Photoshop: Provide font with water effect - how it works

Layer styles let you create a water-effect font in Photoshop. We'll show you how it works. For our example, we use a simple gradient background. Alternatively, take a beach or underwater photo.

Create a font with a water effect in Photoshop

1. Create a new image in Photoshop, then set the value for the foreground color to "# 0a10ff" and the background color to "# 3ed3d5".
2. Now call up the gradient tool with [G] and draw a line with the mouse from the top to the bottom of the image. Photoshop now fills the image with a gradient from dark blue to turquoise.
3. Now write your text in the picture. It is best to use a curved font. This makes the water effect look more realistic.
4. Then select in the menu »Level | Grid | Text". If you want, you can use the pen tool to add a few drops of water or distort the text in perspective to make it a little more interesting.
5. To create the water effect, select »Layer | Style | Shadow ".
6. In the following dialog, set the opacity to »75%« and the angle to »120« degrees.
7. Select "Multiply" as the blending method. For the three sliders, select distance »5«, trapping »0« and size »10«.
8. Now click on »Shadow inwards« and change the following values: Opacity »100%«, size »5«.
9. It continues with "Flattened Edge and Relief". There you select »Style | Flattened edge inside «, » Technology | Chisel hard «and set the depth to» 381% «.
10. This is followed by size »5« and blur »11«.
11. Under shading you set the light mode »Multiply negative« and an opacity of »100%«.
12. In the depth mode, select »Dodge colored« and an opacity of »50%«.
13. Finally, click on "Mixing options: Standard" and drag the slider at "Area" to "0". This takes the color out of the text - the water effect remains.

We'll show you how to add blur with Photoshop here.