Chrome effect in Photoshop
There are plenty of ways to get metallic effects in Photoshop and there are styles supplied by default. I don’t use them – here’s my preferred chrome/gold effect technique:
1. Create a new file and fill with black.
2. Add a white graphic/text layer.
3. Cmd + click the item in point 3 to make a selection from it and go to the Channels palette.
4. Create a new channel with your selection still loaded and fill it with white.
New Alpha Channel
5. With the selection still active, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and choose 6 px.
6. Repeat with 3px, then 1.5px to get the image above.
7. Go back to the Layers palette and add a new layer filled with 50% gray.
8. Go to Filter > Render > Lighting Effects and choose the settings shown here:
Lighting Effects settings
9. Back on the Layers palette, reload your selection and invert the selection to trim away the gray.
10. Add a Curves adjustment with the settings shown below and a solid colour layer (if you want) with it’s blend mode set to colour.
Curves settings
The finished effect.
The finished effect
I turned the background canvas white again for this example. You can add a nice drop shadow to finish off the effect and maybe even a little noise for textural-realism.
Can you help me figure out how to do this on non-text items?
I used the “Line Tool” to create a custom logo… and want it chromed out. Yet all the instructions I find on the web are for working with text which doesnt seem to apply to non-text items.
Ideas or pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Best,
Marc
Marc
To do this on non-text items, merge (Cmd + Alt + Shift + E) the logo or content you want chromed to a new layer. Next I would Cmd + Click the layers you used to make a selection on your new layer,using the Shift key to add to the selection. Next, invert the selection and delete so you have a transparent area around your logo.
Use this to create your alpha channel.
Thanks a lot. Loved the article.
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