80's Style Text Effect in Photoshop

In this tutorial, we'll explore a unique text effect reminiscent of the 80s, featuring chamfered edges, gradients, and stroked outlines. The result is a visually striking design that captures the essence of retro aesthetics.

To begin, open your favorite image editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop. For this example, I'm using Photoshop CC.

Step 1: Chamfered Edge

Create a new document with a white background. Type out the text you want to use for your effect, in this case, 'Epic.' Use a font like Viper Squadron or a similar bold, sans-serif font.

To create the chamfered edge, select the text and go to Layer > New > Layer (or press Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows or Command+Shift+N on Mac). Name this layer 'Text.' Then, enter 2px in the 'Reduce Mask Size' field. Inverse the selection by going to Select > Modify > Contract.

Step 2: Reflection and Stroked Outlines

Load the selection of the reflection layer and go to Select > Modify > Contract again. Repeat this process on every other letter. Use the Rectangular Marquee tool to remove the middle portion between each circle.

Zoom in close and draw a circular selection at each end of the reflection gradient layer on each letter. Fill this with white on a new layer.

Step 3: Layer Styles

Double-click the layer to open up the Layer Styles panel. Add a vertical gradient running from dark indigo (#261528) to mid-indigo (#241e53) to white (#ffffff) and finally, a very light indigo (#b6b4c7).

Step 4: Inner Glow and Stroke

Grab the Rectangular Marquee tool and hold Alt while dragging a selection across the upper portion of the text, leaving only the lower half selected. Hold the Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) key while clicking the thumbnail of the inner-text layer to load the selection.

Add a soft Inner Glow using a mid-blue (#76a5cd), set the opacity to 100%, blending mode to Normal, size to around 8px, and add a 2px stroke to accommodate the stroke in the next step. Then, add a 2px stroke in white, setting the alignment to Inside and blending mode to Color Dodge.

Step 5: Gradient Overlay

Use dark blue (#426bc7), light blue (#719cff), and white (#ffffff) swatches and run the gradient vertically from top to bottom. Replace the fill with a Gradient Overlay.

Step 6: Inner Shape and Layer Styles

Double-click the inner shape layer and begin adding some layer styles. Repeat this process but this time with the inner shape, using a sky blue to white gradient on the inner shape and a red to blue gradient on the outline.

Step 7: Object Manipulation

Draw a temporary rectangle around the text, then select this along with the outer shape. Right-click on the objects and select Ungroup. Add a couple of basic gradient fills to the two shapes to make it easy to identify them.

With the shapes selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path. This will help create a seamless chamfered edge effect.

Step 8: Final Touches

Zoom out and adjust the position of your text as needed. You can also experiment with different font sizes, colors, and styles to achieve the desired effect.

With these steps, you should now have an 80s-inspired text effect featuring chamfered edges, gradients, and stroked outlines. Feel free to customize and experiment with different elements to create a unique look that reflects your personal style.

References

For inspiration, take a look at logos and graphics from the 80s, such as WWF Wrestling, Metallica's Ride the Lightning album, Robocop, Amiga games, and Transformers. You can also subscribe to the Spoon Graphics YouTube Channel for more design tutorials and inspiration.

80s style text effect photoshop