Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

Original posted by:

Samir kunwarImage
Specially thanks for Greg

Specs: 1117 x 790 pixels at

266 dpi, RGB color. Trajan,
Regular, 85 point.

Note: This technique relies

on the document and font
sizes listed above. Other
fonts will work at 85 point.

Requires Photoshop version

6+.
Samir kunwar
Computer Science & IT
Email:samir_k2002@yahoo
.com

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

1a

1.In this first step we will start by creating the fire text as
white, rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise, on a black 1b
background.

Go to File, New and set the document size to 1117 pixels by

790 pixels, Mode RGB color, Under Contents click White.

To make the Background black, press Command-I for Mac

or Control-I for PC. This inverts the white background to
black.

Over a black background layer create the white type layer

FIRE with the type tool and hit Enter. See Image Specs:
above for type size and font. Position the type with the
Move tool (V) so that it is centered in the lower half of the
document like in step 2 below.

Note: If you don't have the font listed above, select another
font and set it to the same point size.

Now make a new layer above them by clicking on the

create new layer icon or Cmd + Option + Shift + N for Mac
or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N for PC to create Layer 1.

Merge all viewed layers to Layer 1 with Cmd + Option +

Shift + E for Mac or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E for PC.

Transform Layer 1 90 degrees counter clockwise with Edit,

Transform, Rotate 90 CCW.

Figure 1a shows the document view of the layer stack in

Figure 1b.

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

2a

2.In this step we run four wind filtrations on the

merged layer then rotate it back. 2b

With Layer 1 active go to Filter, Stylize, Wind. Leave

the dialog set to defaults and click OK. Repeat the
filtration three more times. Use Cmd + F or Ctrl + F to
repeat the last filtration.

Now rotate Layer 1 90 degrees clockwise with Edit,

Transform, Rotate 90 CW.

Figure 2a shows the document view after the

filtrations in Figure 2b.

3a

3.Now we will Blur and colorize Layer 1.

With Layer 1 active go to Filter, Blur, Gaussian Blur. In 3b

the dialog box set the Radius to 7.5 pixels and click OK.

Now go to Image, Adjust, Hue/Saturation or Cmd + U

or Ctrl + U. In the Hue dialog box click the Colorize
button, set the Hue to 40, the Saturation to 100 and
click OK.

Figure 3b shows the layer stack after the colorize and

blur. Figure 3a shows the result document view.

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

4a

4.Duplicate Layer 1 and make it red.

Duplicate Layer 1 by dragging it to the create new

layer icon or with Cmd + J or Ctrl + J to create Layer 1
copy.

With Layer 1 copy active, go to Image, Adjust,

Hue/Saturation or Cmd + U or Ctrl + U. Set the Hue to - 4b
40 and click OK.

Note: The shortcut names layers differently as in Layer

2 instead of Layer 1 copy.

The resulting layer should look like Figure 4b and the

document like Figure 4a.

5a

5.Set Layer 1 copy to Color Dodge mode and merge

down.

With Layer 1 copy active, go to the Mode drop down

menu at the top of the Layers palette and click-drag it
from Normal to Color Dodge or Option + Shift + D or
Alt + Shift + D. 5b

Now merge Layer 1 copy down onto Layer 1, with

Layer, Merge Down or Command/Ctrl + E.

Note: The shortcut changes the mode based on the

active tool. For Layers select the Move tool (V).

Figure 5b shows Layer 1 copy set to Color Dodge.

Figure 5a shows the result.

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

6.aDistort the image into flames with the Warp tool in 6a

the Liquify dialog.

With Layer 1 active, go to Image, Liquify or Cmd + Shift

+ X or Ctrl + Shift + X.

The Warp tool is selected by default. In the dialog box

set the Brush Size to 50 and the Brush Pressure to 40.
Now click-drag the initial flame shapes up from the
edges of the white text areas. Wiggle the mouse as
you drag up. This first run creates the major flame
shapes.

For the second run, create smaller flames by reducing 6b

the Brush Size to 30 and the Brush Pressure to 35.

If you want to start over you can Reset back to the

undistorted version by holding down Option for Mac
or Alt for PC and clicking the Reset button that appears
to replace the Cancel button. You can also use the
Reconstruct tool (E) to remove or rework your
distortions until you are pretty happy with your flames
but don't click Okay just yet.

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

6.b 6c
(Optional) Evaluate the distortions and re-edit if
necessary using Shift to save and load the distortion
mesh.

When you are pretty happy with your flame shapes,

press the Shift key and click Okay.

The Shift key is a modifier to Liquify that saves the

distortion mesh you created for later use. If you want 6d
to rework the distortion, you can now Edit, Undo or
Cmd + Z or Ctrl + Z to revert the image back to a pre-
Liquified state. Now if you reopen Liquify with Cmd +
Shift + X or Ctrl + Shift + X. The dialog will open with
your previous distortion mesh applied. The advantage
is that this allows you to use your previous distortion
mesh as a starting point but now you can Reconstruct
all the way back to the undistorted version.

Figure 6c shows the image after Liquify distortions,

Figure 6d shows the layer stack.

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

7.Duplicate the FIRE text layer, rotate it back, fill it 7a

with black and then move FIRE copy above Layer 1.

Duplicate the FIRE layer by dragging it to the make

layer icon or Cmd + J or Ctrl + J to create the layer FIRE
copy.

Drag FIRE copy above Layer 1 in the layer stack.

Fill the text shape with black by pressing the D key for 7b
default colors then Option + Delete or Alt + Backspace
to fill with foreground color.

Note: The shortcut names layers differently as in FIRE

2 instead of FIRE copy.

Figure 7a shows the new, black, text over the fire.

Figure 7b shows the layer stack.

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

8.Duplicate the liquified flame layer, move the copy 8a

above the black text, then mask and Screen.

Duplicate Layer 1 with Cmd + J or Ctrl + J to create

Layer 2.

Drag Layer 2 above the layer FIRE copy in the layer

stack. Set the mode for Layer 2 to Screen with Option
+ Shift + S. Then add a layer mask by clicking on the
Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers 8b
palette.

With the linear Gradient tool run a white to black,

linear gradient from the top of the text area to the
bottom.

Then use the Smudge tool (R) or Shift-(R) to toggle,

with a 65 pixel, soft edged brush at 70%, on the layer
mask, dragging up and down to reveal or hide Layer 2
flames.

Figure 8a shows the document view of the layer stack

in Figure 8b.

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

9.Merge all the layers to a new layer at the top of the 9a

stack, then blur and Screen to create a glow.

Create a new layer at the top of the stack by activating

Layer 2 then clicking on the create layer icon or Cmd+
Option + Shift + N or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N to create
Layer 3.

Turn the view on for all layers and merge to Layer 3

9b
with Cmd + Option + Shift + E or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E.

Set the mode for Layer 3 to Screen with (V) then

Option + Shift + S or Alt + Shift + S.

Set the opacity of Layer 3 to 50% with (V) and then (5).

Then go to Filter, Blur, Gaussian Blur or Cmd + Option

+ F or Ctrl + Alt + F to open the last filter dialog, set the
Radius to 50 pixels and click OK.

Figure 9a shows the image with the glow applied.

Figure 9b show the layer stack.

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

10.Merge all layers to a new layer at the top of the 10a

stack, then transform the resulting image down under.

Click on the Create Layer icon at the bottom of the

Layers palette or Cmd + Option + Shift + N or Ctrl + Alt
+ Shift + N to create Layer 4.

With Layer 4 active and all views on, merge to Layer 4

with Cmd + Option + Shift + E or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E.
Set the mode for Layer 4 to Screen and set the opacity
to 60% with (V) and then (6).

Now zoom back so you have some gray non-document

space around your image (make sure Resize Windows
To Fit is off in your Zoom tool options bar). Go to Edit,
Free Transform or Cmd + T or Ctrl + T. Click-drag the
top center handle down beyond the bottom of the
transform bounding box, then drag the bottom center
handle up to create the inverted reflection. Apply the
transform (Enter) and position with the Move tool (V)
if needed.

Figure 10a shows the final layer stack and Figure 10b
shows the completed image.

10b

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

Key Techniques

Merge to target (Cmd + Option + Shift + E or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E) is a

great way to create a composite of a number of layers quickly. It
simplifies the build process by bringing together a number of layers
into a single layer and when applied to a new layer, it does no damage
to the component layers.

To envelope an image element in an effect, sandwich it between two

layers holding the effect. This makes the enveloped element appear to
be inside the overall effect. Here we used this to enclose the text in fire.

Duplicate a bright layer, blur it and set it to Screen mode to create a

glow. This can offer a much more sophisticated, image-based glow
than a Layer Style glow can offer.

To save and load a Liquify distortion mesh use Shift when applying and
entering Liquify . This gives you the ability to Undo and re-work your
distortions with much more control over the result.

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Fire Text Photoshop Tutorial Samir

Enhancements

To make the fire appear to have more depth run another liquify pass on
either one of the flame layers, Layer 1 and Layer 2 above. This will
increase the separation of the flames in the foreground and background.

To make the surface of the floor a bit more realistic. Run a Filter, Stylize,
Wind on the reflection to roughen up the texture of the floor.

To place the fire over other backgrounds, merge your fire with black
background onto one layer. Then put your background image on a layer
underneath. Finally, target the fire layer and set the mode from Normal
to Screen. Screen stacks the light stuff from the fire layer onto the
background image but ignores the dark stuff. To keep the text black I
would predict that I would need the black text as a separate layer. So I
would merge the fire in front of the text into one layer, merge the fire in
back of the text onto one layer, set both fire layers to Screen and replace
the background. If you are looking for more fire intensity against a light
background try the Lighten mode instead. It will hold more "fire" against
lightness but the edges will carry some unwanted density sometimes. If
you have this edge problem try going to Blending options for the fire
layer by double-clicking it and then splitting the black "This Layer" slider
by pressing the option/alt key and dragging it right. This will fade the
edge transition. You may need to drag the right slider "ear" all the way
over to 255. Also try duplicating the layer when it is set to Screen to
intensify the effect.

Samir Kunwar

Computer science and information technology

Email: samir_k2002@yahoo.com

Email: samir_k2002@hotmail.com

Enjoy it

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