Smoke Text

1. This is a relatively simple tutorial to follow, but there is lots to do and plenty of variables to get right - follow closely!

Start with a medium-large canvas - I'm using 800x800, and all size variables are meant for this canvas size - you can always rescale later on. To start with, type your text in the middle of the canvas and make it 50% grey (R: 128, G: 128, B: 128; or more simply H: 0, S: 0, B: 50%.). Make a duplicate of this layer, and set its visibility to off by clicking the eye next to the layer on the layer palette. Do not merge this layer with anything else or alter until later. Go Filter || Distort || Diffuse Glow and enter the values 8, 5 and 15 in that order.

The text that you have created should now be on its own layer - if not, start again making sure that this is the case. We are now going to apply a series of gaussian blurs - for each value, go Filter || Blur || Gaussian Blur and enter the correct value. Apply blurs of 5, 3, 1, 10, 5 and 3 pixels. Make sure this is done accurately and in this order.

2. Now to give the text a bit more definition, apply an unsharp mask by going Filter || Sharpen || Unsharp Mask. Enter the values 500, 11.5 and 0.

Next we need to render some difference clouds. Since the outcome of this filter depends on several variables, make sure you follow this carefully. Press D then X to reset your palette, then create a new layer by pressing ctrl/cmd + shift + N. Fill this layer in white with the fill tool (G). The screen will go white - now go Filter || Render || Difference clouds.

Turn the layer containing your difference clouds into a clipping layer of the layer with your text on by holding alt and clicking on the line between the two layers in the layers palette, as shown here.

It should look like the example: its starting to take shape.

3. Merge your two main layers - the one containing your smoke text so far, and the clipping layer containing your difference clouds - by linking them and pressing ctrl-E. Remember to leave your original text layer that is invisibile that you made in stage 1.

Right-click your top layer which should contain your smoke text so far, and click 'duplicate layer'. The layer you have just duplicated should be transparent (as should the parent layer), so you can nudge this layer up a bit. Select the move tool (V). With the duplicate layer selected, hold shift and press the up cursor twice, and set the duplicate layer's opacity to 50% in the layers palette. For a more exaggerated effect, you can move this layer up more, or have the opacity higher. Apply a gaussian blur of 5 (Filter || Blur || Gaussian Blur) to the duplicate layer, and then change the layer order in the layers palette so that the duplicate layer is underneath the original one. Now select the original layer, and link it with the duplicate layer. Press ctrl/cmd + E to merge them.

4. Go Filter || Distort || Wave, and use 486,371)">these settings.

Now we can use that layer we put on one side at the start of this tutorial. Make it visible, and put it below your smoke text layer in the layers palette. Apply a gaussian blur of 5 to it (Filter || Blur || Gaussian Blur), then select the move tool (V). Hold shift and press the down cursor once, and add a gaussian blur of 1.

As an optional step (showin in the image opposite) you can smudge the text gently (25% strength smudge tool, R) to give it a more smokey effect.