How to Create a Fiery, Molten Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

This tutorial will show you a very quick and easy way of creating a bright, vivid, fiery text effect using a couple of layer styles and a texture. 

This text effect was inspired by the many Layer Styles available on Envato Market.

Let’s get started!

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:

• Chivo Black font
• Darth Stripe pattern by Ashton
• Brushed Alum Dark pattern by Tim Ward
• Shining Bright Bokeh by DiZa-74
• Free Pack 6000 photoshop gradients by Supertuts007 (Load the CSP True Sky Gradients.grd file)

1. Create the Background Gradient

Step 1

Create a new 980 x 980px document and duplicate the Background layer.

Step 2

Double-click the Background copy layer to apply a Gradient Overlay effect using the following settings:

• Check the Dither box.
• Style: Radial.
• Click the Gradient box to create the gradient fill using the colors #3b1a0b to the left and #170b03 to the right.

This will create the gradient background.

2. Create the Text Layers

Step 1

Create the text in All Caps using the font Chivo Black. The Size is 200 pt, the Tracking value is 25, and the Color is #cb2141.

Step 2

Duplicate the text layer and change the copy’s Fill value to 0.

3. Style the Original Text Layer

Double-click the original text layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Size: 13
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: 162
• Altitude: 42
• Gloss Contour: Cove – Deep
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode: Vivid Light
• Color: #c0bcac
• Shadow Mode – Color: #474747

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Half Round
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

Add a Texture with these settings:

• Pattern: Darth Stripe

Step 4

Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Linear Burn
• Color: #745a32
• Distance: 0
• Size: 10

Step 5

Add an Inner Glow with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Normal
• Opacity: 100%
• Color: Choose the gradient fill below
• Technique: Precise
• Source: Center
• Size: 250

Step 6

Add a Satin effect with these settings:

• Blend Mode: Vivid Light
• Color: #fffdf7
• Opacity: 75%
• Angle: 7
• Distance: 29
• Size: 35
• Contour: Cone
• Check the Anti-aliased box

Step 7

Add an Outer Glow with these settings:

• Color: #b73f1b
• Size: 7

Step 8

Add a Drop Shadow with these settings:

• Color: #292525
• Opacity: 100%
• Distance: 7
• Size: 10

This will style the original text layer.

4. Style the Copy Text Layer

Double-click the copy text layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Size: 20
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: 150
• Altitude: 35
• Gloss Contour: Cone – Inverted
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode: Linear Dodge (Add)
• Color: #c0bcac
• Opacity: 60%
• Shadow Mode: Linear Light
• Color: #b09b86
• Opacity: 75%

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Cone
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Range: 100%

Step 3

Add a Texture with these settings:

• Pattern: Brushed Alum Dark

This will style the copy text layer.

5. Add the Bokeh Background

Step 1

Place the Shining Bright Bokeh image below both text layers, resize it as needed, and change its layer’s Blend Mode to Color Dodge.

Step 2

Depending on your text and the size of the bokeh texture you like, you might have some empty areas left.

So Command-click the bokeh texture layer’s thumbnail to create a selection, and then go to Edit > Copy Merged.

After that, go to File > New to create a new document with the copied part’s dimensions, and go to Edit > Paste to get the final image.

Congratulations! You’re Done

In this tutorial, we created a simple gradient background, then styled two text layers with different layer effects, and finally used a bokeh texture to create a quick and easy glowing, fiery text effect.

Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, and outcomes below.