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Wave’s text effect

In this tutorial we’ll turn standard text into a stunning, eye-catching text effect. We’ll be using Layer Styles, Photoshop Filters, and combining different techniques to mock-up the text into a related background. Let’s learn how to create this text effect.

Final Image Preview

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Firstly create a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop with the size 1900px by 1200px (RGB color mode) at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch. Take the Gradient Tool (G) and open the Gradient Editor from Options Bar:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Choose the Foreground to Transparent gradient.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Apply the gradient from the top to down.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Apply the next filter: Filter>Distort>Wave and choose the next settings:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
It’s the result you should get:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Inner Shadow.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Add Gradient Overlay:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
We’ve got the next effect:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Create a new layer, fill it with black color applying the Paint Bucket Tool (G) and drag it under layer with gradient in Layer panel.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Back to layer with gradient and make a copy of this layer (Ctrl+J) and apply Edit>Transform>Flip Vertical. Set after that the Opacity the same way demonstrated below:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Select the Soft Round brush from Brush Tool (B), set the Opacity to 50% in Options Bar and use black color for Foreground color.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Create a new layer and use here the selected brush to dark out the background the same way demonstrated next picture.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
On the next layer we’ll represent another gradient. Change Foreground color to white, take Gradient Tool (G) and open the Gradient Editor from Options Bar to select the Foreground to Transparent gradient.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Apply the gradient on top.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Go to Filter>Distort>Wave.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
The new result should be moved on the central part of the canvas, using in this case the Move Tool (V).

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Make a copy of the last made layer, turn it over vertically, select both layers, pressing Shift+left mouse click on the layers on the Layers panel. Then Merge Down the selected layers, pressing Ctrl+E

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Press Ctrl+T (Free Transform) and scale down as shown.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Click on Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Outer Glow.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Add Inner Glow:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Apply Gradient Overlay:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
It’s the result you should get:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Raise the contrast of our work, using the Create new fill or adjustment layer > Curves:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Adjust the curve shape as shown to make a little color corrections.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
The work became more contrastive.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Create a new layer, using the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) create a rectangular selection as shown and fill the selection with white color.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
Apply the next filter: Filter>Distort>Wave filter.

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3
It’s the result you should get:

Create Wave's text effect in Adobe Photoshop CS3

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