How to Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect in Photoshop

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a spooky Halloween text effect in Adobe Photoshop.

This tutorial will show you how to use a couple of Photoshop’s layer styles, along with some textures and blend modes.


Final Image

As always, this is the final image that we’ll be creating:

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect


Tutorial Details

  • Program: Adobe Photoshop CC 2015
  • Estimated Completion Time: 20 minutes
  • Difficulty: Beginner

Resources


Step 1

Create a new 850 x 600px document, and duplicate the Background layer.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 1


Step 2

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

  • Check the Dither box
  • Style: Radial
  • Scale: 130%
  • Click the Gradient box to create the gradient using the colors #1a1c49 to the left and #1f1115 to the right.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 2

This will create the background gradient fill.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 3


Step 3

Place the Texture 83 image on top of the Background copy layer, resize it as needed, then rename its layer to Texture 1, and change its Blend Mode to Color Dodge.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 4


Step 4

Place the Seamless_Monster_Flesh_0001 image on top of the Texture 1 layer, resize it as needed, rename its layer to Texture 2, and change its layer’s Blend Mode to Color Dodge as well.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 5


Step 5

Click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel and choose Levels.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 6


Step 6

Click the Clip to layer icon, then change the Shadows value to 30, and the Highlights value to 220.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 7


Step 7

Create the text using the font Green Fuz Regular. The Size is 250pt, and the Tracking value is 25.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 8


Step 8

Change the text layer’s Fill value to 0, then duplicate it twice.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 9


Step 9

Double click the original text layer and apply the following layer style settings:

– Bevel and Emboss

  • Size: 24
  • Uncheck the Use Global Light box
  • Angle: -149
  • Altitude: 58
  • Check the Anti-aliased box
  • Highlight Mode: Linear Light
  • Color: #ff009c
  • Opacity: 50%
  • Shadow Mode: Vivid Light
  • Color: #a1feff
  • Opacity: 50%

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 10


Step 10

– Contour

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

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 11


Step 11

– Inner Glow

  • Blend Mode: Hard Light
  • Opacity: 60%
  • Color: #199eba

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 12


Step 12

– Outer Glow

  • Blend Mode: Hard Light
  • Opacity: 80%
  • Color: #d74892
  • Size: 10

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 13

This will style the first text layer.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 14


Step 13

Double click the first copy text layer and apply the following layer style settings:

– Bevel and Emboss

  • Size: 24
  • Uncheck the Use Global Light box
  • Angle: 30
  • Altitude: 48
  • Check the Anti-aliased box
  • Highlight Mode: Linear Light
  • Color: #00aeff
  • Opacity: 50%
  • Shadow Mode: Vivid Light
  • Color: #f865c9
  • Opacity: 50%

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 15


Step 14

– Contour

  • Contour: Gaussian
  • Check the Anti-aliased box.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 16


Step 15

– Inner Glow

  • Blend Mode: Hard Light
  • Opacity: 100%
  • Color: #cf1c68

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 17


Step 16

– Outer Glow

  • Blend Mode: Hard Light
  • Opacity: 80%
  • Color: #00c0ff
  • Size: 10

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 18

This will style the second text layer.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 19


Step 17

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

– Bevel and Emboss

  • Size: 43
  • Uncheck the Use Global Light box
  • Angle: 50
  • Altitude: 48
  • Check the Anti-aliased box
  • Highlight Mode: Vivid Light
  • Color: #35e9f0
  • Opacity: 70%
  • Shadow Mode: Vivid Light
  • Color: #f8f665
  • Opacity: 15%

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 20


Step 18

– Contour

  • Contour: Rounded Steps
  • Check the Anti-aliased box.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 21


Step 19

– Texture

  • Pattern: Black thread

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 22

This will add a nice texture and subtle detailing to the text.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 23


Step 20

Click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon and choose Gradient.

Create a Transparent to Fill Color gradient using the colors #747474 to the left and #000000 to the right.

Change the Style to Radial and the Scale to 200.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 24


Step 21

Change the Gradient layer’s Blend Mode to Soft Light. This will add a nice vignette to the final result.

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect 25


And We’re Done!

Create a Creepy Halloween Text Effect