Graphics Tips
Adobe Photoshop Tip: Acetylene Torch-cut Metal Smallville Type
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What you'll need: Adobe Photoshop 7 MacMerc Lighting 1 Lighting Effects Style MacMerc Torch-cut
Metal Layer Style |
The gall! The nerve! How dare I present a metallic Photoshop effect without using Motion Blur to get that brushed aluminum look. Where do I get off presenting a tutorial like this without using a chrome-creating Curves setting that looks like one of the roller coasters at Knott's Berry Farm? I know, I know...but, fear not. There are no Blur filters used in this tutorial nor do I mess with the Curves setting, but I think you will be pleased with this subtle weathered metal effect and the Torch-cut Layer Style.
I will be using a 7" by 2" RGB document at 300 pixels per inch. This document size and setting is evidently a bit of a tradition in my type tutorials; the doctor says these routines help me feel safe... but I digress. Set your foreground color to R: 140, G: 125, B: 110 (a medium warm gray) and your background color to R: 170, G: 160, B: 140 (a light warm gray).
Choose Render>Clouds from the Filter menu.
Select all (Command-A) and choose Free Transform from the Edit menu (or hit Command-T). Using the Options window, enter a value of 400% into the Height scale field. Hit Enter to apply the value and hit it again to apply the transformation.
Apply 5% Gaussian Noise by selecting Filter>Noise>Add Noise... (make sure the check box beside "Monochromatic" is not checked). Next, choose Filter>Sharpen>Sharpen More.
Now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. We need to Apply the Lighting Effects filter, but there are a lot of settings to tweak. If you're game to tweak them, follow the screenshot below...I wish you luck.
If you just want to get on with life, download the MacMerc Lighting 1 preset and copy it to your Photoshop 7 folder, in Plug-ins, in Filters, in Lighting Styles. Once you've done that, choose Filter>Render>Lighting Effects... and choose "MacMerc Lighting 1" from the window's Style menu.
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