When you create custom styles, you can use contours to create unique edge eff ects and transitions. As you can see in the examples shown here, the same style can look very diff erent:
The Cone contour.
The Cone-Inverted contour.
The Ring-Double contour.
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3 Select the arrow to the right of the Contour thumbnail in the Quality section of the Layer Style dialog box. The Contour Presets dialog box appears. Click on the Half Round contour. Double-click on the Half Round contour to close the dialog box.
Select a preset contour for the Outer Glow style.
You can open the Contour Editor and create your own custom contours by clicking on the Contour thumbnail instead of selecting the arrow to the right of the thumbnail.
Editing a contour.
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Now you will change the size of the outer glow.
4 In the Elements section of the Layer Style dialog box, drag the Size slider to the number 60, or type 60 into the Size text fi eld. The glow becomes more apparent.
Drag the size slider to 60. The result.
5 Keep the Layer Style dialog box open for the next step.
Applying the Bevel and Emboss layer style
You will now apply a second style. The Layer Style dialog box should still be open. If it is not, you can double-click on the word Eff ects in the Layers panel. This reopens the Layer Styles dialog box.
1 Click on Bevel and Emboss in the Styles list on the left side of the Layer Style dialog box. The Bevel and Emboss eff ect is applied, and the options appear on the right.
If you check a style, the options do not appear on the right. You must click on a style name for its options to appear.
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2 From the Style drop-down menu in the Structure section of the Layer Style dialog box, choose Emboss.
Experiment with the diff erent Bevel and Emboss structures. The result.
You can experiment with many bevel and embossing styles. You can change the
Technique to be Smooth, Chisel Hard, or Chisel Soft, or even direct the embossing to go down or up, using the Direction radio buttons. Experiment with these options; no exact setting is needed for this exercise.
Changing the shading
You will now change the shading. In the Shading section of the Bevel and Emboss Layer Style dialog box, there are several choices that relate to light, including the Angle, Contour (as discussed earlier), or Highlight and Shadow colors. In this section, you will change the angle of the light and the highlight color.
1 In the Shading section to the right of Angle, there is a Direction of light source slider. You can change the current light angle by clicking and dragging the marker indicating the current light angle. Click and drag the marker to see how it aff ects the embossing style.
Global light is checked as a default. This assures you that all other eff ects that rely on a light source use the same angle that you determine for this style.
2 Click and hold to select Normal from the Highlight Mode blending drop-down menu.
3 Now, click on the white box to the right of Highlight Mode. This opens the Select highlight color picker and allows you to sample a color from your image, or create your own highlight color using the Color Picker. Choose any yellow-gold color; in this example, an RGB value of R: 215, G: 155, B: 12 is used. Press OK.
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4 Click on the Shadow color box, to the right of Shadow Mode, and change the color to blue. In this example, an RGB value of R: 30, G: 15, B: 176 is used.
Set a highlight color.
Set a shadow The resulting bevel and emboss.
color.
5 Press OK to close the Color Picker. Keep the Layer Style dialog box open for the fi nal step in this project.
Changing the fi ll opacity
In addition to setting opacity, which aff ects layer styles as well as the contents of the layer, you can adjust the fi ll opacity. The fi ll opacity aff ects only the contents of the layer, keeping the opacity of any layer styles that have been applied at the original opacity. This is a very easy method to use to make text look like it is embossed on paper or engraved in stone.
1 Select the Blending Options: Default. This is the top-most item underneath the Styles panel.
2 Click and drag the Fill Opacity slider to the left. In the example, it is dragged to the 20 percent point. Keep the Layer Style dialog box open for the next part of the lesson.
Changing the fi ll opacity does not aff ect the layer style opacity. The result as semi-transparent text.
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Saving the style
Now you will save the style you created.
1 With the Layer Styles dialog box still open, click on the New Style button, on the right side of the window. The New Style dialog box appears.
2 Type my glow in the Name text fi eld, and press OK.
Saving a style from combined styles.
3 Press OK in the Layer Styles dialog box. The style is now added to the Styles panel.
Accessing the style
Now you will create a new shape layer and apply the saved my glow style to it.
1 Click and hold on the Rectangle tool ( ) to select the hidden Custom Shape tool ( ).
2 Make sure that Shape layers is selected in the Options bar at the top of the Photoshop workspace.
3 Click on the arrow to the right of the Custom Shape preview in the Options bar, and double-click on the Light Bulb 2 shape.
Confi rm you are creating a layer shape. Choose the Light Bulb 2 shape.
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