TUTORIAL: making a lighted 3D text effect

This tutorial is about creating a stylized, beautiful, lighted 3D text effect. I hope it can be useful for you.

To make it by yourself, open this 3D text generator, so configure it like shown below:
- Rendering style: select the fourth option image;
- 3D model: select the first option image;
- Text: lighted (type as you need);
- Font size: Normal;
- Text depth: 20;
- Draw shadow: No;
- Margin: 15;
- Background color: 000000;
- Front face color: FFFFFF;
- Depth dark color: 000000;
- Depth bright color: FFFFFF;
- Font name: 22 03.

So you get this great 3D text (click to enlarge):

Extra tips:
- you should use a dark background to make the light more visible;
- if you intend to try other fonts, always select a curved and rounded font face, so the depth illumination will be more eye catching;
- you can make many astonishing 3D text effects by using this very powerful 3D text software.

Is there a text effect you would like to see here? You can ask for it commenting here or sending me an e-mail.

TUTORIAL: a very nice water text effect

Now you will learn how to get a very convincing water text effect. It's beautiful and it has a really fresh mood.

First you need to go to this water text generator, so fill its fields like this:
- Water style: 11;
- Text: water (type your own text);
- Font size: Big;
- Margin: 4;
- Background color: 0070E0;
- Font name: Voldemort.

So you get an image like this one (click to enlarge):

Extra tips:
- for this effect, usually it's a better choice to use a thick rounded font face;
- it's important to set a blue background color to improve the water look;
- you can get many different water text effects by using this water text maker.

Is there a text effect you would like to see here? You can ask for it commenting here or sending me an e-mail.

TUTORIAL: creating a carved metallic text effect

This tutorial teaches you a way to create an interesting carved metallic text. It's not easy to get even using the most expensive commercial graphic softwares.

Open this metallic text maker and set its interface items like this:
- Text: carved metal (set the text you need);
- Font size: Big;
- Margin: 5;
- Background color: FFFFA0;
- Font name: Bombardier.

Making this way, that's the result we get (click to enlarge):

Extra tips:
- this effect works well with most pastel background colors;
- always use this effect with thick font faces, mainly the strongly geometric ones, so the carved look gets better;
- there are many amazingly realistic metallic text styles at this set of free text effects.

Is there a text effect you would like to see here? You can ask for it commenting here or sending me an e-mail.

TUTORIAL: a text made using ice cubes

This time I tell you how to make an amazing text effect that looks like carved in ice cubes. It's not very usual and it can be very useful if you need something cold.

First you need to open this online ice text maker, so set its parameters like this:
- Text: ice cubes (type the text you need);
- Font size: Normal;
- Margin: 3;
- Background color: 000020;
- Font name: Horseshoes And Lemonade.

Below you see the result image you get if you make as explained (click to enlarge):

Extra tips:
- of course I needed to choose a special font to generate this "cube appearance", but this effect can generate many astonishing kinds of ice texts, mainly is you choose a thick font face;
- you can play with other back colors, but usually dark blue backgrounds are the best for this style of graphic effect;
- you can create several realistic ice texts by using the effects from this free text generator.

Is there a text effect you would like to see here? You can ask for it commenting here or sending me an e-mail.

INSPIRATION: the best graffiti text effects

Graffiti effects are among the most colorful, impressive and eye catching text effects we can use. I'm very excited about this new online tool to generate many types of Graffiti Text.

This software is very very powerful, but it has a price. It has many items to configure if you want to have total control over the result image. Anyway, if you follow the tips in the renderer page, you will have a smoother learning curve. It's particularly true because some interface fields have similar meanings in several interface sections.

There is a page about graffiti texts generated using this software. There are many examples (with and without background) and most results are really interesting. This page is called The Best Graffiti Text Effects and it's really worthy to see.

If you like graffiti, or if you like colorful or 3D texts, probably you will feel inspired by this nice collection of graffiti text effects. Below I show you four examples of what you can see there.

TUTORIAL: a subtly illuminated text effect

You will learn how to get a blue text effect with subtle top down illumination. It can be very eye catching with no exaggeration at all.

Let's start by going to a free online text effect, so you should configure its interface this way:
- Text: Blue Sky (set your own text);
- Font size: Normal;
- Margin: 3;
- Background color: FFFFFF;
- Font name: Comons.

So you get a text effect like this one (click to enlarge):

Extra tips:
- I prefer this effect with regular font faces (despite it's a good idea to use fonts with serif);
- if you don't care about losing the text shadows, you can increase the illuminated look by setting a dark background. Below there is an example with black back color;
- this set of free text effects has a huge amount of options to create lightened or glow texts.

Is there a text effect you would like to see here? You can ask for it commenting here or sending me an e-mail.

TUTORIAL: a great realistic golden dollar sign

This tutorial is about creating an amazingly realistic dollar sign made of gold. When we need this kind of stuff, silver and gold are the more used materials.

Make this one by going to this golden text generator and using it like I tell you below:
- Text: $;
- Font size: Big;
- Margin: 5;
- Background color: FFFFFF;
- Font name: Arial.

Making this way, you get this nice result image:

Extra tips:
- to increase even more the "golden mood" use a proper yellow background;
- if you intend to try other font faces, beware: many fonts don't implement the dollar sign (it can be empty or a square, or even something more awkward);
- this text effects catalog has many professional golden text effects. You don't need design skills to use them.

Is there a text effect you would like to see here? You can ask for it commenting here or sending me an e-mail.

NEWS: a new tool to generate realistic graffiti text effects

Now it's online the most professional tool ever created to generate 3D graffiti texts. You can get astonishing realistic results. It's like if you had really painted the graffiti on that walls in real life. This highly configurable software is called Graffiti Text and you can use it for free.

Some of the features that make this renderer able to generate astonishing realistic images are:
- ability to deal with three separated painting layer sets: back (optional), middle (optional) and front (the graffiti text itself);
- several drawing styles for each layer set;
- a list of fonts that are really suitable for graffiti drawing;
- several professional 3D text models with deepness setting;
- total control of color using;
- advanced gradient options;
- ability to draw the graffiti text over a background if desired;
- four styles of spatial fitting over the back surface with advanced configuration;
- a very big list of great backgrounds to choose from.

Below I show two teaser images of what this amazing tool can create for you. The first image is a graffiti text without background and the second one shows other graffiti text drawn over a back surface. Realize how the graffiti drawing lays on the surface curves in the last image.

Since this software has so many features, it's not so easy to use. As the time goes, I will post here several tutorials teaching you how to get the most beautiful and impressive graffiti texts ever.

TUTORIAL: other professional stone text effect

This time let's make an awesome procedural rock text effect. It's easy to get and the result is great.

Start the work by going to this interesting stone text maker, so set its interface items like that:
- Stone Style: 1;
- Text: STONES (choose your text);
- Font size: Big;
- Margin: 7;
- Background color: FFFFFF;
- Dark stone color: 400000;
- Bright stone color: FFA060;
- Draw Shadow: checked;
- Shadow offset: 5;
- Shadow dispersion: 2;
- Shadow fade: 1;
- Font name: BN Elements.

So we get this graphic (click to enlarge):

Extra tips:
- personally I'm used to select a white background with this kind of effect, so the shadows look stronger and the stone call more attention;
- since this software is very powerful, you can play with the stone colors, but be careful. Depending on the colors you mix, you get non-realistic stone images (what can very useful if you are looking for psychedelic results);
- you don't need design skills to make realistic stone/rock text effects by using this free stone text generator.

Is there a text effect you would like to see here? You can ask for it commenting here or sending me an e-mail.

TUTORIAL: how to create a cool neon text effect

You will learn how to get easily a very nice stylized neon text effect. It's really beautiful and this is not the kind of effect usually you find out there.

To make this one, first open this free text effect. I suggest you use it with this values:
- Text: NEON (type the text you want);
- Font size: Big;
- Margin: 5;
- Background color: 000000;
- Font name: CampGranadaNF.

If you made as explained above, you get this neon effect (click for full size viewing):

Extra tips:
- you must use thick font faces, or the internal lighted lines will not be rendered;
- choose a dark background to emphasize the glow outside the letters;
- you can get countless amazing light/glow text effects by using these free text generators.

Is there a text effect you would like to see here? You can ask for it commenting here or sending me an e-mail.