Post Pic Ridiculously Realistic Scorching Fire Effect!

[lookatthisguy]

I'm a total n00b at Photoshop trying to do what looks like somewhat advanced visual effect: fiery text.

I'm following this tutorial: photoshop.kingtutz. c o m /2009/10/22/scorching-fire-text/



I hit CTRL + E to "flatten" or merge the text with background. So far, so good, right?

The part I get stuck on is the (M)arquee selection tool part when it says select each letter and right click + via layer cut, to put each letter on its own layer.

Problem is the marquee selection makes a box around the letter and not just the letter. How do I select just the lettering and not the black background with it?

TIA for the help

 

[Hoogle]

you flattened the image to early with teh text layer use the marquee tool to draw a box around 1 letter and press control + J to copy it to its own layer I think there is a good tutorial on here to follow along to as we had it as 1 of our challenges let me see if I can find the thread.

 

[IamSam]

Hi, in the tutorial, they have two text layers, one with "King" and one with "Tutz". These are the two layers they rastorize using the command + E keys. Did you do the same?

 

[IamSam]

Hello.......................

You only choose the two text layers and don't include the black background layer when you rastorize the text.

If your text is different and you only have one text layer, right click on the text layer in the layers panel and choose "rastorize type".

 

[IamSam]

Each time you use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to select a letter, make sure that the ratorized (flattened) text layer is highlighted in the layers panel. I use the command + J to copy the selected letter to it's own layer. This is the same as layer via cut.

 

[lookatthisguy]

I'm really confused.

This is what I've done so far and where I get stuck...

1. Make 17x11cm document with 300dpi resolution
2. Use the Paint Bucket Tool to make a black background
3. Use the Horizontal Type Tool to type 'KING' (Now I have three layers: a locked black background, the type 'KING' layer and the type 'TUTZ' layer.
4. Selected them both on the layers panel (not the background) and then hit CTRL + E (now they are merged together and I have two layers: one called just TUTZ now and the locked black background)

Right so far? Doesn't seem right. Ugh!

 

[IamSam]

Sounds right to me so far. You can always post a screen shot of your layers panel so we can take a look at it.

http://photoshop.kingtutz.com/2009/10/22/scorching-fire-text/

 

[IamSam]

Hold on...........17 x 11 inches not cm.

 

[lookatthisguy]

I've got the two layers selected. At this point I hit CTRL + E to rasterize/merge/flatten them? These terms are the same, correct?

CTRL + E in the Windows version of CS6 this = Merge Layers, not Rasterize.

What gives?

 

[IamSam]

Rastorize and flatten are the same. Merge means to merge two layers into one.

Control + E is merge.

You can rastorize a text layer by right clicking the layer in the layers panel and selecting "rastorize type".

 

[IamSam]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that when you merge two text layers together using control + E, they will rastorize.

 

[lookatthisguy]

OK, I redid it in inches, not cm....

I wish the writers of these tuts would be consistent with the terminology and not make up words for the official terms Adobe uses. How am I, a n00b, supposed to know PS slang?

So... rasterize = flatten. Yes/No?

 

[IamSam]

YES.............rasterize = flatten (sorry, I keep misspelling rasterize)

 

[lookatthisguy]

YES.............rasterize = flatten (sorry, I keep misspelling rasterize)

Sorry, I didn't see your reply. I didn't refresh the thread...

OK. So. Going back to that step.. I select both KING and TUTZ, then merge them together which will rasterize/flatten them?

Then what? I press M for marquee then what? Select just the letter K?

 

[IamSam]

Here, I simplified the initial instructions.


Create a document with a 300dpi with dimensions of 17 x 11 inches.

Fill with black.

Using the Horizontal Type Tool (T), select the font “Billboard” and type KING. (Or whatever you want to type for your fire text).

Using the Vertical Type Tool (T), select the font “Billboard” and type TUTZ and position. (Or whatever you want to type for your fire text).

After this, we will merge and rasterize the text layers by highlighting them both in the layers panel (we have the “king” on one layer and “tutz” on another) and pressing the Command + E keys. This will merge the two layers and rasterize them.

Now we’ll use the Marquee Tool (M) to cut up the rasterized text layer so we can apply different flame effects to each letter of the text.

Simply select the Marquee Tool (M), Highlight the rasterized text layer, drag a box around the letter “K”, right click, and select layer via cut or you can press command + J to copy the selection to it's own layer.

Do this for each of the letter so they are now all on their own layers. Remember to highlight the main rasterized text layer in the layers panel each time you make a selection with the Marquee Tool.

 

[IamSam]

Choose the Rectangular Marquee Tool from the tool panel. Pressing M may also get you to the Elliptical Marquee Tool if it is selected.

 

[lookatthisguy]

Here, I simplified the initial instructions.


Create a document with a 300dpi with dimensions of 17 x 11 inches.

Fill with black.

Using the Horizontal Type Tool (T), select the font “Billboard” and type KING. (Or whatever you want to type for your fire text).

Using the Vertical Type Tool (T), select the font “Billboard” and type TUTZ and position. (Or whatever you want to type for your fire text).

After this, we will merge and rasterize the text layers by highlighting them both in the layers panel (we have the “king” on one layer and “tutz” on another) and pressing the Command + E keys. This will merge the two layers and rasterize them.

Now we’ll use the Marquee Tool (M) to cut up the rasterized text layer so we can apply different flame effects to each letter of the text.

Simply select the Marquee Tool (M), Highlight the rasterized text layer, drag a box around the letter “K”, right click, and select layer via cut or you can press command + J to copy the selection to it's own layer.

Do this for each of the letter so they are now all on their own layers. Remember to highlight the main rasterized text layer in the layers panel each time you make a selection with the Marquee Tool.

Thank you for taking the time to n00bilize the instructions for me.

That's what I was doing wrong. I wasn't re-selecting the original rasterized layer after doing each Layer via Cut... it was giving me a pop-up error saying "Could not make a new layer from the selection because the selected area is empty."

I will let you all know if I get stuck again. Thanks!

 

[lookatthisguy]

So, now I'm at the part where I'm supposed to copy the layers for a backup.

I already copied the Layer Style onto the other letters. No sweat.

But how about copying the whole layer for backup and hide it?

We’re now going to rasterize/flatten the type layers but before we do so we’re going to right click on the flattened “k” layer in the layers palette and select Copy Layer Style. Then we’re going to right click on each of the other letter layers and select Paste Layer Style. This will allow us to transfer all of the settings to each letter. After this is done make a copy of each layer and hide it (this way we have a backup).

I right clicked on the layers and saw no copy layer option... Is it called 'Duplicate Layers'?

After each backup has been made, flatten each individual type layer.

So select each letter layer and CTRL + E again, right?

 

[IamSam]

Ok, here's what I would do. I would select all the layers I wanted to "back up", press command + J to DUPLICATE, and then press command + G to group the duplicates. Turn off the ("eye") grouped layer.

 

[lookatthisguy]

Then it says:

After each backup has been made, flatten each individual type layer.

So I just select one layer at a time, right click, then Flatten Image for each layer 1 through 4?

When I do that it asks "Discard hidden layers?"