Layer styles are a fun way of quickly transforming text, but they can also be quite tricky to get right. All too often text layer styles look like tacky remnants from the Web 2.0 era. However, when used correctly and appropriately they can also be pretty awesome! This tutorial will guide you through the steps of creating a Jaffa Cake inspired orange text effect.
To begin with create a new document in Photoshop and fill the background with a solid dark color (#252422) then create a new text layer using the font Alpha54 and type your text. Set the color of the text layer to a light orange (#ffa200).
Open the layer styles window for the text layer and select the first style option which is Bevel & Emboss. Use the settings that can be seen in the image below to add some depth to the text. The highlight mode should be set to Color Dodge at around 40% to subtly shift the hue towards yellow.
To outline the text add a Stroke layer style positioned on the outside with a gradient fill type. The gradient itself should be a subtle shift from red (#ed0000) to very deep orange (#ff6600).
Using the Inner Shadow layer style with a white overlay and the settings show in the image below will create a sharp highlight, setting the text off against the outer border.
As we used the Inner Shadow for a highlight, let's go completely nuts now and use the Inner Glow for a shadow! This one is quite simple and just adds a bit more depth to balance the highlights.
Satin is a layer style that would ordinarily be avoided at all costs, however it can have it's uses. In this case we can use it to create a subtle orange peel texture. It's hard to explain exactly how this effect works so just experiment and remember to keep it subtle! If in doubt, just blindly the copy the attributes from the image below.
A default black to white gradient with Soft Light blending mode is my favourite technique for creating gradients in Photoshop as it uses the base color of the layer. If you were to later tweak the text layer color, the gradient overlay will still work and not need adjusting.
Finally, a Drop Shadow will set the text off against the background and complete the effect.
Congratulations, you can now reward yourself with Jaffa Cakes and admire your work! Most of the techniques covered in this tutorial can be used for different types of text effect. Experiment and have fun with it!