Web Development: How to Create a Fur Action Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

How to Create a Fur Action Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

In this tutorial I will show you how to create a fur effect in Photoshop using a pattern, a fur brush, a layer style, and a gradient map. At the end of this Photoshop fur tutorial, you will have an action ready to perform almost the entire process with a single click.

And if you want to save time, you can also use this great item from Envato Elements:

What You'll Learn in This Photoshop Fur Tutorial

How to create furry letters in Photoshop
How to use fur brush in Photoshop to make letters fluffy
How to achieve a fur texture with a Photoshop fur brush
How to create a 3D fur text

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

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during this tutorial:

1. How to Set the Background for the Photoshop Fur Effect Action

Open Photoshop, go to File > Open, and choose FurAction-BG.jpg.

2. How to Create the Text

Pick the Type Tool (T) and write "FUR". Choose the Aller Display font, and then go to Window > Character and set the Size to 347 pt and Tracking to 50.

3. How to Install the Photoshop Fur Brush and Pattern

Step 1

Go to Edit > Presets > Preset Manager... In the Preset Type, select Brushes, click load..., and choose Brush (Fur Tutorial).abr.

Step 2

Go to Edit > Presets > Preset Manager... In the Preset Type, select Patterns, click load..., and choose Pattern (Fur Tutorial).pat.

4. How to Create an Action

Step 1

Open the Actions panel, and go to Window > Actions.

Step 2

Let's create a new set of actions. To do so, click the Create New Set icon, name it Fur Action, and click OK.

Step 3

Click the Create New Action icon, name it Fur Text, and click Record.

From this point on, everything you do will be recorded, so keep an eye on the Actions panel. If you make a mistake, click the Stop Playing/Recording icon, and delete the unnecessary step from the Fur Text action. Then click the Begin Recording icon to continue.

Step 4

With the text layer selected, go to Layer > Rename Layer... and rename it Base Text 1.

Step 5

Pick the Brush Tool (B). Select the FUR Brush - Tutorial brush, and then set the Mode to Normal and the Opacity and Flow to 100%, and make sure that the following icons are unselected.

Step 6

Now let's create a new layer. Go to Layer > New > Layer..., name it Fur-1, and click OK.

Step 7

Select the layer Base Text 1 again, and go to Type > Create Work Path.

Step 8

Now select the layer Fur-1, open the Paths panel by going to Window > Paths, right-click the Work Path, and choose Stroke Path... Choose Brush in the drop-down menu, uncheck the Simulate Pressure option, and click OK.

After that, delete the Work Path from the Paths panel.

Step 9

Go back to the Layers panel. Now we're going to merge the text with the fur. To do so, select Fur-1 in the Layers panel, and then hold down the Shift key and select Base Text 1.

Now release the Shift key, Right Click Fur-1, and choose Merge Layers.

Step 10

Now we're going to add a Layer Style. Double Click the layer Fur-1 to apply the following style:

Add a Bevel & Emboss with these settings:

Style: Inner Bevel
Technique: Smooth
Depth: 63 %
Direction: Up
Size: 24 px
Soften: 16 px
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Angle: 13º
Altitude: 42º
Gloss Contour: Gaussian
Anti-aliased: True
Highlight Mode: Soft
Color of the Highlight mode: #ffffff
Opacity of the Highlight: 65%
Shadow Mode: Overlay
Color of the Shadow Mode: #362a1a
Opacity of the Shadow Mode: 26%

Step 11

Add a Contour to the Bevel & Emboss with these settings:

Contour: Gaussian
Anti-aliased: Unchecked
Range: 61%

Step 12

Add an Inner Glow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Screen
Opacity: 25%
Noise: 0%
Color: #cfb9a6
Technique: Softer
Source: Center
Choke: 4%
Size: 213 px
Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: Unchecked
Range: 100%
Jitter: 0%

Step 13

Add a Color Overlay with these settings:

Blend Mode: Color
Color: #ffffff
Opacity: 21%

Color Overlay Settings

Step 14

Add a Pattern Overlay with these settings:

Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Pattern: Choose the pattern that you downloaded, Pattern (Fur Tutorial).pat.
Scale: 25%
Link with Layer: Checked

Step 15

Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Normal
Color: #6d655d
Opacity: 100%
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Angle: 0 º
Distance: 18 px
Spread: 100%
Size: 0 px
Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: Unchecked
Noise: 0%
Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: Checked

Step 16

If you are not using Adobe Photoshop CC, click OK and skip to step 18, otherwise continue here.

Add another Drop Shadow right below the first one, with these settings:

Blend Mode: Normal
Color: #e5dacf
Opacity: 100%
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Angle: 0º
Distance: 0 px
Spread: 0%
Size: 2 px
Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: Unchecked
Noise: 0%
Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: Checked

Step 17

Add the third Drop Shadow right below the second one, with these settings:

Blend Mode: Multiply
Color: #000000
Opacity: 30%
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Angle: 3º
Distance: 34 px
Spread: 0%
Size: 1 px
Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: Unchecked
Noise: 0%
Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: Check

Click OK.

Your image should look like this:

Or like this if you are using an older version of Adobe Photoshop:

how the image looks in an older photoshop

Step 18

Skip to step 23 if you are using Adobe Photoshop CC.

Make two copies of the layer Fur-1 and place them below the original one:

Step 19

Right-Click the first copy and choose Clear Layer Style. Do the same for the second copy.

Step 20

Change the Fill of both copies to 0%.

Step 21

Double-Click the first copy to add a new Layer Style.

Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Normal
Color: #e5dacf
Opacity: 100%
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Angle: 0 º
Distance: 0 px
Spread: 0%
Size: 2 px
Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: Unchecked
Noise: 0%
Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: Checked

Click OK.

Step 22

Double-Click the second copy to add a new Layer Style.

Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Multiply
Color: #000000
Opacity: 30%
Use Global Light: Unchecked
Angle: 3º
Distance: 34 px
Spread: 0%
Size: 1 px
Contour: Linear
Anti-aliased: Unchecked
Noise: 0%
Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: Checked

Click OK.

Step 23

Now we need to convert the Fur-1 layer into a Smart Object.

For Adobe Photoshop CC:

Right-Click the Fur-1 layer and choose Convert to Smart Object.

For older versions of Adobe Photoshop:

Select Fur-1, hold down the Shift key, and click Fur-1 copy 2. Release the Shift key, and then Right Click the layer Fur-1 and choose Convert to Smart Object.

Converting layers to Smart Object in older photoshop

Step 24

Now let's change the color of the fur. We will make it white. Go to the Adjustments panel and click on Gradient Map. If you don't see it, go to Window > Adjustments.

Step 25

Your entire image will look strange, but don't worry. Rename the layer Gradient map 1 to Gradient Color.

Step 26

Right-Click the layer Gradient Color and choose Create Clipping Mask.

Step 27

Double-Click the Gradient icon in the Gradient color layer. The Properties panel will pop up.

Step 28

Click the Gradient bar in the Properties panel to open the Gradient Editor.

Set the gradient with these settings:

First stop Color: #000000 and Location 0%
Second stop Color: #848484 and Location 30%
Third stop Color: #c0c0c0 and Location 48%
Fourth stop Color: #ffffff and Location 100%

Click OK.

Step 29

Rename the Fur-1 layer to Fur, and then stop recording the action.

Congratulations, You're Now Done!

In this tutorial, you learned how to create furry letters in Adobe Photoshop.

We started out by creating our text, and while recording an action, we added a border to it using a Brush and a Path, then a Layer Style, and finally a Gradient map to change the color. So now you know how to create your own 3D fur text!

Things to remember before playing the action:

Make sure that you have installed the Pattern and Brush.
Make sure that the Brush Opacity and Flow are set to 100%, just like step 5 of "4 - How to Create the Action."
Make sure that you are playing the action with the text layer selected.

To play it, you need to select the action Fur Text and click Play in the Actions panel.

Other Cool Text Effects

There are countless ways to make your text look cooler, and here are a couple of examples from Envato Elements:

Furry Letters: 3D Fur Text (ASL, PSD)

This effect is very similar to what we've done in the tutorial, except it comes with 15 different styles and patterns! Use the letters from the set, or apply the style to your own text.

Black Text Effect (PSD)

This elegant effect will work great with every text! Use it to create a professional-looking logo, or a title on a book cover or a poster.

Liquid Tasty Text Effects (PSD, ASL, PDF)

This set contains eight styles that will make your letters look tasty! It's amazingly realistic, and it will look great in the company of a playful font.

Pro 3D Text Mockups (PSD)

This set contains four styles of 3D text effects—it's a professional result that you can achieve in seconds, just by replacing the text in the files with your own.

3D Fur Text Generator (PSD)

And if you want to achieve the same effect as in this tutorial, but without all of the work, try this fluffy letters generator! It works for both text and shapes, and it's customizable as well.