In this tutorial we will create a realistic looking metallic logo. The logo will be constructed from mainly 2 components – the metallic text and the black plastic plate beneath it. After creating a basic background, that you could of course change and alter as you wish, we will begin with the metallic text.
We will use gradients and a few thin strokes to give it a shiny metallic feel. We will also apply some noise to it as a texture.
The plastic plate will then be handled to give it its texture and shading.
At the end of the tutorial we will refine the shadows of the logo and work on a few more details on the background to achieve the realistic look.
Enjoy!
Step 1: Creating the Base
The base will have a Bluish-Grey color with a simple Vignette (reduction of brightness at the peripheries of the image compared to its center).
Create a new file sized 505 x 300 px with a resolution of 72 ppi.
Color the Background layer with #557079.
Create a new layer with 40% opacity and name it Vignette.
Use the Marquee rectangular tool to create a rectangle as seen in the next image (roughly 40-50 px from the image’s edges).
Click Crtl+I to invert the selection.
Fill it with Black color (#000000).
Deselect.
To achieve our Vignette effect, apply a Gaussian blur filter (Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian blur) with a Radius set to 50 px.
Step 2: Creating the Logo’s Text
The methods shown in this tutorial could obviously be applied to numerous logos with numerous different styles. They might, though, require a few adjustments. I’ll refer to this in the Notes section at the end of the tutorial.
Here I used the free font Neuropol (downloaded from www.DaFont.com). Please use the rasterized resource file Logo_Plain.psd
We’ll now color the text with Grey and add some basic Shadow to it by adding 2 Layer styles to it.
To color the PxMg layer with Grey color (#7a7a7a), apply the Color overlay Layer style with the following settings:
Next, apply the Drop shadow Layer style with the following settings:
Your file should look like the following image.
Step 3: Adding Chrome Effect to Text
In this step we’ll try to achieve a Chrome effect by adding a dark reflection and a bright specular reflection to the text.
Create a new layer and name it Chrome.
Set its opacity to 50%.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of layer PxMg to make a selection.
Go to Select -> Modify -> Contract, set the radius to 1 px and apply.
Fill with Black color (#000000).
Deselect.
Add a Layer mask by clicking on the proper button on the bottom of the Layers window.
While the mask is activated, use the Reflected gradient tool, set to White to Black, as shown in the image below.
Create a new layer and name it Specular01.
Set its opacity to 60%.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of layer PxMg to make a selection from it.
Fill with White color (#ffffff).
Deselect.
Add a layer mask.
Use the Linear gradient tool, set to White to black, on the mask as shown in the image.
Duplicate layer Specular01.
Click Ctrl+G to create a group (the duplicated layer is within that group).
Name the group Specular02 and add a mask to it.
On the mask, apply a Radial gradient tool (White to black) as shown in the image below.
Collapse the group.
Step 4: Adding Noise to the Metallic Text
We are now going to add some light texture to the text. This will add to the realism of the final image, along with a few other steps that involve noise and textures.
Create a new layer.
Use the Rectangular marquee tool to create a selection that encases the text, like in the next image.
Fill the rectangle with #7a7a7a.
Deselect.
Go to Filter -> Noise -> Add noise and apply with the following settings:
Go to Filter -> Blur – > Motion blur and apply with the following settings.
Set the layer’s Blending mode to Overlay and the Opacity to 70%.
Click Ctrl+G to create a group (that contains the layer you just worked on) and name it TextNoise.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of PxMG layer to make a selection from it.
Then, add a mask to group TextNoise.
Collapse the group.
Step 5: Adding Volume to the Text
We’ll add some volume to the text letters by creating a few thin light strokes on the letters’ edges.
Create a new layer, name it BrightStrokes01 and set its opacity to 70%.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of layer PxMg to create a selection from it.
Fill with white (#ffffff).
Use the arrows to nudge the selection 1 px down and 1 px to the right.
Click Del to erase the nudged selection.
Deselect.
Add a layer mask.
Apply a reflected gradient (White to black) as shown in the next image.
Create a new layer, set the opacity to 40% and name it BrightStrokes02.
Again, Ctrl+click the thumbnail of PxMg layer to make a selection.
Fill the selection with white (#ffffff).
Go to Select -> Modify -> Contract -> 1 px.
Click Del to erase the modified selection’s contents.
Deselect.
Your file should resemble the following image.
Step 6: Creating the Plastic Plate
Time to deal with the plate beneath the metal logo. We’ll begin with creating the shape of the plate and then will advance to add some details to enhance its realism.
We’ll achieve the final shape of the plate by using the same shape of the metallic text and adding a thick stroke to it.
Create a new layer under PxMg and name it PlasticPlate.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of PxMg to create a selection.
Fill the selection with black color (#000000) and deselect.
In the Layers window, double click on the layer to open Layer style window.
Select the Stroke layer style and apply the following parameters.
You file should look like this.
We’ll now rasterize the layer (embed the layer style into the layer in this case) by merging it with an empty new layer.
Create a new layer.
Use the Shift button to select both the new layer and PlasticPlate.
Click Ctrl+E to merge both layers. Now the thick stroke is part of the layer.
Rename the merged layer PlasticPlate.
We’ll now color the shape with grey, using a layer style.
Double click on the layer in the Layers window to open the Layer style window and select Color overlay.
Apply the following settings.
Now we’ll add a subtle stroke to the plate.
While Layer style window is still open, select stroke and adjust the following settings.
The result should resemble the following image.
Step 7: Adding Texture and Specular Light to the Plastic Plate
In this step we’ll some mild grainy texture to the plate using the Add Noise filter.
Create a new layer and name it PlateNoise. We’ll then add some bright gradient to create a specular light impression.
Ctrl+click thumbnail of layer PlasticPlate to make a selection from it and color your selection with #464646.
Deselect.
Go to Filter -> Noise -> Add Noise, set the following and apply.
Set the layer’s opacity to 50%.
Add a layer mask and apply a Radial gradient tool as shown in the following image.
Now we’ll continue with the Specular Light effect.
Create a new layer, set its opacity to 30% and name it SpecularLight01.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of layer PlasticPlate to create a selection.
Fill the selection with white (#ffffff).
Add a layer mask to SpecularLight01.
Apply a Radial gradient tool (White to black) on the mask as shown below.
We’ll now create a brighter center for the specular color effect.
Duplicate the layer and name it SpecularLight02.
Set opacity to 40%.
In the Layers window click on the mask to activate it and apply a Radial gradient tool, set to White to black, as shown below.
Step 8: Adding Some 3D Feel to the Plastic Plate
We will begin with creating a bright stroke that follows the plate’s contour. We will then continue to play with it, making it visible only in certain points along the contour with different levels of transparency.
This should give the plate some 3D feel, as if it has some thickness and will generally add to the plate’s realism.
Although this step is somewhat repetitive, and might seem a bit tedious, it shouldn’t take more than 2-3 minutes to accomplish it and its contribution to the final is important.
Create a new group and name it PlateBrightStrokes.
Create a new layer within that group, name it 01 and set its opacity to 80%.
We’ll now create the bright stroke.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of layer PlasticPlate to make a selection from it.
Fill the selection with white (#ffffff).
Go to Select -> Modify -> Contract, set 1 px and aplly.
Click Del to erase.
Deselect.
This will result in the desired stroke the follows the plate’s contour.
The following small tasks will include duplicating the stroke and applying a different Radial gradient as a mask (and sometimes opacity) to each of the duplications. This will look as if the plastic plate reflects light from its edges to different directions.
The reflections created in this tutorial are obviously only one option from numerous possibilities. Experiment with this step to create and control the reflections as you wish.
Add a layer mask to layer 01.
Apply a Radial gradient, set to White to black in the following manner to the mask.
Duplicate the layer, name it 02 and set opacity to 50%.
Activate the mask.
Apply a Radial gradient tool (White to black) as shown below.
Duplicate the layer and name it 03.
Activate the mask.
Apply a Radial gradient tool (White to black) as shown below.
Duplicate the layer and name it 04. Set the opacity to 30%.
Activate the mask.
Apply a Radial gradient tool (White to black) as shown in the following image.
Duplicate the layer, name it 05 and set its opacity to 20%.
Activate the mask.
Apply the Radial gradient tool as shown in the next image.
Last one…
Duplicate the layer and name it 06.
Activate the mask.
Apply the Radial gradient tool as shown below.
Collapse group PlateBrightStrokes.
Step 9: Adding Shadows
We will now continue to add some shadows to the metallic text and plastic plate to make the logo seem more 3 dimensional.
Create a new layer above group PlateBrightStrokes and below layer PxMg.
Name the new layer TextShadow and set its opacity to 30%.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of layer PxMg to create a selection from it.
Fill the selection with black color (#000000).
Deselect.
Use the arrows to move the layer 5 px down and 2 px to the right.
This shadow comes in addition to the somewhat blurred layer style shadow we previously added to the text, giving it a bit more depth.
We’ll now create the shadow for the plastic plate. We will use layers for that, a sharp shadow with low opacity and a blurred shadow with higher opacity as the second layer. Again, this will result in a more realistic looking shadow.
Create a new layer beneath PlasticPlate, name it PlateShadow01 and set the opacity to 11%.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of layer PlasticPlate to make a selection.
Fill the selection with black (#000000) and deselect.
Move the layer 6 px down and 2 px to the right.
Duplicate layer PlateShadow01, set the opacity to 60% and name it PlateShadow02.
Move the layer 3 px up.
Go to Filter – > Blur – > Gaussian blur, set the radius to 1.1 px and apply.
The shadows are now done and add some feeling of depth to the image.
Step 10: Final Touches
In this final step we will add some brightness under the logo that will make it look a bit illuminated. We will also add a little more to the image’s realistic look by adding some very subtle effect of dust that surrounds the logo.
We’ll begin with the bright illumination effect.
Create a new layer above layer Vignette and name it BackLight.
Set the opacity to 50% and blending mode to Overlay.
Apply the Radial gradient tool, set to White to transparent as shown in the next image.
We’re moving on to the dust effect.
Create a new layer above BackLight and name it Dust01.
Ctrl+Click the thumbnail of layer PlasticPlate.
Go to Select -> Modify -> Expand, set to 5 px and apply.
Fill the selection with white color (#ffffff).
Go to Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian blur, set the radius to 6 px and apply.
Set the layer’s blending mode to Dissolve.
We will now rasterize the dissolved layer.
Create a new layer under Dust01.
Use shift to select both Dust01 and the new layer.
Merge the 2 selected layers by clicking Ctrl+E.
Apply a Gaussian blur effect with a radius of 1.1 px.
Set the layer’s blending mode to Overlay and opacity to 20%.
Add a layer mask to Dust01.
Apply a Radial gradient tool, set to White to black as shown in the following image.
Duplicate layer Dust01 and name it Dust02.
Activate the layer’s mask.
Apply a Radial gradient tool (White to black) on the mask as shown below.
That’s it. We finished creating our metallic logo.
The methods shown here could of course be applied to any logo you wish, but might require some slight modifications. For instance, you could play with the bright strokes created in step 8, or you could highlight different parts in creating the chrome effects in step 3. Just try and experiment, you’ll find that the possibilities are endless and you could achieve numerous different results using the same methods.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial!
