Quick Tip: Create a Candy Flavored Text Effect in Photoshop

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

In this quick tip tutorial, I'll explain how to create a "Caramelo" glossy candy cane style text effect in Adobe Photoshop.

This text effect you are going to learn today is part of 8 Premium Photoshop Styles.

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:

First of all, you have to extract both .pat files from the .zip and install them. You can do this by double-clicking each pattern file.

Let's get started!

1. How to Create the Background

Step 1

Create a new document.

Width: 850 px
Height: 700
Resolution: 72 PPI

Step 2

Duplicate the background (go to Layer > Duplicate Layer > OK) and rename the new layer "Background Pattern".

Step 3

Now we are going to add some texture. Double click on Background Pattern and the Layer Style window will appear. Go to Pattern Overlay, select Cherry01 from the list, and press OK.

Step 4

To create the vignette style, you have to double click on the "Background Pattern" layer and, once the Layer Style window appears, set the following values.

Inner Shadow

Blend Mode: Multiply
Color: #2c1206
Opacity: 75%
Angle: 120º
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Distance: 0 px
Choke: 0%
Size: 139 px

Gradient Overlay

Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 20%
Gradient: Default
Gradient checkbox reverse: Checked
Style: Linear
Align with Layer: Checked
Angle: 90º
Scale: 100%

2. How to Create the Text and Align It

Step 1

Type the word "CARAMELO" or some text of your choice using the Anja Eliane font.

Font size: 100 pt
Leading: 20 px
Tracking: 40
Anti-aliasing mode: Sharp

Step 2

Using the Move Tool, select the text and background layer, and then click the align commands Align Horizontal Center and Align Vertical Center on the top menu to center it, as shown in the image below.

Align Horizontal: Center
Align Vertical: Center

3. How to Create the Text Effect

Step 1

To add a layer style to the text, you have to right click on the layer in your Layers menu and choose Blending Options. Use the settings shown in the following picture and press OK.

Step 2

Let's start with the text effect! First, we are going to add some shadows to separate the text from the background. Go to Layer Style > Drop Shadow and use the values shown in the image below.

Blend Mode: Normal
Color: #000000
Opacity: 20%
Angle: 90º
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Distance: 10 px
Spread: 50%
Size: 20 px

Step 3

Now we start with the candy texture. Go to Layer Style > Pattern Overlay, click on the Pattern Box, and choose "Wavy Pattern" from the list.

Step 4

Select Inner Shadow from the Layer Style window and set the following values. This will give a deep effect to the text.

Blend Mode: Multiply
Color: #2c1206
Opacity: 90%
Angle: 172º
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Distance: 5 px
Choke: 0%
Size: 5 px

Step 5

Go to Layer Style > Outer Glow and use the settings shown below to add shadows to the text.

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Noise: 0%
Color: #2c1001
Technique: Softer
Spread: 0%
Size: 5 px
Range: 4%
Jitter: 0%

Step 6

Got to Layer Style > Inner Glow and use the settings shown below to add light to the text.

Blend Mode: Color Dodge
Opacity: 31%
Noise: 0%
Color: #ffffbe
Technique: Softer
Edge: Checked
Choke: 0%
Size: 7 px
Contour: Cone
Anti-aliased: Unchecked
Range: 50%
Jitter: 0%

Step 7

Now we are going to make the "glossy plastic effect". Go to Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss. Use the following values.

Style: Inner Bevel
Technique: Smooth
Depth: 72%
Direction: Up
Size: 6 px
Soften: 1 px
Angle: 90º
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Altitude: 80º
Gloss Contour: Default
Anti-aliased: Unchecked
Highlight Mode: Linear Dodge
Highlight Color: #ffffff
Highlight Opacity: 100%
Shadow Mode: Color Dodge
Shadow Color: #fc00ff
Shadow Opacity: 100%

Step 8

In this step we are going to make the colors richer, emphasizing highlights and shadows. Go to Layer Style and modify Color Overlay and Gradient Overlay, setting the following values.

Color Overlay

Blend Mode: Color
Color: #d00e69
Opacity: 100%

Step 9

Now we are going to create a Gradient Overlay to make the pattern texture a little bit cooler.

Blend Mode: Overlay
Opacity: 100%
Reverse: Checked
Style: Linear
Align with Layer: Checked
Angle 90º
Scale: 150%

Tip: To create a new point in the gradient, you have to click under the gradient bar. Clicking each one of the color stops allows you to modify the Location and Color. Set them to the values shown in the picture.

Click on the Gradient Bar and make a gradient with these settings:

First Stop Color: #c5c5c5
First Stop Position: 0%
Second Stop Color: #303030
Second Stop Position: 100%

Step 10

This is the final step, but it's no less important. We are going to lighten the edges to get a stunning effect. Go to Layer Style > Stroke, and use the values shown in the image below.

Size: 2 px
Position: Outside
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Fill Type: Gradient
Reverse: Checked
Style: Linear
Align with Layer: Checked
Angle: 90º
Scale: 100%