Web Development: How to Create a Realistic Chrome Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

Friday, November 29, 2019

How to Create a Realistic Chrome Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

This super easy and quick tutorial will show you how to use a couple of textures and layer styles to create a shiny, reflective chrome text effect. Let's get started!

This text effect was inspired by the many Layer Styles available on Envato Market.

Follow along with us over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

Tutorial Assets

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

Bebas Neue Bold font
AsphaltDamaged0043 Image 1 - Small (1024x768)
Bus Seats
Free Pack 6000 photoshop gradients by Supertuts007 (Load the CHROMES.grd file)

1. Define the Pattern

Step 1

Open the Bus Seats image, and then go to Filter > Distort > ZigZag. Change the Amount to 20, the Ridges to 5, and the Style to Pond Ripple.

Step 2

Go to Edit > Define Pattern, and type Reflection Pattern in the Name field.

2. Create the Background

Step 1

Create a new 950 x 650 px document, place the AsphaltDamaged0043 texture on top of the Background layer, and resize it as needed.

Step 2

Double-click the texture's layer to apply a Gradient Overlay effect with these settings:

Blend Mode: Multiply
Style: Radial
Scale: 150%
Click the Gradient box to create the gradient fill using the colors #757575 to the right and #0f0f0f to the left.

This will create a simple radial gradient.

3. Create the Text Layers

Step 1

Create the text using the font Bebas Neue Bold and set the Size to 220 pt and the Kerning to Optical.

Step 2

Duplicate the text layer, and change the copy's Fill value to 0.

4. Style the Original 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: 1
Uncheck the Use Global Light box
Angle: 30
Altitude: 16
Check the Anti-aliased box
Highlight Mode - Opacity: 100%
Shadow Mode - Opacity: 100%

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

Contour: Cove - Shallow
Check the Anti-aliased box
Range: 100%

Step 3

Add a Stroke with these settings:

Size: 1
Position: Inside
Fill Type: Gradient
Use the stainless steel xx gradient fill

Step 4

Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:

Opacity: 35%
Uncheck the Use Global Light box
Angle: -115
Distance: 3
Size: 7

Step 5

Add an Inner Glow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Vivid Light
Opacity: 100%
Color: #f4f2e7
Choke: 0
Size: 3

Step 6

Add a Gradient Overlay with these settings:

Check the Dither box
Blend Mode: Color
Opacity: 90%
Check the Reverse box
Use the stove pipe 70 gradient fill

Step 7

Add a Pattern Overlay with these settings:

Pattern: Reflection Pattern
Scale: 50%

Step 8

Add an Outer Glow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Multiply
Opacity: 35%
Color: #404040
Size: 21

Step 9

Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:

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

Step 10

Add another Drop Shadow with these settings:

Opacity: 80%
Uncheck the Use Global Light box
Angle: 132
Distance: 17
Size: 38

Step 11

You can go back to the Pattern Overlay effect, and then click-drag the pattern inside the text to move it around until you get a result you like.

This will style the first layer of text.

5. Style the Copy Text Layer

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

Step 1

Add an Inner Glow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Linear Light
Opacity: 20%
Color: #e1e1e1
Technique: Precise
Size: 5
Contour: Cove - Deep

Step 2

Add a Gradient Overlay with these settings:

Blend Mode: Soft Light
Angle: 80
Use the steel pipe 10 gradient fill

Step 3

Add an Outer Glow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Color Dodge
Opacity: 50%
Color: #ececec
Size: 21

This will style the second text layer and finish off the text effect.

6. Add an Adjustment Layer

Step 1

Click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel, and choose Gradient Map.

Step 2

Check the Dither box, and then create the gradient fill using the colors #554b70 to the left, #857177 in the middle, and #d8a082 to the right.

Change the adjustment layer's Blend Mode to Soft Light and its Opacity to 20%.

Congratulations, You're Done!

In this tutorial, we applied a filter to an image and defined it as a pattern. Then, we created a simple background using a texture and a gradient overlay effect. After that, we created two text layers and styled them to create the text effect. Finally, we finished things off by adding a color adjustment layer.

Final Result