selected, open the Properties panel, and increase the Feather value to soften the edges and create a vignette effect.
12. How to Add Light Bulbs
Step 1
Open the Letter E Bulbs image, and use the Elliptical Marquee Tool to select the bulb at the top of the letter.
Go to Edit > Copy to copy the selection.
Step 2
Back to the original 3D document, go to Edit > Paste, rename the layer Bulb 01, and convert it to a Smart Object.
Step 3
Double-click the Smart Object's thumbnail to open the bulb's file, and go to Image > Image Size to change the Width and Height values to 56.
Step 4
Add a Hue/Saturation layer on top of the Bulb 01 layer and clip it to it. Change the Hue value to -12.
Step 5
Double-click the Bulb 01 layer to apply an Inner Glow effect with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Dodge (Add)
- Opacity: 25%
-
Color:
#fff2e3 - Source: Center
- Size: 27
Step 6
Save the file and close it to go back to the original document.
13. How to Build Up Layer Styles and Duplicate Objects
Step 1
Place the bulb image inside the first letter you have, press Command-T to enter Free Transform Mode, and resize the bulb as needed.
Hit the Return key when done.
Double-click the Bulb 01 Smart Object layer to apply the following layer style:
Step 2
Add an Outer Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Light
- Opacity: 75%
-
Color:
#ffcb8d - Size: 20
Step 3
Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:
- Opacity: 35%
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: 63
- Distance: 6
- Size: 7
This will style the bulb.
Step 4
Press-hold the Option key, and click-drag the bulb to duplicate it.
Step 5
Repeat that to duplicate the bulbs and fill the text with them. Once you're done, put all the bulb layers in a group and name it Bulbs.
14. How to Add Unlit Bulbs
Step 1
Open the Bulb image, and use the Elliptical Marquee Tool to select the inner part of the bulb, and copy it.
Step 2
Paste the copied bulb into the original document, rename its layer Bulb 02, and convert it into a Smart Object.
Resize the Bulb 02 image to match Bulb 01's size.
Then, hide any Bulb 01 layer and place the Bulb 02 one in its place.
Double-click the Bulb 02 image to apply the following layer style:
Step 3
Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Light
-
Color:
#b8b8b8 - Opacity: 100%
- Distance: 0
- Size: 10
Step 4
Add an Inner Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Dodge (Add)
- Opacity: 55%
-
Color:
#ffffff - Source: Center
- Size: 13
Step 5
Add an Outer Glow with these settings:
- Blend Mode: Linear Light
- Opacity: 5%
-
Color:
#ffcb8d - Size: 20
Step 6
Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:
- Opacity: 35%
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: 63
- Distance: 6
- Size: 7
This will style the second bulb, but we still need to get rid of the dark areas.
Step 7
Double-click the Bulb 02 layer again to adjust its Blending Options.
We are going to adjust the This Layer sliders under the Blend If section, which will help protect the darker areas of the Bulb 02 layer from interacting with the rest of the layers.
To do so, press-hold the Option key, and click-drag the left slider to split it.
Then, move both ends until no dark areas are visible.
You should end up with something like this:
15. How to Add Sparks
Step 1
Place any of the Fireworks0023 images on top of the Bulb 02 layer, change its layer's Blend Mode to Screen, and transform it as you like.
Step 2
Duplicate the Bulb 02 layer, and add more sparks layers to create a couple more unlit bulbs over the text.
16. How to Add Global Adjustments
Step 1
Add a new layer on top of all layers and name it Noise.
Go to Edit > Fill, change the Contents to 50% Gray, and click OK.
Step 2
Convert the Noise layer into a Smart Object and change its Blend Mode to Soft Light.
Step 3
Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Change the Amount to 3 and the Distribution to Gaussian, and check the Monochromatic box.
Step 4
Add a Color Lookup adjustment layer, choose the 3Strip.look table from the 3DLUT File menu, and change the layer's Opacity to 85%.
Congratulations, You're Done!
In this tutorial, we adjusted a simple texture to create a background and created a 3D mesh from a text layer. Then, we adjusted the 3D mesh settings, created its materials, adjusted its lighting and settings, and rendered it.
After that, we used a couple of images, along with adjustment layers and layer styles, to add the bulbs to the text. Finally, we added some global adjustments to finish off the effect.
5 Top Photoshop Text Effects and Marquee Light Fonts
Now you're an expert on light bulb text Photoshop effects. But if you want to create a bulb sign in less time, you need 3D text effect Photoshop add-ons or marquee lights fonts.
And the best place to get them is from Envato Elements. The subscription-based marketplace offers you unlimited Photoshop text effects and fonts. Here are just five top assets you can download right away to make a unique Photoshop lighting bulb design!
1. Retro Photoshop Text Effects (ASL, PSD)
If you like the look of the marquee sign with bulbs, but you want to give it a retro look, this is for you. This kit of Photoshop text effects includes ten PSD files with smart objects and one layer style file. Easily create a retro light bulb text effect in Photoshop with this one!
2. Light Bulb Text Effect Photoshop (PSD)
But if you prefer a bright light bulb text Photoshop add-on, check this out. This Photoshop text effect helps you illuminate your text, headlines, titles, and other designs in a few clicks.
3. Light Bulb Photoshop Action (ATN, PSD, PDF)
Try this fun Photoshop text effect to create a unique bulb sign. The 3D text effect Photoshop action includes four colors to transform your text into a 3D bulb sign.
4. Marquee Lights: 3D Color SVG Font (OTF, SVG)
If you're looking for an even easier way to make a marquee sign with bulbs, you need a marquee lights font. This fun SVG font already includes bulbs, so you can make a Photoshop lighting bulb in less time.
If you don't know how SVG fonts work, here's a great article on the topic:
5. Disc House Display Font (OTF)
This creative marquee lights font features a fun retro look that will make your designs stand out. The display font is specially created to give your message a lot of impact, so make sure to give it a try!
Discover More Cool Photoshop Text Effects and Tutorials
Now you know how to apply a Photoshop lighting bulb text effect to any design. If you'd like to keep exploring more 3D text effect Photoshop tutorials and resources, check these out:
38 Cool Photoshop Text Effects, Actions & Styles for 2022
Best Resources of 2022: Photoshop Text Effects & Layer Styles
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How to Make a 3D Hologram Text Effect Photoshop Action
How to Make a Photoshop Action to Create a Stitched Jeans Text Effect
Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Maria Villanueva. Maria is the Associate Editor of the Tuts+ Design channel.
