Create Valentine Text with Strokes and Glass Texture

While following my thirty steps of this tutorial you are going to create beautiful Valentine Text Effect with Woven Flat default Pattern which will give fabrix look to the inner part of your Text. You will also blend your Background layer with awesome Glass Texture which is my photo and unrestricted stock.

During the process of creating the Text, you'll be using lots of layer styles and three resterized Stroke layers as well as Levenim MT default Font of Bold Style.

You will also learn cool trick to add relief stripes around Text using a combination of rasterized Gradient Stroke, Outer Glow, Satin and 3D Effect.

The Heart Custom Shape added in Step 24 is default but if you like to be more creative, you can draw it with Pen tool.

You can create this Valentine Text in any Photoshop version.

This is the final result:

Open your Adobe Photoshop program and firstly go to the Menu bar. Select File, New to create a new .psd file. Name this new document Lovely Text. Set the Width to 1300px and Height to 700px. Insert 96 Pixels/Inch for Resolution, then select RGB for Color Mode and Transparent for Background Contents. If you like to print the text, set the Resolution to 300 Pixels/Inch and select CMYK for Color Mode. After you press OK button, you'll see transparent Layer 1 in your Layers panel.

Double click on Layer 1 name and write Background in the white space to rename the layer. Press Ctrl+G (or go to Layer, Group Layers) to place the Background layer in a Group and call the newly created Group Background too.

In Steps 2-6 you have to create colorful glossy Background with leaves ornaments.

You should firstly colorize the canvas with Radial, green to purple Gradient, then paste the Glass Texture on a new layer and change its Blend Mode to add the transparent Glass Leaves Texture. You are going to improve the contrast of the Texture when you duplicate its layer and keep its Overlay Blend Mode.

Navigate to the Tools bar, then click once on Set Foreground Color swatch in the Tools bar. Insert #084217 for Foreground color in the Color Picker. Then click on Set Background Color swatch and change the Background Color to #200117.

Press G or select Gradient Tool from the Tools bar. Go to the Options bar, select Foreground to Background Gradient from the Gradient Picker, select also Radial Gradient type and drag by holding down left mouse key from the middle to any side of the image. Compare your result with my screenshot below:

Click on the Glass Texture below to open it in high resolution in a new window then right click and select Save Image As to save it in the respective directory on your computer where your Lovely Text file is.

Create a New Layer (Layer, New) above the Background layer and call it Glass Texture.

Open in Adobe Photoshop the Glass Texture you already downloaded, press Ctrl+A to Load Selection then press Ctrl+C to copy the image. Go back to Lovely Text .psd file, verify that Glass Texture layer is selected and press Ctrl+V to paste the Texture. As the Texture is bigger than your canvas, go to Edit, Free Transform and drag the nodes vertically and horizontally so that to resize the Texture image and fit it to the size of your canvas. Hit Enter key to apply the Transformation.

Change Blend Mode of Glass Texture layer to Overlay.

In this step we are going to make the Texture more prominent. While Glass Texture layer is selected, press Ctrl+J (Layer, Duplicate Layer) to create a copy of it. Don't change anything in the duplicated Texture layer.

In Steps 7-11 you should type the Text using thick default Font, then create three duplicates of it with reduced Fill Opacity to 0%. You will need them later.

You have to apply Wooven Flat (default) Pattern Overlay, orange Glow and default Bevel and Emboss to prepare the inner, fabrics part of the Lovely Text.

Now we'll start creating our Lovely Text Effect. Take Horizontal Type tool or press T for short. Select Levenim MT default Font from the Font Family drop down menu. Choose Bold from Font Style drop down menu and insert 210pt for Font Size. Choose #51a3a0 for Text Color then type Lovely in Capital Letters.

When you are ready with typing the Text, select it then click on Toggle the Character and Paragraph Panels icon in your Options bar and Set the Tracking for the Selected Characters to 100. We need bigger tracking as later we are going to apply Stroke Layer Style and this may cause overlapping if the letters are too close to one another.

With Lovely Text layer selected, press Ctrl+G and name the new Group Text.

Keep Lovely Text layer highlighted. Press Ctrl+J three times to make three copies of it. Reduce Fill Opacity of Lovely copy, Lovely copy 2 and Lovely copy 3 layer to 0%.

Now select the original Lovely Text layer. Right click on it and choose Blending Options (Layer, Layer Style, Blending Options). Check Pattern Overlay in the opened Layer Style dialog box and modify its settings like this:

Blend Mode: Overlay

Opacity: 20%

Pattern: Woven Flat (120 by 240 pixels, RGB mode)

Scale: 15%

Link with Layer: checked.

Still don't close Layer Style box as two more Blending Options are coming.

The second Layer style to be ticked is Inner Glow. Change its settings like this:

Blend Mode: Hard Light

Opacity: 100%

Noise: 20%

Color of Glow: #f28e2d

Technique: Softer

Source: Center

Choke: 0%

Size: 50px

Contour: Sawtooth 1

Anti-aliased: unchecked

Range: 50%.

Jitter: 0%.

The third Layer Style to be added is Bevel and Emboss. Only check it and don't change anything. Leave its settings as by default.

Now press OK button to close Layer Style dialog box.

The fabrics inner part of the Text is ready and you should have the following result on your canvas:

In Steps 12-15 you have to add different strokes on the three duplicated Text layers. The first orange Stroke added to Lovely copy Text will be the thickest, then you should add Stroke of smaller size to Lovely copy 2 layer and the most important is the Gradient Stroke which is to be applied on the third duplicate- Lovely copy 3 layer.

To complete this step, you have to rasterise all three Stroke layer styles. This will enable you to add new Blending Options which will affect all the contents of the layer, including the already rasterized strokes.

Select Lovely copy layer, go to Layer, Layer Style, Blending Options and check Stroke. Insert the following settings:

Size: 16px

Position: Outside

Blend Mode: Normal

Opacity: 100%

Fill Type: Color

Color of Stroke: #fea53c.

Press OK button to close Layer Style dialog box.

Now select Lovely copy 2 layer and apply the following dark purple Stroke Layer Style:

Size: 13px

Position: Outside

Blend Mode: Normal

Opacity: 100%

Fill Type: Color

Color of Stroke: #6c066b.

Press OK button when you are ready.

Select Lovely copy 3 layer. Now we are going to add Gradient type of Stroke. As the color of the Gradient we have to use depends on the Foreground color, firstly navigate to the Tools bar and change the Foreground color to #51aaad then apply the following Stroke Layer Style:

Size: 8px

Position: Outside

Blend Mode: Normal

Opacity: 100%

Fill Type: Gradient

Select Soft Stripes Gradient

from the Gradient Picker

Reverse: unchecked

Style: Linear type of gradient

Align with Layer: checked

Angle: 90 degrees

Dither: not checked

Scale: 95%.

Press OK button to apply the Stroke and to close Layer Style dialog box.

This is how your Text will look after the three Stroke effects have been added:

Now hold down Shift key and click on the three duplicated text layers- Lovely copy, Lovely copy 2 and Lovely copy 3 layer to select them. Right click on them and select Rasterize Layer Style.

In Steps 16-23 you have to add Blending Options to the three Stroke layers. The most important part is applying Shadow, Glow, Satin and 3D Effect on the third Stroke layer, because these effects will create colorful embossed stripes border around the Text.

The first two Stroke layers need only two layer styles each.

As we have applied the strokes in the previous step, now we are going firstly to change the names of the three layers. Rename Lovely copy layer to Stroke 1, rename Lovely copy 2 layer to Stroke 2 and change the name of Lovely copy 3 layer to Stroke 3.

Double click on Stroke 1 layer's thumbnail to call Layer Style box. Check Drop Shadow and change its settings like this:

Blend Mode: Multiply

Color of Shadow: #000000 (black)

Opacity: 75%

Angle: 120 degrees

Use Global Light: checked

Distance: 0px

Spread: 50%

Size: 24px

Contour: Linear

Anti-aliased: unchecked

Noise: 0%

Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: checked.

Keep Layer Style dialog box opened as we are going to add 3D effect in the next step.

This time check Bevel and Emboss Layer Style and change its settings as follows:

Style: Inner Bevel

Technique: Smooth

Depth: 145%

Direction: Up

Size: 5px

Soften: 0px

Angle: 120 degrees

Use Global Light: checked

Altitude: 30 degrees

Gloss Contour: Linear

Anti-aliased: not checked

Highlight Mode: Multiply

Color for Highlight: #8e3610

Opacity: 100%

Shadow Mode: Multiply

Color of Shadow: #82481a

Opacity: 100%.

Press OK button to close Layer Style box. We finished our work in Stroke 1 layer.

Select Stroke 2 layer and apply Inner Glow Layer Style with these settings:

Blend Mode: Screen

Opacity: 75%

Noise: 100%

Color of Glow: #4f0754

Technique: Softer

Source: Center

Choke: 0%

Size: 20px

Contour: Linear

Anti-aliased: unchecked

Range: 50%.

Jitter: 0%.

Don't close Layer Style box yet. We are going to add 3D effect to this layer too.

Now tick Bevel and Emboss Layer Style and insert the following settings:

Style: Inner Bevel

Technique: Smooth

Depth: 1000%

Direction: Up

Size: 6px

Soften: 0px

Angle: 120 degrees

Use Global Light: checked

Altitude: 30 degrees

Gloss Contour: Linear

Anti-aliased: not checked

Highlight Mode: Screen

Color for Highlight: #86128a

Opacity: 100%

Shadow Mode: Multiply

Color of Shadow: #000000

Opacity: 30%.

Press OK button to apply both Blending Options and to close Layer Style box. Stroke 2 layer with its effects is ready.

This should be the result on your canvas so far, after the Blending Options have been applied on the first two Stroke layers:

The next layer to be selected is Stroke 3 layer. We have to apply more Blending Options on it. Double click on its layer's thumbnail and check Drop Shadow in Layer Style box. Insert these settings:

Blend Mode: Multiply

Color of Shadow: #000000 (black)

Opacity: 65%

Angle: 120 degrees

Use Global Light: checked

Distance: 0px

Spread: 6%

Size: 8px

Contour: Ring-Triple

Anti-aliased: unchecked

Noise: 0%

Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: checked.

Keep Layer Style box opened as we have to add more Blending Options in the coming steps.

The second Layer Style to be applied on Stroke 3 layer is Outer Glow. Change its settings like this:

Blend Mode: Hard Light

Opacity: 100%

Noise: 0%

Color of Glow: #f6996c

Technique: Softer

Spread: 0%

Size: 2px

Contour: Linear

Anti-aliased: unchecked

Range: 50%.

Jitter: 0%.

Now tick Satin Layer Style and change its settings as follows:

Blend Mode: Multiply

Color of Effect: #d02626

Opacity: 100%

Angle: 19 degrees

Distance: 11px

Size: 14px

Contour: Valley-Low

Anti-aliased: unchecked

Invert: checked.

In this step we'll add 3D effect to our Stroke 3 layer. For the purpose firstly check Bevel and Emboss and insert the following settings:

Style: Inner Bevel

Technique: Smooth

Depth: 1000%

Direction: Up

Size: 1px

Soften: 0px

Angle: 120 degrees

Use Global Light: checked

Altitude: 30 degrees

Gloss Contour: Notched Slope-Rounded

Anti-aliased: not checked

Highlight Mode: Hard Light

Color for Highlight: #56caeb

Opacity: 100%

Shadow Mode: Multiply

Color of Shadow: #000000

Opacity: 55%.

Tick also Contour Layer Style which is below Bevel and Emboss and apply these settings:

Contour: Cove-Deep

Anti-aliased: not checked

Range: 60%.

Press OK button to close Layer Style box.

This should be your outcome so far after improving the stripes borders of the Text with the Blending Options:

You will complete the work on your Valentine Text Effect Masterpiece with drawing Heart Card Custom Shape of Fixed Size and Pixels Mode and placing it in the empty space of O letter.

Your second task is to add Shadow, Gradient, Stroke and Bevel and Emboss to the Heart Shape to enhance its color and relief.

Create a New Layer and place it between the two groups. Name it Heart.

Set the Foreground color to #f20c3a then grab Custom Shape Tool- in the Options bar change its Mode to Pixels, click on the gear icon, check Fixed Size and insert 70px for both Width and Height. Find Heart Card shape from the Custom Shape Picker then draw the Heart and place it in the middle of O letter as you see on the screenshot below.

We are going to apply Blending Options on Heart layer too. Double click on its layer's thumbnail and firstly check Drop Shadow. Apply these settings:

Blend Mode: Multiply

Color of Shadow: #000000 (black)

Opacity: 75%

Angle: 120 degrees

Use Global Light: checked

Distance: 0px

Spread: 45%

Size: 18px

Contour: Linear

Anti-aliased: unchecked

Noise: 0%

Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow: checked.

Keep Layer Style box opened. We have to add three more Blending Options in the following steps.

Check Gradient Overlay to add darker red shades to our Heart and insert these settings:

Blend Mode: Hard Light

Dither: unchecked

Opacity: 100%

Click to Edit the Gradient like this:

First Color Stop (Location 0%): #2d0202

Second Color Stop (Location 50%): #731212

Third Color Stop (Location 100%): #540808

Reverse: unchecked

Style: Linear type of gradient

Align with Layer: checked

Angle: 90 degrees

Scale: 100%.

In this step we are going to add Gradient Type of Stroke so check Stroke Layer Style and insert the settings given below:

Size: 3px

Position: Outside

Blend Mode: Normal

Opacity: 100%

Fill Type: Gradient

First Color Stop (Location 0%): #480303

Second Color Stop (Location 50%): #8f2020

Third Color Stop (Location 100%): #480303

Reverse: unchecked

Style: Linear type of gradient

Align with Layer: checked

Angle: 90 degrees

Dither: not checked

Scale: 100%.

The last Layer Style to be added to our Heart layer (and in this tut) is Bevel and Emboss. Change its settings as follows:

Style: Inner Bevel

Technique: Smooth

Depth: 511%

Direction: Up

Size: 5px

Soften: 0px

Angle: 120 degrees

Use Global Light: checked

Altitude: 30 degrees

Gloss Contour: Linear

Anti-aliased: not checked

Highlight Mode: Screen

Color for Highlight: #f55d5d

Opacity: 100%

Shadow Mode: Multiply

Color of Shadow: #000000

Opacity: 20%.

Press OK button to close the dialog box.

You should have two groups of layers and one separate layer in between if you have followed all my steps in detail:

1. Background Group wich consists of three layers: Background, Glass Texture and Glass Texture copy;
2. Heart layer
3. Text Group which contains four layers: Lovely Text layer, Stroke 1, Stroke 2 and Stroke 3 layer.

This is the LOVEly Text Effect saved in .jpg format. Hope you liked this tutorial and found it useful and easy to follow. Thanks a lot for reading. God bless! :)