This tutorial will show you how to use an image texture, with clipping and layer masks as well as simple brushes and filters, to create a mirrored landscape text effect. Let's get started!
This text effect was inspired by the many Layer Styles available on GraphicRiver. If you want a quick way to create a mirror effect in Photoshop, use one of the simple Photoshop actions recommended in this article:
Tutorial Assets
The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:
- Sumac Typeface font
- Foggy Germany by Christian Grab
- UNRESTRICTED - Real Smoke Brushes by frozenstocks
1. How to Create the Background and Text Layers
Step 1
Choosing the right image is essential for this effect to work. A good image will have two contrasting areas that can be mirrored to achieve the effect, and one of those areas should have little to no detail.
Open the Foggy Germany image, or any other image you choose, in Photoshop. The image is quite big, so you can adjust its dimensions by going to Image > Image Size, and use any values you like.
Step 2
Create the text using the font Sumac Typeface, press the Command-T keys to enter Free Transform Mode, and change the text's size to fit it within the document.
Hit the Return key to commit the changes.
2. How to Clip a Texture to Text
Step 1
Duplicate the Background layer, drag the copy on top of the text layer, right-click it, and choose Create Clipping Mask.
Step 2
Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical, and Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal.
Step 3
Pick the Move Tool, and use the Arrow Keys to slightly nudge the texture until you like how it looks inside the text.
3. How to Create a Gradient Layer Mask
Step 1
Select the text texture layer, and click the Add layer mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.
Step 2
Pick the Gradient Tool, choose the Black, White fill in the Options bar, and click the Linear Gradient icon.
Select the layer mask's thumbnail, and click-drag from a point close to the outside of the text's bottom edge to a point close to its inside.
This will slightly fade the lower part of the text.
4. How to Add the Finishing Touches
Step 1
Create a new layer on top of all layers, name it Brush, and pick the Brush Tool.
Set the Foreground Color to White, and use the UNRESTRICTED - Real Smoke Brushes brush tips to add some smoke around the text so that it blends a bit more with the background.
An important part of this step is using different Opacity values for the Brush layer itself and for the Brush tip in the Options bar.
Here, I changed the layer's Opacity value to 50%, and used different Brush Opacity values in the Options bar for the brush tips I added.
Step 2
Create another new layer on top of all layers, name it Noise, and go to Edit > Fill. Change the Contents to 50% Gray and click OK.
Step 3
Right-click the Noise layer, choose Convert to Smart Object, and change its Blend Mode to Soft Light.
Step 4
Set the Foreground and Background Colors to Black and White, and go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise.
Change the Amount to 15 and the Distribution to Uniform, and check the Monochromatic box. You can use other Amount values, especially if you changed the texture's Image Size.
Congratulations! You're Done
In this tutorial, we used an image texture, with clipping and layer masks as well as simple brushes and filters, to create a mirrored landscape text effect.
Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, and outcomes below.
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