Reflective Metal Text in Pixelmator
// March 21st, 2010 // Graphic Design, Tutorials
In this tutorial you will learn how to create a reflective metal text in Pixelmator. The tutorial is inspired by the shinny metal logos on the back of cars. I have always loved those metal car logos and always wanted to create my own. The idea behind this tutorial is to create 3D text and then add an image with some reflection so the text looks reflective and metallic.
What you need
All you need for the tutorial is Pixelmator and this car image. Click on the the image to download the file from Mourgefile.
Step 1
Open Pixelmator and Create a new image 500×300. Rename the untitled layer to “background” and fill the layer with a radial gradient, steel #4c4c4c to lead #191919.
Step 2
Create a new layer and select the text tool (T). Set your font to Bank Gothic 72pt and white #ffffff. Type the word OVERLAY in the center of your image.
Step 3
Open the gradient tool (G) and create a gradient with three color stops. Use lead #191919 for the far left color and place the color stop at 0%. White #ffffff for the center and place the color stop at 50%. Lead #191919 for the far right and place the color stop at 100%.
Step 4
Create a new layer and select the layer. Using the rectangular marquee tool (M) draw a rectangle around the word overlay.
Using the gradient we created in step 3 draw a gradient from the bottom of the rectangular selection to the top.
Deselect the rectangular selection, command + D. Change the blending of the layer to multiply. Create a clipping mask with this layer, Layer>Create Clipping Mask.
Step 5
Select the clipping mask layer and the text layer by shift + clicking on both layers.
Merge the two layers, Layer>Merge Layers.
Step 6
Rename the layer with the text to “text”. Duplicate the layer, Layer>Duplicate layer. Select the move too (V) and select the “text copy” layer. Move the text copy layer up one pixel and to the left one pixel. You can do this by tapping the up key once then the left key once. Select the text layer and text copy layer by shift + clicking on the two layers. Merge the two layers, Layer>Merge Layers. Rename the layer “text”.
Step 7
Drag the image of the car into Pixelamator. Rename the layer “car” and place it above all the other layers. The image is way too big so reduce the size by transforming the scale. Choose Edit>Transform>Scale, reduce the width and height to 30%.
Position the car image so that part of the windshield and part of the red hood cover the text. Change the blending of the car layer to overlay.
Select the car layer and create a clipping mask, Layer>Create Clipping Mask. Now you have a nice looking reflection on the text.
Step 8
Create a new layer and name it “shadow”. Place the shadow layer directly above the background layer. With the shadow layer selected command + click on the text layer to load a selection of the text.
Fill the loaded selection with black, Edit>Fill and choose black #000000 for the color. Deselect the selection, command + D. Select the move tool (v) and move the shadow layer down one pixel and to the right one pixel. You can do this by tapping the down key once then the right key once.
Blur the shadow layer, Filter>Blur>Gaussian and choose 10 for the radius. The text now has a shadow.
Step 9
In this step you will create a subtle shine for the metal. Create a new layer and name it “shine”. Move the shine layer above all the other layers. Set your foreground color to white #ffffff.
Generate a star, Filter>Generator>Star Shine. Choose 1 for the radius, 12 cross scale, 0 cross angle, -200 cross opacity, 25 cross width, and -200 epsilon.
Place the star shine in the upper right portion of the letter Y. This adds a nice subtle shine to the text.
Step 10
The last step is to add some texture to the background so the background also looks metallic. Select the background layer. Add noise, Filter>Stylize>Noise. Chose monochrome and 1 for the amount.
Duplicate the background layer by selecting the layer and choosing Layer>Duplicate Layer. Select the “background copy” layer you just created. Change the blending to overlay and reduce the opacity to 60%.
Conclusion
Now you have a reflective metal text! Have fun using this technique with your own logo and try using other reflective images to create a different look and feel. Here is my final version. Thanks for taking the tutorial.
