How to Create an 80s-Inspired Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

We’re honouring the German language and culture this week in celebration of the launch of the German version of Envato Elements! 

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a text effect using gradient fills and layer styles in Adobe Photoshop. This week is dedicated to German culture, so we will use the German phrase “Aller Anfang ist schwer” which means “All beginnings are hard”.

I created a Modern 80s Text Effects with unlimited text effects using the same method for my GraphicRiver portfolio.

Tutorial Assets

You will need the following fonts in order to complete this tutorial:

• Mexcellent Font
• Hemi Head Font

1. How to Prepare the Document

Step 1

Go to File > New and create a new file to work with. Use the following settings: Width: 3000 px; Height: 2000 px; 300 dpi.

Step 2

Click T to open the Horizontal Type Tool and create any text using the Mexcellent Font with a size of 146 pt.

Step 3

Select the text layer and then Right Click > Convert to Smart Object.

Step 4

Create another text layer using our second font with 33 pt size and move it up 120 px from the top of the smart object while holding Shift.

Step 5

Select the background layer and Fill it with #231434 color using Shift-F5.

2. How to Create the Background Elements

Step 1

Hit U to activate the Rectangle Tool. Then create a shape with the following settings: 

• Width: 255 px
• Height: 255 px
• Fill: None
• Stroke: 5 px
• Color: #ffffff

After that, move it to the top-left corner of the canvas while holding Shift.

Step 2

Right Click on the first shape layer and select Duplicate.

Step 3

Select the second shape and move it 250 px to the right while holding Shift.

Step 4

Create ten more duplicates as we did before, and then move them to the right side to fill the whole canvas.

Step 5

Now we need to select all the shape layers we’ve created and Right Click > Duplicate. 

Step 6

Select the new duplicates and move them 250 px down while holding Shift.

Step 7

Duplicate your shape layers to fill the entire canvas.

Step 8

After that, we need to select all the shape layers using Shift and then Right Click > Convert to Smart Object.

Step 9

Select your new smart object and press Control-T and resize the grid to fill the canvas more accurately.

Step 10

Select the smart object and go to Edit > Transform > Perspective.

Step 11

Select the top-left transform point and move it by 25° while holding Shift.

Step 12

Press Control-T and then move the top transform points to the edges of the canvas.

Step 13

Now we need to move the smart object down by 895 px while holding Shift.

Step 14

Now we need to create a duplicate of the grid, select the smart object, and then Right Click > Duplicate.

Step 15

Click U to activate the Rectangle Tool. Then create a shape in the center of the document with the following settings: Width: 2100 px; Height: 1050 px; Color: #ffffff.

Step 16

Click U to activate the Rectangle Tool. Then create a shape in the center of the document with the following settings: Width: 3000 px; Height: 900 px; Color: #151515.

Step 17

Now we need to create the last shape between the text layers with the following settings: Width: 1200 px; Height: 1 px; Color: #000000.

Step 18

Now we need to convert our shape layers into smart objects. Right Click > Convert to Smart Object.

3. How to Create Effects for the Background Layers

Step 1

Select the first shape and change the Blending Mode to Overlay.

Step 2

Now we need to add an Outer Glow effect in the Layer Style panel. Double Click on the layer and use the following settings: 

• Blend Mode: Overlay
• Opacity: 25%
• Color: #ffc47d
• Spread: 2% 
• Size: 40 px
• Range: 45%

Step 3

Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise and use the following settings: 

• Amount: 400%
• Distribution: Uniform
• Monochromatic

Step 4

Select the smart object with the grid and then click on the Create Mask icon.

Step 5

Select the mask of the layer and press Control-I to invert the color of the mask.

Step 6

 Hit B to activate the Brush Tool and use the following settings: 245 px; Hardness: 20%.

Step 7

After that, press Alt and Right Click on the mask, and draw a mask as shown in the picture below.

Step 8

Now we need to add a blur effect to the mask. Select the mask again, and then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use the following settings: Radius: 80 px.

Step 9

Now we need to add the same effects to the second grid shape and change the Blending Mode of the layer to Overlay and the Opacity to 75%.

This is how our image will look after all the manipulations listed above:

Step 10

Select the next smart object and change the Blending Mode to Overlay and the Opacity to 25%.

Step 11

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use the following settings: Radius: 250 px.

Step 12

Select the next smart object and change the Opacity to 75%.

Step 13

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use the following settings: Radius: 165 px.

Step 14

Double Click on the layer and add a Gradient Overlay using the following settings: 

• Blend Mode: Lighten
• Opacity: 15%
• Angle: 125°
• Style: Linear
• Scale: 59%

Step 15

After that, we need to change the gradient in the same Gradient Overlay panel. Double Click on the gradient and create a new gradient with the following colors: #db9176 and #1c1527.

Step 16

Now we need to edit our last smart object with the line shape. Right Click > Edit Contents to open the smart object.

Step 17

In the newly opened window, press Control-Alt-C and change the canvas size to 1220 x 20 px.

Step 18

Double Click on the shape in the smart object and add an Inner Glow using the following settings: 

• Blend Mode: Screen
• Opacity: 100%
• Choke: 0%
• Size: 0%
• Range: 50%
• Color: #ffffff

Step 19

Afterwards, add an Outer Glow effect using the following settings: 

• Blend Mode: Lighten
• Opacity: 100%
• Spread: 11%
• Size: 9 px
• Range: 45%
• Color: #ffc47d

Step 20

Change the Fill of the layer to 0% and then close and save the smart object.

Step 21

Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur and use the following settings: Angle: 0°; Distance: 440 px.

Step 22

Change the Blending Mode to Hard Light.

Step 23

Select all the background shapes while holding Shift, and then hit the Create a New Group icon.

4. How to Create 80s Text Effects

Step 1

Create two duplicates of the first smart object with the text (Right Click > Duplicate).

Step 2

Make the two upper layers invisible and create another group for the first smart object.

Step 3

Double Click on the smart object and add a Gradient Overlay using the following settings: 

• Blend Mode: Normal
• Style: Linear
• Angle: 90%
• Reverse: On
• Scale: 100%

Step 4

After that, Left Click on the Gradient in the same panel and create a new gradient with the following settings: 

• Color: #5a91ae, Location: 0%
• Color: #aee2f1, Location: 22%
• Color: #d3f3f9, Location: 51%
• Color: #3d3a3a, Location: 51%
• Color: #513c4f, Location: 60%
• Color: #8c5f92, Location: 75%
• Color: #cc9ada, Location: 90%
• Color: #d8b7e2, Location: 100%

Once you’ve created the gradient, hit OK.

Step 5

Press Make Default.

Step 6

Create another duplicate of the smart object and put it below in the Layers panel.

Step 7

Move the duplicate of the smart object 1 px left and 1 px up while holding Shift.

Step 8

To create a fake 3D effect, we need to create 23 more duplicates of the smart object and sequentially place them 1 px up and 1 px right one from another, as we did with the smart object in the previous step.

Step 9

After that, we need to go to the next smart object above the fake 3D group of layers and Double Click and press Bevel & Emboss in the Layer Style panel. Use the following settings: 

• Style: Outer Bevel
• Technique: Smooth
• Depth: 1000%
• Size: 2 px
• Soften: 0 px
• Shading: 90°
• Altitude: 30°
• Highlight Mode: Screen
• Color: #ffffff
• Opacity: 100%
• Shadow Mode: Multiply
• Color: #000000
• Opacity: 100%

Step 10

Hit Stroke and use the following settings: 

• Size: 4px
• Position: Inside
• Opacity: 75%
• Color: #ffffff

Step 11

Activate Gradient Overlay and then hit Reset to Default.

Step 12

Now select the last smart object and go to the Layer Style panel. Click on Color Overlay and use the following settings: Blend Mode: Normal; Opacity: 100%.

Step 13

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use the following settings: Radius: 15 px.

Step 14

Change the Opacity of the layer to 35%.

Step 15

Select the small text layer and go to the Layer Style panel. After that, press Inner Shadow and set the following parameters: 

• Blend Mode: Normal
• Color: #ffffff
• Distance: 5 px
• Choke: 0%
• Size: 1 px

Step 16

Go to Inner Glow and use the following settings: 

• Blend Mode: Overlay
• Opacity: 100%
• Color: #ffffff
• Technique: Softer
• Source: Edge
• Choke: 0%
• Size: 2 px

Step 17

Add a Gradient Overlay to the smart object in the same panel and use the following settings: 

• Blend Mode: Normal
• Opacity: 100%
• Reverse: On
• Style: Linear
• Angle: 90°
• Scale: 139%

Step 18

After that, Left Click on the Gradient in the same panel and create a new gradient with the following settings: 

• Color: #2b3039 Location: 0%
• Color: #4f7ba0 Location: 28%
• Color: #eafdfe, Location: 51%
• Color: #282021, Location: 51%
• Color: #2c323c, Location: 60%
• Color: #8c5f92, Location: 75%
• Color: #416286, Location: 90%
• Color: #6cadd8, Location: 93%
• Color: #fffffd, Location: 100%  

Once you’ve created the gradient, click OK.

Step 19

Finally, let’s add an Outer Glow effect to the layer style using the following settings: 

• Blend Mode: Lighten
• Opacity: 75%
• Color: #ffc47d
• Spread: 0%
• Size: 4 px

Step 20

Select all the smart objects with the text (including the fake 3D group) while holding Shift, and then press the Create a New Group icon.

This is how our image should look after all the manipulations listed above:

5. How to Create Light Effects

Step 1

To create a more organic look, we need to add light effects. Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient.

Step 2

Double Click on the Gradient Fill layer and use the following settings: 

• Style: Linear
• Angle: -55,3°
• Color: #ffdbb6
• Position: 0
• Opacity 100%
• Color: #ffdbb6
• Position: 100 
• Opacity: 0%

Step 3

Create a duplicate of the gradient fill using Right Click > Duplicate Layer.

Step 4

Place each gradient fill layer above each text layer and after that, Right Click > Create Clipping Mask.

Step 5

Change the Blending Mode of the first gradient fill to Overlay and the Opacity to 65%.

Step 6

Change the Blending Mode of the second gradient fill to Overlay.

Step 7

As you can see, the second gradient fill effect is not working on the second text layer. To resolve this issue, you need to convert the text layer to a smart object using Right Click > Convert to Smart Object.

Step 8

Create another duplicate of the last gradient fill and then Right Click > Release Clipping Mask.

Step 9

Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient.

Step 10

Double Click on the Gradient Fill layer and use the following settings: 

• Style: Radial
• Angle: -90°
• Scale: 250%
• Reverse: On
• Color: #000000
• Position: 0
• Opacity 100%
• Color: #000000
• Position: 100 
• Opacity: 0%

Step 11

Select the two last gradient fill layers while holding Shift, and then press the Create a New Group icon.

Step 12

Change the Opacity of the group to 75%.

Awesome Work, You’re Now Done!

In this way, we can create 80s-inspired text effects in Adobe Photoshop using smart objects, gradient fills, and layer styles.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial, and feel free to contact me for any help with it. You can also check my Modern 80s Text Effects in my portfolio on GraphicRiver.