Step 1: The basic needed for the glowing text effect
Start a new image 640 x 400 px and fill it with black. Type the text in white. In this example Arial size 140px is used.
Go to Layer > Text to Selection > Text to selection.
Hide the text layer by clicking on the eye in front of the layer in the layer window.
Create a new (transparent) layer and change the name of this layer to "glow"
Set if needed the foreground color to white.
While the new layer is active go to Edit > Stroke Selection.
In the Stroke selection window set: Stroke line: 1px, Solid color checked.
Press Shift+Crtl+A to get ride of the selection.
Set the blend mode to Addition. Changing the blend mode now doesn't make a difference yet, but by doing it now you only have to do it once instead of 9 times if you change it later.
Duplicate layer "glow" nine times.
Step 2: Use the Waves filter to get some glow.
Activate layer "glow copy"
Go to Filter > Distort > Wave
Amplitude: 1
Phase: 0
Wavelength: 10
Activate the layer above "glow copy" (should be "glow copy#1)
Go to Filter Re-show "Waves" and change the values.
Amplitude: 2 (+1)
Phase: 30 (+30)
Wavelength: 15 (+5)
Apply filter Waves to all the above layer. You need to change the values of Amplitude (+1), Phase (+30) and Wavelength (+5) for every layer.
Step 3: Some motion blur to make the glow effect better.
Activate the layer "glow copy#1"
Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur
Blur type: Linear.
Length: 10
Angle: 0
Apply filter Motion Blur to all the above layers. You need to change the values of Angle (+20) for every layer.
Step 4: Give the glowing text some color.
Add a new (transparent) layer, this layer should be on top.
Activate the Blend Tool, change the Gradient to "Full saturation spectrum CCW" and draw a gradient as shown here:
Change the blend mode to Overlay and lower the opacity to 70%.
Step 5: Enhance the glowing effect.
Activate the layer "glow copy"
Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur
Change the horizontal and vertical blur radius to 5px.
And duplicate this layer, so you get a brighter effect.
Step 6: Some lens flare to let the text glow more at some parts of the text.
Create a new layer and fill it with black. Place this layer just beneath the gradient layer.
Go to Filter > Light and Shadow > Lens flare.
Drag the center of the lens flare so it is placed above the text.
Change the blend mode of this layer to Dodge and lower the opacity to 50%
Step 7: Last changes to let the text glow some more.
Duplicate the original text layer and place it on top of the layer stack.
This layer will be hidden, so make it visible.
Go to filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur
Change the horizontal and vertical blur radius to 10px.
Change the blend mode to Overlay.
August 6th 09
I tried this twice and it didn’t work. Could you recheck the steps. I think a step may be incorrect or missing. Thanks.
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admin Reply:
August 6th, 2009 at
From what step does it go wrong? I’ve checked the steps and don’t see anything missing.
But I’ll have an other look at it tomorrow.
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sindre Reply:
September 30th, 2009 at
Thanx!:) your great!::))
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August 7th 09
I don’t understand the part with
“Set if needed the foreground color to white.”
I did this. And now the text is black
and the background is white?
I wanted it done like yours.
Black background with white outlined text.
Can you be a bit more specific with the instructions
It would really help. And thanks.
Oh and btw what do you mean about “hide the text layer”
How do I do this?
All respects,
-Nessah
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admin Reply:
August 7th, 2009 at
I don’t understand what the problem is. By setting the foreground color to white the text you’ve already made isn’t going to change. You need to set white as the foreground color because the stroke selection is going to use the foreground color to stroke with.
It added some more details about how to hide the text layer
“Hide the text layer by clicking on the eye in front of the layer in the layer window.”
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August 7th 09
How do you make it from white blocky letters to white-outlined black letters? As in from the 2nd image to the 3rd image? I think there might be a step missing, or maybe I’ve just missed it myself. Thank you
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admin Reply:
August 7th, 2009 at
I guess you didn’t hide the text layer.
“Hide the text layer by clicking on the eye in front of the layer in the layer window.”
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Nessah Reply:
August 8th, 2009 at
The same part that she got to is
the same part I messed up in.
Ill try to do what you said.
Thank you for the tutorial though.
Im really trying to accomplish this one.
So ill try.
Thanks
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August 10th 09
I’ve been going through your turorial, and it’s flawless, regardless of the comments above.
This is how mine turned out: http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5351/test1q.png gave it alittle personal touch.
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August 10th 09
I finished the tutorial!
You don’t mind if I make it on Youtube video?
The exact instructions. 100% made from you?
I really like it.
Its very nice.
Mine turned out like this: http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp13/menevolent/urs4334.jpg
Its for my clan.
Sorry for all the misunderstandings I put you through.
I really like your tutorials
And this one was fun to do
-Nessah
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admin Reply:
August 11th, 2009 at
Glad you made it! Please let me know the link to the Youtube video.
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Nessah Reply:
August 11th, 2009 at
Of course I will!
Don’t worry about it.
Its absolutely lovely.
Btw, whats your name?
I need it for the video.
At the moment, Im busy.
When I have time, I’ll do it
-Nessah
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August 19th 09
Waaaahh! I FINALLY got to understand how to do this
It’s just that I was a little tired. Anyway, this is a really good tutorial and I recommend it. My patience really paid off because the effect is just beautiful. Thank you!
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August 20th 09
great tutorial! worked fine
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August 21st 09
It works all right, is an excellent tutorial!!
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August 25th 09
Hm, I’ve reworked this several time and still don’t get my gradient to show through the text only. Am using the newest versions of gimp and don’t think that would be an issue. Once I paint of paste the gradient over the transparent copy I of course loose my transparency. Figure this is where my problem lies but I could be wrong. Everything else is very straightforward and works out great. Sadly without the gradient blending with the nine layer’s of text properly it’s useless. Any thought’s advice on where I’m making my mistake would be appreciated.
Mark.
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michael Reply:
September 5th, 2009 at
I am having the same exact issue, I add the gradient with blend in normal mode, to the
newly created layer, (which comes out on top by default), and then change the blend mode
to Overlay with 70% opacity. Nothing gives, big fat rainbow on top of all my layers… any
suggestions would be stellar. Thanks, Mike.
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michael Reply:
September 5th, 2009 at
I actually figured out what we both might be doing wrong. In my case,
I was changing the blend mode in the toolbox. You should be changing
the blend mode inside the Layers Panel. Hope it helps. Fantastic Text
effect, A+
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August 30th 09
Worked Perfectly, nice tutorial mate, keep it up.
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August 31st 09
Thanks for the tutorial. It worked flawlessly for me.
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September 1st 09
Excellent tutorial, thank you for taking the time to make this, it’s much appreciated.
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September 6th 09
wow! just wow that’s really cool i used some other gradients to see if they
looked alright but they where not as good as the gradient u used.
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September 8th 09
Very good..keep it up
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September 9th 09
very nice!!!!
got it to work first try but failed cuz text i chose made the letters to close so it was to blurry and couldnt really see it clearly, but imma try again
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September 18th 09
I think this post is very good
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September 25th 09
this worked perfectly thanks!!!
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October 4th 09
Pienso que no sois derecho. Discutiremos.
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October 30th 09
It says click on the eye on the layer window, i don’t understand where this “eye” is?
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November 7th 09
Hi i like the tutorial. I’m new to Gimp since switching from photoshop and windows…
blurgh.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=68703&id=560856309&saved#/photo.php?pid=2778370&id=560856309
theres my variant on it! (my profile is open so u wont need to sign in or anything)
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