3D and Photoshop may seem to be distant from each other yet can complement each other at times. When you want to add effects such as lightning, solar flare, halos or effects like this – glowing text, it’s a good combination having Photoshop and a 3D package. This is our final result:
For this tutorial, we will take a 3D text object, convert it to EPS and import into Photoshop where we will add the glowing effect. I chose Swift 3D for this one though any 3D package such as 3DS Max or free ones like Daz 3D can be used.
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The first step is to create the 3D text. In Swift 3D, there are lighting schemes and for this one, I chose the 6am view as this suits the angle chosen. Change the background color to black and adjust the text to be pointing forward but elevated at a slight angle.
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I want to ensure that this is done predominantly in Photoshop so I am leaving all the jazzy effects in Swift 3D to one side; we just want the 3d text. So, I rendered the text and saved it as an EPS file.
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Now, import the EPS file into Photoshop I I am using version 7 here)
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Create a second layer; ensure the EPS layer is on top. Then select the EPS layer, and choose black as the foreground color, white as the background color.
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To prepare for the starry background, fill the 2nd layer with black.
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Add the noise filter with the settings below. Don’t forget to tick the monochromatic box. This will be our stars layer.
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Adjust the levels on the stars layer as below.
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You should have a result like this.
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Right click on the stars layer and select blending options. Move the ‘This Layer’ slider to 1, leave blend mode as normal, and the ‘blend if’ dropdown box set to grey.
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This gives the result below.
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Select the stars layer, and add an adjustment layer, and select levels. Adjust to the settings below.
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This darkens the background and highlights the starry effect.
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Now create a 3rd layer and fill it with black, make it the background layer. Select the stars layer, go to filter, blur and Gaussian blur. Set it as below.
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The result should be an even spaced starry background.
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Now set the transparency of the black background to 80% (can vary a bit – lower means brighter stars)
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I like these settings as the stars look distant (supposed to be aren’t they?). Now let’s add some cloud before the glow is done. Duplicate the black background layer; place the duplicate above the adjustment layer. Go to filter, render, difference clouds (your foreground and background colors should still be black and white). Then change the opacity to about 45%.
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Right click the EPS layer and select blending options. Check the boxes inner glow, bevel & emboss and Satin. This gives us a smooth shape with some subtle lighting changes which we will add to shortly.
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Go to adjustments and color balance, and select highlights, and move the slider to yellow. Duplicate the eps layer, and add a motion blur at an angle of 42 degrees and 20 on the slider. Transform the duplicate layer by expanding its size slightly so it creates a border around the EPS layer.
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Now add a Gaussian blur of 4 to the duplicate layer.
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Now adjust the levels slider again, move the input and output levels further to the right. Expand the layer a little and move it more to the right so it aligns with the text angle. Then we are done.
You can add further lighting to the glow, even change its color so it blends less into the clouds, or make the clouds wispier. Here I am settling for a hazy glow.
