Glitter Text Tutorial

Using Adobe Photoshop Elements. In this tutorial we will be making glittered words, but the same technique can be applied to images.

1. Make a new document. File -> New ->


2. Select the Text tool, choose your font colour, then select your font (perferrably a thick one- I'm using "Bambino"), and type away.



3. Now open your glitter fill. File --> Open --> (Where you saved it) I'll be using one of my transparent ones, from here.


4. You will see that the glitter fill has 3 layers. Make sure that only one of the layers is visible (The eye should only appear on one layer, click on it to get rid of it). Press Control + A to select that layer, and define it as a pattern, naming it "1" Edit--> Define Pattern --> (Enter Name)-->



5. Do the same with the other 2 layers, again making sure that the layer you are defining as a pattern is the only one visible, and naming them "2" and "3"


6. Now go back to the document with your text on it, and rasterize the text. Right Click--> Simplify Layer.


I'm using the "Eyecandy" plugin (download it from Cute-Spot ) to give my text a glassy effect, but you can filter/ stylise it any way you wish, apply a gradient over it, or just leave it plain.



7. Make 3 copies of your text layer ( Right click--> Duplicate Layer)


8. Press down the Control key, and simultaneously click on one of the text layers, to select it.



9. Fill your selection with the glitter fill. Edit--> Fill --> (Using the Settings Shown)--> and select fill "1".

Make sure you use each of the 3 different glitter fill layers (1, 2 and 3) only once, if you can't recognise the different layer thumbnails, I'd recommend clicking the options arrow and changing the view style of your patterns, like this:




10. Do the same to the other 2 text layers, filling them with fills "2" and "3"


11. (Optional) I like a silver outline around letters, so grab a silver glitter fill, and define it as a pattern (like step 4 and 5).
Press down the Control key, simultaneously click on one of the text layers to select it, and expand the selection by 2 px. Select--> Modify --> Expand.



Create a new layer and fill in the selection with the silver glitter fill, using the same method as step 9.
Make another 2 layers (make sure you don't let go of the selection) and fill them with the silver fill (step 10).
Now drag each of the 3 "Silver Fill Layers" and place it behind each "Text Layer".
Click on a text layer, and press Control+U simultaneously, once, to merge it with the silver outline below. Do the same for the other 2 text layers.


12. We're almost done! Before we save it, we want to get rid of the excess space around our text. Hold down the control key and click on a layer simultaneously, and crop it. Image--> Crop


13. Delete the white background layer (Right Click--> Delete Layer)


14. We're now ready to save it. File--> Save for Web. Use the setting shown, make sure it's set to ".gif", you've ticked the animation and loop boxes, and the frame delay is at 0. Press ok, and save it