Tutorial: How to Create a Candy Text Effect in Photoshop

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Today I will teach you how to create an amazing candy-like text effect in Photoshop. This simple tutorial is perfect for beginners. You will learn how to apply layer styles to achieve this effect in under 40 steps.

Tutorial Resources:

• Font – Japan

Step 1

Open up Photoshop and create a new document. File>New. The size of my document is 936px x 612px with a resolution of 72.

Step 2

On your background layer, add a gradient overlay from the layer styles menu (by double clicking this layer).

Step 3

For now we are going to leave the background alone. Now we will start with the text. For this tutorial I’m using the word “Delicious”. Starting with the letter “D”, the size of my letter is 220pt and color #952480

Step 4

Continue with the rest of your letters but make sure you overlap them in the same color.

Step 5

Create a new layer and use your pen tool to create a swirl at the end of the “s”. At this point it doesn’t matter what color it is. Once you make the path, right click “make selection” and fill it with any color. Next, rasterize the letter “s” and merge the swirl layer with the “s”

Step 6

Now we will add layer styles to each of the letters. Starting with the letter “D”, double click this layer so that the layer style box pops up. We will first start off with Bevel and Emboss.

Step 7

Contour

Step 8

Inner Shadow

Step 9

Inner Glow

Step 10

Satin

Step 11

Color Overlay

Step 12

Gradient Overlay

Step 13

This is how your letter should look so far.

Step 14

Now while your “D” letter is still selected, right-click this layer and select “copy layer style.” Now go to all your other letter layers and paste this layer style onto each layer

Step 15

Now go back the your “D” layer and duplicate it by right-clicking “duplicate layer” or by dragging it to the “create a new layer button.” Once you’ve done that convert the layer to a smart object by right-clicking and rasterize it. Now go to your Filter Gallery, Filter>Filter Gallery. And apply these settings:

Step 16

Change this layer to Luminosity, and play around with the opacity. This is how it should look. Do this to the remaining layers

Step 17

Now go back to your “D” layer and create a new layer and select a soft round brush

Step 18

Using this color #49043c add shadows beneath the overlapping layers.

Step 19

Change this layer to Linear Burn

Step 20

Repeat these steps for the rest of the layers

Step 21

The image still looks a bit flat so lets change that up a bit. Starting with the letter “D” go to each letter and make a selection of it by pressing ctrl + alt at the same time like the image below.

Step 22

Create a new layer beneath the “D” layer and fill it with #49043c. Move this layer to the left a bit.

Step 23

Add these layer styles starting with Bevel and Emboss.

Step 24

Contour

Step 25

Inner Shadow

Step 26

Inner Glow

Step 27

Color Overlay

Step 28

Gradient Overlay

Step 29

Drop Shadow

Step 30

Now create a new layer, this layer should be your top layer. And with an elliptical tool make a oval over half the word.

Step 31

With the gradient tool selected, create a white to transparent gradient.

Step 32

Draw a line from the bottom to the top of the word

Step 33

Now with this layer still highlighted, make a selection of the letter layers including the layer we created with the Drop Shadow

Step 34

Now Select>Inverse and press delete to get rid of the outer edges.

Step 35

Change this layer to Soft Light with an opacity of 43%. And add these layer styles.

Step 36

Drop Shadow

Step 37

This is how it should look

Step 38

Now create a new layer above your background gradient layer. Fill it with any color and apply this pattern overlay. Note: make sure the Fill is at 0%. Since I’m working with Photoshop CS6 this pattern came with this version of Photoshop.

Step 39

Lastly I will add stripes to the background. Create a new layer in between the pattern overlay and background gradient layer. Choose the rectangular marquee tool and make strips along your document. Fill it with the color #ba9a75

Step 40

Change this layer to Color Burn with an opacity of 50% after you rotate your stripes to the right a bit.

Step 41

Take this layer and put it in a folder, then change this layer to Hard Mix with an opacity of 21%. And you’re done!