Ditch the ordinary and let your imagination soar with our Adobe Photoshop 80s airbrush text tutorial. Whether you want to add a touch of retro vibes with an 80s airbrush text or simply create a cool airbrush effect, I'll walk you through the steps.
What You'll Learn in This Tutorial
- How to set up a document for airbrushing effects
- How to arrange text on a document
- How to create an airbrush effect in Photoshop
Tutorial Assets
To get this project done, you'll need the following resources:
1. How to Set Up a Document for Airbrushing Effects
Step 1
Open Photoshop, go to File > New, and create a new document. Change the Width to 3000 px and Height to 3000 px.
Step 2
Add a new Solid Color layer and change the color to #dddada.
Step 3
Create a new layer above the Color Fill layer, and name it Airbrush Spray. Use a 1000 px soft Brush, change the Foreground color to #a800ff, and make a curved path on your document.
Step 4
Add a mask to the Airbrush Spray layer and mask away random areas of the path using the Brush Tool (B). Make sure the Foreground color is set to #000000.
Step 5
Change the Airbrush Spray layer to Dissolve and the Opacity to 45%.
2. How to Arrange Text on a Document
Step 1
Select the Type Tool (T) and type the number "9". Use the KOEEYA font and change the size to 1296 pt. Select the Move Tool (V), and then go to Edit > Free Transform and rotate this text layer -6°.
Step 2
Repeat this process for 0, ', and s. Rotate each character slightly. Change the font size of the letter "s" to 800 pt.
Step 3
Type "BABY" using Mister Dangerous and change the font size to 845.75 pt. After typing the word "BABY", type the letter "o" on the same text layer. Highlight the letter "o" with the Type Tool (T), change the font to Mister Dangerous Swatches, and press Enter on your keyboard to place it under the word "BABY".
3. How to Create an Airbrush Effect in Photoshop
Step 1
Select the number 9 text layer and Right-Click > Convert to Smart Object. Let's add a blur: go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and change the Radius to 5 pixels.
Step 2
Convert the other text layers to Smart Objects and add a 5 px Gaussian Blur.
Step 3
Select the number 9 layer and add some Layer Styles. Double-Click this layer from the Layers panel to bring up Layer Styles. Add a Bevel and Emboss effect, and use these settings:
- Style: Inner Bevel
- Technique: Smooth
- Depth: 230%
- Direction: Up
- Size: 65
- Soften: 13
- Angle: 90
- Altitude: 30
- Gloss Contour: Ring
-
Highlight Mode: Screen,
#9cc4e6, 33% -
Shadow Mode: Multiply,
#000000, 0%
Step 4
Check Contour in the left Layer Styles toolbar and use these settings:
- Contour: Rolling Slope - Descending
- Range: 25%
Step 5
Add a Stroke effect using these settings:
- Size: 20px
- Position: Outside
- Blend Mode: Normal
- Opacity: 100%
- Fill Type: Color
-
Color:
#000000
Step 6
Add these settings to Inner Shadow:
-
Blend Mode: Multiply,
#1667a6 - Opacity: 100%
- Angle: 90
- Distance: 65%
- Choke: 0%
- Size: 199 px
- Contour: Cove Deep
- Noise: 60%
Step 7
Add another Inner Shadow effect using these settings:
-
Blend Mode: Screen,
#64d4fe - Opacity: 50%
- Angle: 40
- Use Global Light: Unchecked
- Distance: 0%
- Choke: 23%
- Size: 16 px
- Contour: Cove Deep
- Noise: 64%
Step 8
Add an Inner Glow effect using these settings:
- Blend Mode: Pin Light
- Opacity: 100%
- Noise: 0%
-
Color:
#c5e9fa - Technique: Softer
- Source: Edge
- Choke: 0%
- Size: 35px
- Contour: Cone
- Range: 50%
- Jitter: 0%
Step 9
Add a Satin Layer Style using these settings:
-
Blend Mode: Multiply,
#087d9a - Opacity: 77%
- Angle: 90
- Distance: 121 px
- Size: 174 px
- Contour: Rolling Slope Descending
Step 10
Add a Gradient Overlay using these settings:
- Blend Mode: Normal
- Opacity: 100%
-
Gradient:
#74d4f4-#054990 - Style: Linear
- Angle: -90
- Scale: 100%
Step 11
Add an Outer Glow using these settings:
- Blend Mode: Normal
- Opacity: 100%
- Noise: 0%
-
Color:
#000000 - Technique: Softer
- Spread: 0%
- Size: 87px
Step 12
Add a Drop Shadow Layer Style using these settings:
-
Blend Mode: Normal,
#000000 - Opacity: 100%
- Angle: 47
- Distance: 55 px
- Spread: 0%
- Size: 27 px
- Contour: Linear
- Noise: 92%
Step 13
Add another Drop Shadow Layer Style:
-
Blend Mode: Normal,
#000000 - Opacity: 100%
- Angle: -152
- Distance: 42 px
- Spread: 1%
- Size: 35 px
- Contour: Linear
- Noise: 61%
Step 14
Add another Drop Shadow Layer Style:
-
Blend Mode: Normal,
#01236f - Opacity: 100%
- Angle: 74
- Distance: 14 px
- Spread: 38%
- Size: 114 px
- Contour: Cone
- Noise: 13%
Step 15
Add one more Drop Shadow Layer Style:
-
Blend Mode: Normal,
#01236f - Opacity: 100%
- Angle: 46
- Distance: 46 px
- Spread: 38%
- Size: 84 px
- Contour: Cone
- Noise: 13%
Step 16
Click OK. Copy this layer style: Right-Click > Copy Layer Style. Select the other text layers and Right-Click > Paste Layer Style.
Step 17
Place the text layers in a group and apply a Satin Layer Style to the group.
-
Blend Mode: Divide,
#4850f7 - Opacity: 47%
- Angle: 90
- Distance: 151 px
- Size: 139 px
- Contour: Rolling Slope Descending
- Anti-aliased: Checked
- Invert: Checked
Step 18
Add a Drop Shadow Layer Style:
-
Blend Mode: Normal,
#0666a9 - Opacity: 100%
- Angle: -135
- Distance: 55 px
- Spread: 0%
- Size: 8 px
- Contour: Rounded Steps
- Noise: 23%
Step 19
Type the letter "S" using the Mister Dangerous Swatches font. Place the heart within the letters group. Change the swatches font size to 500 pt. Convert the heart to a Smart Object and add a Gaussian Blur of 5 pixels. Copy (Command-C) and paste (Command-V) the layer style from number 9 to this layer.
Step 20
With the Heart layer selected, go to Layer > Layer Style > Scale Effects. Change the Scale to 50%. Click OK.
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