How to Create a Medieval Metallic Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

In this tutorial I will show you how to create a metallic medieval text effect, using a pattern and layer styles.
This text effect is a part of Metallic Medieval - Photoshop Styles from my portfolio on Envato Market.

Tutorial Assets

Before you start creating this text effect, download and install the font and the metal pattern in Photoshop:

Black brick background
Cardinal font
Dirty Metal pattern

1. Create the Background

We will use the Black brick background from the tutorial assets as our document background, which will create a new document 850 x 600 px. To do so, go to Menu > File > Open and open the black-brick-background.jpg.

2. Create the Metallic Medieval Text Effect

This text effect is made of one layer, so when we are done, you can save it as a new style in your Styles palette for future use.

Step 1

Pick the Type Tool and select the Cardinal font. Set the Font Size to 354 pt. Write the word Kalio into the document.

Step 2

Select your text layer in the Layers panel, right click on the layer and choose Blending Options from the menu.
Add a Pattern Overlay with these settings:

Click on the Pattern box and choose the Dark Metal pattern.
Scale: 50%

Step 3

Add a Bevel & Emboss with these settings:

Style: Inner Bevel
Technique: Chisel Hard
Depth: 480%
Direction: Up
Size: 24 px
Uncheck the Use Global Light box before setting Angle: 142° and Altitude: 32°
Check the Anti-aliased box
Highlight Mode: Color Dodge with Color white and Opacity: 85%
Shadow Mode: Hard Light with Color black and Opacity: 61%

Step 4

While you are still in the Bevel & Emboss tab, create a custom Gloss Contour with these settings:
Add six points to the contour curve. To add points, click anywhere on the curve. Now set an Input and an Output for each of these points.

Point 1 - Input: 0% Output: 0%
Point 2 - Input: 18% Output: 42%
Point 3 - Input: 60% Output: 28%
Point 4 - Input: 73% Output: 91%
Point 5 - Input: 89% Output: 37%
Point 6 - Input: 100% Output: 0%

Step 5

Add a Contour with these settings:

Check the Anti-aliased box
Set Range to 50%

Step 6

While you are still in the Contour tab, create a custom Gloss Contour with these settings:
Add four points to the contour curve. To add points, click anywhere on the curve. Now set an Input and an Output for each of these points.

Point 1 - Input: 0% Output: 0%
Point 2 - Input: 14% Output: 51% and check the Corner box
Point 3 - Input: 80% Output: 39% and check the Corner box
Point 4 - Input: 100% Output: 0%

Step 7

Add a Stroke with these settings:

Size: 2 px
Position: Center
Blend Mode: Normal
Opacity: 100%
Fill Type: Gradient
Style: Diamond
Angle: -48°
Check the Dither box
Scale: 150%
Click on the Gradient and set these transparency and color stops:
6 transparency stops with Opacity: 0% on Locations: 0, 34, 55, 78, 87 and 100%
5 transparency stops with Opacity: 100% on Locations: 10, 19, 40, 67 and 92%
Color stop 1 - Color: #23253a Location: 10%
Color stop 2 - Color: #ddd6ff Location: 40%
Color stop 3 - Color: #5f5d5b Location: 56%
Color stop 4 - Color: #b7b7b7 Location: 78%

Step 8

Add an Inner Shadow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Linear Dodge (Add) with Color #7789a2
Opacity: 35%
Uncheck the Use Global Light box before setting an Angle: 90°
Distance: 4 px
Choke: 95%
Size: 6 px

Step 9

Add an Inner Glow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Linear Burn
Opacity: 16%
Pick the color #74726f
Technique: Precise
Source: Edge
Choke: 100%
Size: 7 px
Contour: Ring
Check the Anti-aliased box
Range: 92%

Step 10

Add a Satin effect with these settings:

Blend Mode: Linear Dodge (Add) with the color #ece8ff
Opacity: 53%
Angle: 0°
Distance: 24 px
Size: 32 px
Check the Anti-aliased and Invert boxes

Step 11

While you are still in a Satin tab, create a custom Gloss Contour with these settings:
Add six points to the contour curve. To add points, click anywhere on the curve. Now set an Input and an Output for each of these points.

Point 1 - Input: 0% Output: 0%
Point 2 - Input: 4% Output: 85%
Point 3 - Input: 22% Output: 65%
Point 4 - Input: 75% Output: 14%
Point 5 - Input: 80% Output: 93%
Point 6 - Input: 100% Output: 0%

Step 12

Add a Color Overlay with these settings:

Blend Mode: Color Burn
Pick the color #6d8096
Opacity: 51%

Step 13

Add an Outer Glow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Linear Dodge (Add)
Opacity: 71%
Noise: 1%
Pick the color #8288b6
Technique: Softer
Spread: 0%
Size: 27 px
Check the Anti-aliased box
Range: 100%
Jitter: 0 %

Step 14

As a final step, add a Drop Shadow with these settings:

Blend Mode: Linear Burn
Pick the color #010201
Opacity: 26%
Uncheck the Use Global Light box before setting an Angle: -59°
Distance: 13 px
Spread: 17%
Size: 18 px

Hit OK to apply all of the blending options.

And this should be your final result.

Congratulations! You're Done!

In this tutorial, you learned how to create a metallic medieval text effect in Photoshop. We created a text layer and added many different effects in order to create our final text effect.
I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial, and if you like the final effect, don't forget to save this style to your Layer Styles palette for future projects.
This text effect is a part of Metallic Medieval - Photoshop Styles from my portfolio on Envato Market.

Metalllic Medieval - Photoshop Styles — Metallic Medieval - Photoshop Styles

Jan Stverak

Hi there, my name is Jan and I'm a designer from the heart of Europe (Czech Republic). I'm working as a Freelancer and You can check my portfolio on Graphicriver.net/user/survivor if You like my works. I love all kinds of graphic design so my portfolio contains graphic elements from many of the design categories.