2 in 1 – Stunning 3D Ice Text Effect Tutorial

This is one of the things we will create here:

cold

Step 1

1.1.Create a new document. I created 800x800px document, I suggest You to do the same if You want to get the same look as mine.

1.2. Hit D button to reset foreground/background color, press ALT+DELETE to fill in black color, so we can more easily work and see workflow.

1.3. Choose some font You want to use and type some text – I typed “COLD” and used Arial, Bold, 200pt wide, color #999999

type

Step 2

Lets add some blending options to the text.

2.1. Double click on the text layer to popup blending options menu:

blending

2.2. Now press CTRL+SHIFT+N to create new layer, hold SHIFT to select both layers and then right click and choose “Merge layers” to merge them into one.

merge layers

Step 3

This is where fun part starts! :)

3.1. Go to Filter –> Sketch –> Stamp, add those settings:

stamp

3.2. While still in filter panel create new layer and add Sketch–> Chrome with those settings and then press ok:

chrome

You must be the same output as me, if You don’t, read again everything carefully.

next

Step 4

4.1. Lets add some layer style to get more realistic shadows – do the same settings as the picture below, shadow color is #999999:

double

4.2. Now We will use one of the ways, how to create 3D text look.

Press CTRL+ALT+Arrow Down, many times – I did it 15 times.

shift

Select first layer, hold SHIFT and press on the 14. layer, right click and select MERGE LAYERS. Name that layer – “shadow”.

4.3. Lets add some more effect on that shadow – Filter–>Distort–>Glass and add the same settings:

glass

I have this result for now:

cold_text

4.4. Let’s add some color now:

CTRL+CLICK on the shadow layer to make selection and click Image–>Adjustments–>Hue/Saturation or CTRL+U.

Use settings like this to get pale blue color:

hue-saturation

4.5. If You want to finish, just add gradient to background color, and select radial gradient:

#cccccc

#999999

gradient

4.6. Add Filter–>Distort–>Glass to background to get more realistic frozen ice effect:

cold

Two more works from this effect, just play with the same settings:

cold2

cold3

Natural Ice Text Image Effect

Let’s go a little deeper to get natural image effect:

cold4

So let’s download a picture from sxc.hu – here and use text effect we created above.

1. Drag and position a text into a picture You just downloaded:

image1

2. Create new layer above image and text effect, like this:

snow_effect

3. Now select “background image” layer and press S to select clone stamp tool.

4. Change brush size with [ or ] brackets.

5. Move brush somewhere where snow is and click ALT + CLICK to take a sample from it.

6. Select snow effect layer and draw with stamp tool, to add a look that letters are in the snow.

clone

7. Repeat steps 3-6 to add this effect to all of the letters:

text_snow_finish

8. Add some more color adjustments, to make look more realistic.

I used Hue/Saturation with those settings:

hue-latest

Okay, now we are finished! I hope You will learn something from this tutorial too!

However if You couldn’t complete something, just ask – I am here to help!