Learn to create the corporate glossy text effect

Ever envied these logos for their professional and subtle glossy effect? No more! Because in the next 20 minutes, you will be able to make your own logo with the same effect :) So here we go...

Step 1

Lets starts by creating a new document in Photoshop. (File>New) Alternately, you may even press Ctrl+N. I am using 640x400 px, 72dpi, RGB 8bit, white background. Once you are done filling in the parameters, go ahead and click ‘Ok’. A new blank document opens in the work area.

Step 2

Next, select the Horizontal Type Tool and Type in your name in the work area. I am using 'design club' instead of my name. Go to Windows>Character to make the Character panel visible. Type in your name with any font you like, preferably a thick/bold one. I have used the font Ubuntu, bold, 55 size and (-50) character spacing. The font size depends on how big you want your logo to be.

Step 3

Select the Pen Tool and draw a path as shown in the screenshot. The way the pen tool works may seem a little counter intuitive to the first time users. Start by clicking at any point in the work area. Now when you click on some other point, Photoshop creates a straight line joining these two points. In the second point, instead of just clicking, if you click and drag, you get a curve. Play around with it for a while and you will get it.

Now, Ctrl+Enter to convert this path into a selection. Now while this selection is active, press and hold Shift+Ctrl+Alt and click on the text layer of your name. This will make a selection around the intersection of the path you have made using the pen tool and the text layer of your name. If you do it correctly, you will get something like this.

Step 4

Now, we have to fill this selection with a suitable linear gradient. Select Black as the foreground colour and any Dark Gray as the background colour. I have used #414141 for the background gray. Select the gradient tool and select the linear gradient mode at the top. Now create a new layer above the text (name) layer. With the gradient tool selected, click at the bottom of the text and drag it till the middle of the text.

In the screenshot, the gradient is not quite visible. But when you do it yourself, it will be visible in your screen.

Step 5

Now, we need to do the same thing with the other half of the text as well. Go to the Paths tab (Windows>Paths if it is not visible by default) press and hold Ctrl and click on the Work Path thumbnail. This will again create the selection you had before. Press Ctrl+Shift+I to invert the selection. Now while this selection is active, press and hold Shift+Ctrl+Alt and click on the text layer of your name. This will create a selection around the remaining half of the text.

Step 6

Now, we have to fill this selection with a suitable linear gradient. Select #3c393b as the foreground colour and  #757577 as the background colour. Select the gradient tool and select the linear gradient mode at the top. Now create a new layer above the text (name) layer. With the gradient tool selected, click at the tittle of 'i'  and drag it till the middle of the text.

Step 7

Now select the the layers in the layer palette which contains the two halves of the text gradient, by pressing Ctrl, just like you select multiple icons in Windows. Press Ctrl+E to merge them.

Step 8

Right click on the recently merged layer in the layer palette and select Blending Options. Select Drop Shadow and enter these parameters.

Your logo is ready. Get ready to flaunt it! Dont forget to share it with us in our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/DesignClubIITM. Happy Designing.