How to Create a Galaxy Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

This tutorial will show you how to use a couple of layer styles, textures, and brush settings to create a bright, galaxy-inspired text effect. Let's get started!

This text effect was inspired by the manyLayer Styles available on GraphicRiver.

Tutorial Assets

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

• Bungee font
• Cosmos by Pexels
• Stars by skeeze
• Galaxy by fodonut
• P-Series.Black-BG - C4D Set by stinky666
• Free Pack 6000 photoshop gradientsby Supertuts007 (Load theCHROMES.grd file.)

1. How to Create a Background

Step 1

Create a new 960 x 720 px document. Click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layerspanel, choose Solid Color, and use theColor #0c0e22.

Step 2

Go to File > Place Linked to open theCosmos image. Resize it as needed, and rename its layer to Background Image.

Step 3

Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and change its Blend Mode to Color. 

Change the Hue value to 23, and theSaturation to -45.

2. How to Create Text Layers

Step 1

Create the text in All Caps using the fontBungee. Set the Size to 230 pt, and if you use more than one line of text, change the Leading value to 210.

Step 2

Change the text layer's Fill value to 0.

Step 3

Duplicate the text layer twice.

3. How to Style the First Text Layer

Double-click the original text layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Size: 20
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Shadow Mode: Color Dodge
  • Color: #47fcc7
  • Opacity: 70%

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Rolling Slope - Descending
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

Add a Stroke with these settings:

• Size: 1
• Fill Type: Gradient
• Use the faucet 30 gradient fill

Step 4

Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:

• Opacity: 100%
• Distance: 5
• Spread: 30
• Size: 10

This will style the first text layer.

4. How to Style the Second Text Layer

Double-click the first copy text layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Size: 35
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: 107
• Altitude: 37
• Gloss Contour: Ring - Double
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode:
  • Color: #ef1d58
  • Opacity: 70%
• Shadow Mode: Color Dodge
  • Color: #a81227
  • Opacity: 70%

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Cone - Inverted
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Screen
• Color: #b2b412
• Opacity: 50%
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: 90
• Distance: 25
• Size: 30

Step 4

Add an Inner Glow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Lighter Color
• Opacity: 25%
• Gradient: Create the gradient fill using the Colors #4c1061 to the left,#3e2b6a in the middle, and #504b71 to the right.
• Size: 18

This will style the second text layer.

5. How to Style the Third Text Layer

Double-click the second copy text layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Size: 55
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: -39
• Altitude: 58
• Gloss Contour: Ring
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode: Overlay
  • Color: #e3dc26
• Shadow Mode: Color Dodge
  • Color: #0eb483
  • Opacity: 70%

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Rolling Slope - Descending
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Color Dodge
• Color: #ab60f1
• Opacity: 35%
• Distance: 10
• Size: 20

Step 4

Add an Inner Glow with these settings:

• Opacity: 35%
• Color: #ff1d48
• Source: Center
• Size: 65
• Contour: Cone - Inverted

Step 5

Add a Satin effect with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Color Dodge
• Color: #ae8010
• Opacity: 10%
• Angle: 90
• Distance: 143
• Size: 95
• Contour: Ring - Double
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Check the Invert box

Step 6

Add an Outer Glow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Linear Dodge (Add)
• Opacity: 25%
• Color: #53abde
• Size: 25

This will style the final text layer.

6. How to Stroke a Work Path

Step 1

Right-click any text layer and chooseCreate Work Path.

Pick the Brush Tool and open the Brushpanel (Window > Brush). It is important to do all the work inside the Brush panel, especially choosing the tips.

Step 2

Pick a soft round tip, and use these settings under the Brush Tip Shape andShape Dynamics tabs:

Step 3

Create a new layer on top of all layers, call it Fade Stroke, and set the Foreground Color to #29ecee.

Hit the Return key once to stroke the work path. If you want a different result, you can change the Size of the tip, or theFade value under the Shape Dynamicstab.

Step 4

Change the Fade Stroke layer's Blend Mode to Overlay.

7. How to Create a Texture Stroke Layer and Brush Tip

Step 1

Place the Stars texture on top of all layers, resize it as needed, rename its layer to Texture Stroke, and change itsBlend Mode to Linear Dodge (Add).

Step 2

Option-click the Add layer mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add an inverted mask that hides the layer's contents.

Step 3

With the Brush Tool active, pick the Flat Angle 32px tip, and use these settings for the Brush Tip Shape and Shape Dynamics tabs:

8. How to Stroke a Work Path on a Layer Mask

Step 1

Select the Texture Stroke layer's thumbnail, set the Foreground Color toWhite, and pick the Direct Selection Tool (A).

Right-click the work path and chooseStroke Path. Set the Tool to Brush, check the Simulate Pressure box, and click OK.

We will repeat this step to stroke the rest of the textures in this tutorial, but with theSimulate Pressure box unchecked.

Step 2

Command-click any text layer's thumbnail to create a selection.

Step 3

Make sure that the Texture Stroke layer's thumbnail is still selected and that theBackground Color is Black, and pressCommand-Backspace to fill the selection with Black.

Press Command-D to deselect.

9. How to Create a Stroke Texture Group

Step 1

Place the Galaxy image below theoriginal text layer, resize it as needed, and rename its layer to BG Stroke 1.

Step 2

Add an inverted mask to the BG Stroke 1layer, and then place the layer in a group and call it BG Stroke.

Step 3

Duplicate the BG Stroke 1 layer threetimes, and rename the copies to add the numbers 2, 3, and 4.

10. How to Create Big Particles Brush Tips

Step 1

Pick the Brush Tool, choose the Erodible Point 9px tip, and use these settings:

Brush Tip Shape

Shape Dynamics

Scattering

Step 2

Select the BG Stroke 2 layer mask's thumbnail, and stroke the path using theDirect Selection Tool.

Make sure to uncheck the Simulate Pressure box for all the BG Stroke layers.

Step 3

Change the settings of the same brush tip to get a different outcome, by unchecking the Shape Dynamics tab, and using these settings for the Brush Tip Shape and Scattering:

Step 4

Use the modified tip to stroke the path on the BG Stroke 2 layer mask, and change the layer's Blend Mode to Lighter Color.

11. How to Create Dust Brush Tips

Step 1

Choose the Airbrush tip below, and use these Brush Tip Shape and Scatteringsettings:

Step 2

Click the Create new brush icon in the bottom right corner of the Brush panel, set the Name to Dust Brush, and click OK.

Step 3

Select the BG Stroke 3 layer mask's thumbnail, stroke the work path with theDust Brush tip, and change the layer'sBlend Mode to Color Dodge.

Step 4

Change the Brush Tip Shape andScattering settings of the same brush tip as below:

Step 5

Stroke the work path on the BG Stroke 4layer's thumbnail, and change the layer'sBlend Mode to Color Dodge.

With the Direct Selection Tool active, hit the Return key to get rid of the work path.

12. How to Add Light Streaks

Step 1

Place one of the P-Series.Black-BG - C4D Set images on top of theTexture Stroke layer, resize it as needed, and change its layer's Blend Mode toScreen.

Step 2

Press Command-T to enter the Free Transform Mode, and click the Warp icon in the Options bar.

Click-drag the points and/or the sections to warp the light into a shape you like. When you're done, hit the Return key to accept the changes.

You can also resize, rotate, and adjust the image while in the Free Transform Mode.

Step 3

You can add a layer mask, and use a soft round brush tip, with the Foreground Color set to Black, to paint over any unwanted areas and hide them.

Step 4

Add more images and warp them.

If the light's background is visible, you can go to Image > Adjustments > Levels, click the Sample in image to set black point icon, and click the background area you want to make black.

Step 5

Add as many images as needed, and place them anywhere you like.

13. How to Adjust a Background and the Global Coloring

Step 1

Add a layer mask to the Background Image layer, pick the Brush Tool, choose the Dust Brush you saved earlier, andclick-drag slightly in the center of the document to erase a part of the image's center.

Step 2

Add a Gradient Map on top of all layers, check the Dither box, and create the gradient fill using the Colors #5c3d69 to the left, #94516a in the middle, and#e8977a to the left.

Change the Gradient Map layer's Blend Mode to Soft Light, and its Opacity to30%.

Step 3

Add a Color Lookup adjustment layer on top of all layers, and use theFoggyNight.3DL table from the 3DLUT File menu.

Step 4

Press Command-A to select all, go to Edit > Copy Merged, and Edit > Paste Special > Paste in Place.

Rename the pasted layer to Overlay, and hide the Color Lookup layer.

Step 5

Decrease the Overlay layer's Opacity to a value you like.

Congratulations! You're Done

In this tutorial, we used a simple texture for the background, and created a couple of text layers. Then, we styled the text layers to create the main effect. 

After that, we used textures and brush settings to create a couple of stroke layers. Finally, we used adjustment layers to enhance the final result.

Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, and outcomes below.