Electric text effect

Create a new image 500x500px with a “transparent” background. Rename the only existing layer “back”.

Fill ( Edit > Fill ) layer “back” with black.

Impact Using the Horizontal Type Tool, write some large text in white.

For this tutorial, I wrote “world” in 60 pt with the font Arial.

Rasterize the text ( Layer > Rasterize > Text ).

Rename the layer that has the now rasterized text “Text”.

Step 2

Duplicate layer “Text” and rename the new layer “Text 2″. Hide layer “Text 2″ by clicking on the eye to the left of it on the Layer Palette.

Activate layer “Text” on the Layer Palette and merge all visible layers ( Layer > Merge Visible ).

Transform the image 90 degrees clockwise ( Edit > Transform > 90 degrees CW )

Wind 1Apply the Wind filter ( Filter > Stylize > Wind ) with the method “Wind” and the Direction “From the Right”. Repeat ( Ctrl-f ) this filter.

Now, apply the Wind filter ( Filter > Stylize > Wind ) again except this time, use the Direction “From the Left”. Repeat ( Ctrl-f ) this filter.

Step 3

Transform the image 90 degrees counter-clockwise ( Edit > Transform > 90 degrees CCW ). We are now going to apply the Wind filter again except this time, only once in each direction.

Wind 2Apply the Wind filter ( Filter > Stylize > Wind ) with the method “Wind” and the Direction “From the Right”.

Now, apply the Wind filter ( Filter > Stylize > Wind ) again except this time, use the Direction “From the Left”.

RippleApply the Ripple Filter ( Filter > Distort > Ripple ) to make the light wavy.

Hue/SaturationOpen the Hue/Saturation window ( Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation ) and press Ok with the default values.

Step 4

Final Shocking TextUnhide layer “Text 2″ and activate it on the Layer Palette.

Select the text on the layer by pressing Ctrl then clicking on the thumbnail of the layer on the Layer Palette.

Contract ( Select > Contract ) the selection by 2 pixels. Now Fill ( Edit > Fill ) in the selection with black ( Hex #000000 ).

Final step

First, merge all visible layers ( Layer > Merge Visible ).

Duplicate the only existing layer twice.

Change the Blending Mode of the middle layer to “screen”.

Change the Blending Mode of the top layer to “overlay”.