The document provides steps to create an enhanced drop shadow effect for text in Photoshop. It involves using a combination of lighting effects, blending modes, and Gaussian blur. Key steps include creating layers for the text and shadow, filling selections, adjusting opacity and blend modes, applying lighting effects and Gaussian blur, and adjusting curves to achieve the final enhanced drop shadow texture.

2. Photoshop CS2 Using text 2
Modul 6 : Creating Enhanced Drop Shadow
Duration : 80 minutes
Objective: Students will be able to:-
1. Get familiar with Selections, Channels,
and Channel Palettes in Photoshop.
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CREATING ENHANCED DROP SHADOW
The following example illustrates how you can create an enhanced drop
shadow texture basically for text, buttons or icons. It uses a combination of
lighting effects and the screen blending mode. Try the following steps to
accomplish this.
1. Launch Photoshop. Create a new document and select a present
size of 640 X 480 as illustrated. Leave the default name as
untitled-1 in the name text box as illustrated.
2. Click the button to accept the selected values. A blank
document with the name Untitled-1 in the Title bar is opened as
shown below.
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3. Click on the set foreground color on the tools palette as illustrated
below.
4. This will activate the color picker dialog box.
5. For the purpose of this example, you will need to select a shade of
blue. In the RGB text boxes, type the value of 35 (R); 105 (G); and
175 (B).
6. Click the button to accept the values and to close the
color pic ker dialog box.
7. Select the Horizontal type tool ( )
from the tools palette. Create a rectangle and type the letter C as
illustrated.
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8. The above was achieved using the Times New Roman font, Bold
Italic font style, an d font size of 450 pt.
9. Observe the layers palette. The c layer should be highlighted. Press
and hold the Ctrl key while you click on the c layer in the layers
palette.
Ctrl + Click
10. A moving border appears around the selected text as follows.
11. Click on the create new layer ( ) button located at the bottom of
the layers palette. A new layer 1 is created.
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12. While layer 2 is selected in the layers palette, click the select menu.
Select Modify, followed by Contract.
13. The Contract Selection dialog box is opened.
14. Increase the Contract By value 16 pixels.
15. Click the button to close the Contract Selection dialog
box.
16. Set the foreground color to white and fills the selection as
illustrated.
17. Press the Ctrl + D keys (Select Deselect). This will remove the
moving border around the text.
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18. Click the filter menu. Select Blur, followed by Gaussian Blur.
19. The Gaussian Blur dialog box is opened. Change the value of
Radius to 15 pixels .
20. Click the button to close the Gaussian Blur dialog box.
21. Repeat steps 18 to 20 and change the values of the Radius to 8
and 4 pixels respectively.
22. The text should now appear as follows.
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23. In the Layers palette, change the value of the Opacity to 60%.
24. In the Layers palette again, change the Blend Mode to Color
Dodge.
25. Select the c layer in the Layers palette. Press the Ctrl key and click
on it again.
26. A moving border is placed around the text as follows.
27. Open the Channels palette by either clicking the Channels tab
beside the Layers tab, or clicking the Window Menu and selecting
Channels . It should be displayed as follows.
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28. Click the Save selection as channel ( ) button located at the
bottom of the Channels palette as illustrated.
29. A new Alpha 1 channel is created as follows.
30. Click on the new Alpha 1 channel.
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31. The text should now be displayed as follows.
32. Click the Filter menu. Select Blur, followed by Gaussian Blur.
33. The Gaussian Blur dialog box is opened. Change the Radius value
to the 3 pixels.
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34. Click the button to close the Gaussian Blur dialog box.
35. Press the Ctrl + Shift + I keys. This will invert the selection. Upon
doing this, a moving border is placed around the text and the
document border as illustrated.
36. Press the Ctrl + D keys to deselect the selection.
37. Go back to the Layers palette by clicking the Layers tab. Select the
c layer. Press the Ctrl key and click on this layer.
38. A moving border is placed around the text.
39. Click on the Create new layer ( ) button located at the bottom of
the Layers palette. A new Layers 2 is created as follows.
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40. Drag and place the Layer 2 above Layer 1 (if you find this step
difficult, drag the Layer 1 and place it below Layer 2).
41. While Layer 2 is selected, change the Blend Mode to Screen .
42. Fill the background color with black. To do this, click the Set
background color button on the Tools palette. The color Picker
dialog box is opened. Select the color black and close the dialog
box. The black color is then reflected on the Set background color
as illustrated.
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43. Click the Edit Menu . Select Fill.
44. The Fill dialog box is opened. In the Contents sec tion, ensure that
the Foreground Color (i.e. white) is selected in the Use drop down
list. In the Blending section, select the Normal option from the
Mode drop down list.
45. Click the button to close the Fill dialog box.
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46. While the Layer 2 is still selected, click the Filter Menu . Select
render, followed by Lighting Effects.
47. The Lighting Effect dialog box is opened as follows.
In the Properties section, change the following values:
Gloss: 82
Material: -40
Exposure: 60
Ambience: -100
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48. Select Alpha 1 from the Texture Channel drop down list. Next,
increase the Height to 100.
49. In the Light Type drop down list, select Directional. Change the
intensity value to 32.
50. Click button to close the Lighting Effects dialog box.
51. Click the Filter menu. Select Blur, followed by Gaussian Blur.
52. The Gaussian Blur dialog box is opened. Change the Radius
value to 2 pixels. This will remove the levels involved.
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53. Click the button to close the Gaussian Blur dialog box.
54. Click the Image menu. Select Adjustments, followed by Curves.
55. The Curves dialog box is opened as illustrated.
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56. Point the mouse pointer at the spot as in the illustration.
57. Click and drag this point on the line vertically upwards as below.
58. Point the mouse pointer at the top right edge as illustrated.
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59. Click and drag this point of the line to the location as below.
60. Click the button to close the Curves dialog box.
61. R ight click on Layer 2. select the Blending Options from the menu
displayed
62. The Layer Style dialog box is opened. Click the Drop Shadow style
option.
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63. Set the Color to a shade of blue; the Angle value to 90 0 ;
Distance to 10 px; Spread to 20% and Size to 6 px.
64. Click the button to close the Layer Style dialog box.
65. Observe the text. It should appear somewhat as follows.
66. Make your own changes to the above text and finally save it.
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