X-Files Effect

You've seen X-Files, haven't you? And you liked the effect they use for their title? Something very mysterious, right. Well, it isn't as complex as you might think. All you need is Photoshop and a little bit of patience. Start with a RGB image and make the background black. Type something. If you are using Photoshop 4.0, hit Ctrl-E (Cmd-E on Mac) to merge type layer down. Now, open Channel Palette (Window>Show Channels) and  drag any of the channels to a New Channel icon. This will create channel #4. Double click it and rename it to "original type". Drag original type channel to a new channel icon to duplicate it. Double click channel #5 and rename it to "white". Then Ctrl-click (Cmd-click on Mac) on the channel to load it as a selection. Now we have to expand it a little. Use Select>Modify>Expand with setting of 2 pixels. Edit>Fill with white. Remove the selection (Select>None). Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur... with setting of 2 Drag the white channel to a new channel icon so we can have one more channel. Double click channel #6 and rename it to "yellow". Ctrl-click it to get the selection. Again, Select>Modify> Expand... and enter value of 2. Fill it with white and remove the selection and gaussian blur it all by 3. Finally drag yellow to a new channel icon. Rename it to "green", Ctrl-click it, and expand by 6. Fill it with white, deselect, then blur by 10 pixels. Now, preparations are ready. Let's do it. Switch to channel RGB. Select>Load Selection... choose channel "green". Now pick some nice green color as foreground color. Here, this setting is used R:0 G:255 B:0 Edit>Fill... with foreground. Do the same for the "yellow" channel but use R:128 G:255 B:0 color. Repeat the process for the "white" channel but use plain white color. Finally, load "original type", Select>Modify>Contract by 1 pixel and fill with black. You are X-Filed!

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Oil Effect

1. Start a new file. File | new... Choose a suitable size and make sure you are in RGB mode and that the resolution is set to 72 dpi. Use Black as background color. Type in a optional text with white color. Layer | Type | Render Layer Blur the text with 1,0 pixel. Filter | Blur | Guassian Blur....
2. Layer | Flatten Image Image | Rotate Canvas | 90 CW Filter | Stylize | Wind... Check Wind andFrom the left Filter | Stylize | Solarize Image | Rotate Canvas | 90 CCW
3. Now, colorize the image by doing this: Image | Adjust | Hue/Saturation... CheckColorize and test these settings: Hue: 23, Saturation: 67 Lightness: 0

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Dripping Slime

 
Use this tutorial to create rust, slime, or blood dripping from holes, pipes, or text.

1
Create a new image with equal height and width. For example, 500x500 pixels. 

While holding down Ctrl, click on the layer you want the dripping applied to. This will select the layer's opacity.

In this case I've selected some text created with the type tool.

2
Press Q to enter Quick Mask Mode, and then press Ctrl+A to select all. 

Edit > Transform > Rotate 90^o CW

3
Then, in the menu go:
Filter > Stylize > Wind... 
Press OK.

If you want the rust dripping farther down, press Ctrl+F to repeat the Wind filter.

Edit > Transform > Rotate 90^o CCW

4
Now, press Q to exit Quick Mask Mode. In the Layers window, click on the layer right under the text, or object you are applying the drips to. In this case it's the layer named Background. Now, click on theCreate New Layer button  , to create a new layer. 

Select a Rust color as the foreground color, and then press Alt+Backspace to fill the selection.

Press Ctrl+D to deselect.

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Crystallize text

Like all other times we create an black image and write with an white big bold font somthing on it! Like all my images I used the word GIZMO. NNow we use the old great Effect WIND. First we make an WIND to the right. Then to the left. Then to the right (fading it a litte bit) and then to the left (fading it again!). Now it looks like this:

Step

Now we make the same steps again! But first we rotate the image 90°. Then we make WIND ;) It should looks like this now:

Looks pretty nice, or not?  Do you remember the froze text. We do the same here.  We convert the image to grayscale, then to indexed colors and the last step is? Right -> We use the Color Table and create a bacltoblue table. My own Black to Blau Table isnt perfect ... you see? But it is soo late ... I cant do it better this time ;) Use an gaussian blur with radius 0,5 for the last step. Finish!

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Creating Grid Lines

Creating grid lines with photoshop is easy, and can be used to make your imagery look tight and froody.

STEP 1

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Go into the channels window and create a new channel. Make a square selection about 20 pixels wide with the marquee tool. Fill it with white.

quick              

TIP

Pressing the Alt and Backspace keys at the same time will automaticly fill the current selection with the foreground color.

STEP 2

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In the menu, go:
SELECT > MODIFY > CONTRACT > Contract by: 1 pixel 

Then, fill the selection with black. It will now look like a small white outlined box. 


STEP 3

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With the Marquee tool still selected, nudge the selection up and to the left, 1 pixel.

In the menu, go:
EDIT > Define Pattern 


STEP 4

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Clear the selection (Ctrl-D) and create a new channel.

Open the Paint Bucket options window and set the contents to PATTERN

Fill the new channel by clicking with the paint bucket tool, and a grid texture will magically appear. 


STEP 5

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Drag the grid channel onto the "Load channel as selection" button. [] 

Go to the layer window. Create a new layer and fill the selection. (Alt-Backspace) 


STEP 6

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Enjoy the attractive imagery you and your new-found skills have just created and celebrate over a steaming bowl of re-digested monkey-brains.

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Cracks

	1.Open an image for applying the cracks to.
	2. Double click the Lasso Tool on the tool bar to select the Tool and to bring up the Lasso Options. Make sure Anti-Aliased is Uncheckedand feather is set to 0. This is so we know it will be nice and sharp and no smoothing or soft edges.
	3. Make a New Layer. On the image now, jiggle the mouse and make a crack of some sort with the lasso. You’ll need to start at one point and then eventually return to that same point (like shown). This takes a little artistic skill from you to make a really cool one. So if you don’t like the first try, then hit undo.
	4. After you have made a crack design, fill it with 100% white by using the paint brush or going to Edit>Fill and choosing White.
	5. Offset the selection one pixel up and then to the left one pixel using the arrow keys on the keyboard.
	6. Fill the selection with Dark Gray. Now choose "Hard Light" from the layers pop down menu.  You can Deselect it now by going toSelect>Deselect.
	7.To add the hollow look, go toLayer>Effects>Inner Shadow. If you don’t want this look, then fill with Black instead of Dark Gray on step 6.
	8. This next step we will be adding some details to the cracks. Zoom into an area. Paint some Highlights above the crack and a dark shadow below the crack like I have shown, this makes it looked popped out a little. You will need to be creative and artistic, try and play around a little bit.

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Chipped Type

1

Create a new image, and use the Type Tool  to create some text. If you are using Photoshop 5.0 or later, right click on the T icon on the text layer, and select Render Layer. 

Next, holding down Ctrl, click on the text layer to select it's transparency. 

Press Q on the keyboard to enter Quick Mask Mode.

2
Press Ctrl+I to invert the mask. 

Now, in the menu go:
Filter > Pixelate > Crystallize... 

Crystallize by 10 pixels, and hit OK.

3
In the menu, select:
Image > Adjust > Brightness/Contrast... 

Drag the Contrast slider to 96, and Brightness to -75 and hit OK. 

Press Q, on the keyboard, to exit Quick Mask Mode. 

In the menu, go: Edit > Clear 
Deselect Ctrl+D. 

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