How to Create a Burnt Wood Text Effect in Affinity Photo

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

Are you interested in Affinity Photo text effects? In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a burnt text effect that looks realistic and can be applied to logos, icons, and other design assets. Let’s begin!

What You'll Learn in This Affinity Photo Text Effect Tutorial

How to add text in Affinity Photo
How to create a burnt wood text effect
How to create a burnt wood logo

Tutorial Assets

You'll need the following resources in order to complete this project:

1. How to Create a New Document in Affinity Photo

Launch Affinity Photo and go to File > New to open the New Document window. Type in the dimensions shown whilst keeping the resolution at 72 dpi, the Document units to Pixels, and the Color format to RGB. Hit Create.

how to open a new document in Affinity photo

2. How to Add a Background in Affinity Photo

Go to File > Place and locate the background photo on your computer. Hit Open. Now, click on your artboard to place it inside your document and scale it down as much as needed. I am using the Oak wood textured background, and I have rotated the photo 90 degrees so the textured lines become horizontal. Once done, make sure to lock the photo by clicking on the lock icon in the Layers panel.

3. How to Add Text in Affinity Photo

Step 1

Let's begin our wood text effect by writing the piece of text on the artboard. First, grab the Pen Tool (P) and draw a curved path in the middle of the artboard as shown below. Switch to the Artistic Text Tool (T), position the cursor over the path, and click on it. Start typing OLD OAK in capitals using the Jakobenz Font, setting the size to 180 pt and the color to black.

Next, go to View > Studio > Glyph Browser and find the large dot glyph in the list. While the cursor of the Artistic Text Tool (T) is placed after the letter K, double-click on the dot glyph to insert it. Do the same thing before the letter O at the start.

how to type text on a path in Affinity Photo

Step 2

Still using the Artistic Text Tool (T), type PUB under the previous piece of text.

Font: Jakobenz Regular
Font size: 180 pt
Color: black

Step 3

Finally, type THE above the first piece of text. Set the Tracking to 100%.

Font: Jakobenz Regular
Font size: 72 pt
Color: black

4. How to Create a Burnt Wood Text Effect in Affinity Photo

Step 1

Let's find out how to burn text into wood using only a few effects.

Select the three text layers in the Layers panel, right-click, and choose Group (Control-G) from the menu. Now, click on the group thumbnail while holding the Control key, and this will create a selection around each letter. Go to Select > Grow/Shrink (Control-B) and apply a Radius of 3 px to obtain a larger selection around the letters. Hit Apply.

Step 2

While the selection is still active, click on Add Pixel Layer at the bottom of the Layers panel to create a new layer at the top. Grab the Paint Brush Tool (B) and use a large brush and the color gray to paint inside the selection until everything is completely filled. Follow up with Select > Deselect once done.

Width: 420 pt or bigger
Color: R=74, G=74, B=74

Step 3

Move the Pixel layer created in the previous step under the Text group as this is very important for the effect that we will apply next.

Keep the Pixel layer selected and go to Layer > New Live Filter Layer > Distort > Displace. Set the Strength to 10 px and click on Load Map From Layers Beneath. You can see how the effect is loading and adapting information from the layer below, which is the wood texture background.

tip

We are applying a live effect in case you want to change the Strength value later and adjust the look of your burnt wood text effect. Live effects are all editable.

Step 4

While the Pixel layer is still active, go to Layer > New Live Filter Layer > Blur > Gaussian Blur and apply a Radius of 0.1 px for a smoother appearance.

Set the Pixel layer to Blending Mode Soft Light.

Step 5

Let’s get back to the Text group. Set its Blending Mode to Soft Light and reduce the Opacity to 75%.

Step 6

While the Text group is still selected in the Layers panel, click on the Layer Effects icon at the bottom to open the entire Layer Effects window. Check the Inner Shadow box to activate the effect, and then change the settings as shown.

How to apply Inner Shadow effect to text

Step 7

Click on the Text group thumbnail while holding the Control key to bring up the selection of the letters again. Now, click on the Add Pixel Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to create a new layer, and make sure to move it under the Text group.

Grab the Paint Brush Tool (B) and, using a large Width setting and the color gray, start painting inside the selection until it is completely filled.

Width: 420 pt or bigger
Color: R=74, G=74, B=74

Step 8

Keep the new Pixel layer created in the previous step active and go to Layer > New Live Filter Layer > Distort > Displace again. Set the Strength to 5 px and click on Load Map From Layers Beneath.

Set the Blending mode of the Pixel layer to Overlay.

Step 9

Next, select the first Pixel layer created and click on the Layer Effects icon to open the entire Layer Effects window. Check the Outer Glow effect to activate it, and change the settings as shown below.

Step 10

Let’s bring up the selection of the letters again by clicking on the Text group thumbnail while holding the Control key. Next, click on the Add Pixel Layer icon to create a new layer at the top of the Layers panel.

Grab the Paint Brush Tool (B) and start painting on the edges and corners of some of the letters to darken those areas and make the burnt text effect look more realistic. Reduce the Opacity if needed. You can see the result in the image below.

Brush settings are:

Width: 320 px
Opacity: 100%
Hardness: 0%

How to darken the text edges with Paint brush tool

tip

The selection helps you to paint black only inside the letters, not over the wood background.

5. How to Create a Burnt Wood Logo in Affinity Photo

Step 1

You have successfully learned how to do a burnt text effect. Now we'll go further and apply this effect to a logo symbol. Exciting!

If your logo is made of multiple shapes, make sure to group them before you continue as you will apply the burnt wood text effect to the entire group, just as we did with the Text group throughout this tutorial. You can also quickly use the Unite and Subtract functions to obtain a single compound path of your logo if you desire. Both methods will work.

Featured in the image below is the Premium logo from this collection: 18 Vintage Badges and Logos. Since all the badges and logos are vectors, you can easily open each one of them with Affinity Photo. Go ahead and follow the same steps and settings shown in the tutorial, and you will get the same cool result. This is also a great way to display a logo mockup.

Step 2

Here is another example. I am using the Authentic Outdoors badge from the same collection 18 Vintage Badges and Logos.

Feel free to adjust the final logo and personalize it as you want. You can find a lot of sources of inspiration at Envato Elements, from great-looking fonts to logos and other graphics that you can use to improve your designs.

Congratulations! You're Done

This is what the wood text effect looks like in the end. I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and can apply these techniques to create your own Affinity Photo text effects.

Don't stop here. This burnt effect can be successfully applied to many other logos, symbols, and icons, as long as they are vectors. Have fun experimenting with other shapes to find your own unique way to burn text into wood.

Popular Resources From Envato Elements

Envato Elements is an excellent resource for fonts, logos, effects, templates, and so many other graphics that are ready to use. You can download as many as you wish with a subscription. Here's a short list of some of the most popular resources that you can find.

Pin Wood Logo Mockup (JPG, PSD)

Interested in knowing how to add a logo to a mockup? This mockup is easy to use and will help you display your logo in an original way. Very eye-catching!

Wood Logo Mockup (PSD)

Here is another logo mockup that looks very professional and realistic, just perfect for you to present your logo or signage. Replace the design and it's done!

Burned Wood Text Effect Template (PSD)

If you don't have time to create your own wood text effect from scratch, then you can download this collection of editable burnt text effects, which also includes different wood backgrounds that you can switch up. Give it a try!

Burned Wood Text Effect Template available on Envato Elements

Wood Burn Photoshop Effect (PSD)

If you are looking for something bolder, this wood burn text is the perfect choice for you. The textured effect will create an impact and draw attention to your logo. You have five options to choose from.

Wood Burn Photoshop effect available on Envato Elements

Burn Baby Burn Woodburning FX Kit (ASL, PSD)

This is the ultimate burnt wood creation kit. You get everything that you need in one place, and it's easy to edit and switch up the backgrounds and effects included until you find the perfect combination for your project. Grab it!

Burn Baby Burn effects kit available on Envato Elements

Want to Learn More Affinity Photo?

Looking for more Affinity Photo text effect tutorials? We have loads on Envato Tuts+ that teach many other useful techniques. Here is a list of tutorials specially made for you. Take a look!