Text Effect Quickies: Bubble Text
In this Text Effect Quickie, we’ll create an easy to use layer style that will quickly transform ordinary text into bubble styled font, perfect for use in underwater scenes.
What We’re Making
This tutorial will show you how to produce text that will appear as shown in the graphic below. You can also download the Free Bubble Effect Layer Style if you’d like.
Before getting started, you may want to find a suitable font for this effect, as not all fonts will necessarily look right when this style is applied. You want a font with rounded edges — no sharp corners.
Some fonts that should work well include:
- Bubble Club Font – Preview / Download
- Bell Bottom Laser Font – Preview / Download
- Bambina Font – Preview / Download
Once you’ve downloaded a font that appeals to you, head on to the next part of the tutorial!
Step 1 – Background
This effect really works great on top of dark backgrounds, but will also work fine on lighter backgrounds (so long as it’s not too light, as the effect itself makes things brighter). Go ahead and create a new document, and fill in the background with a color of your choice (or #2d3134 if you’d like to borrow our background color).
Step 2 – Set the Type
Using the Horizontal Type Tool, set some text in the document with your font you downloaded earlier. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but make sure you set your Text Color to White.
Set this layers blending mode to Darken. This will make your text disappear from the canvas.
Step 3 – Setting Up the Style
Go into your text layers Blending Options (Right Click Layer > Blending Options).
Apply the layer effects shown below, making any modifications as needed.
Drop Shadow
A Drop Shadow helps create contrast between our text and the imagery behind the text. It’s not necessary for the effect, but does help over busy backgrounds.
Inner Shadow
Inner Glow
These values may need to be adjusted to compensate for the size of your text. Larger text may require a larger size in the “Elements” settings.
Bevel and Emboss
This Layer Effect may also require some adjustments to compensate for text size.
Satin
Gradient Overlay
For our Gradient Overlay, we’re using a White to Transparent gradient.
Touchups
This layer style works very well on more than just text. You may want to try using the Ellipse Shape Tool to add some bubbles surrounding the text, and applying the style to them as well.
You can also add in some smaller trailing bubbles with a small 1-3 pixel white brush rising to the surface if you intend to use this effect in an underwater scene. If you’d like to see some other touch-ups I added to our final version, feel free to download the Bubble Text Effect PSD!
150 Comments
All I had to do was Lessen the percentages of Fill
Flag as inappropriateMaybe that was the problem for all :D
KIND OF HARD BUT ITS GOOD
Flag as inappropriatenice tutorial..
Flag as inappropriate:)
it’s very amazing one
Flag as inappropriateit’s very useful for my project thanks a lot
Flag as inappropriateLoved this…I am just beginning and it is really exciting to create an effect like this
Flag as inappropriatevist for basic training of photoshop
Flag as inappropriatehttp://training4free.co.cc/Basic%20training/Basic%20training.html
i really interested in this tute.easy to understand make and read it.
Flag as inappropriateLove you tutes. Tried the bubbles text and it’s the only one I can’t get right. Even copied and pasted the layer styles but it looks nothing like the tute. Any suggestions?
Flag as inappropriateI had the same problem. Looks nothing like the tute :/
Flag as inappropriateA really interesant effect, :D
Thaaanks!
Flag as inappropriatehey i have done the same thing u mentioned but dis dont work re
Flag as inappropriateGreat text effect. Thank so much
Flag as inappropriateThe bubble text really looks cool… and bubbly. I’ve been trying to design a textual logo incorporating elements somewhat like this for myself and I can’t manage to get it looking just right. It was a little bit… off somehow, proportion-wise. Finally, I decided to use the professional services of an online logo design site instead (http://www.logodesignplanet.com) and got the logo I wanted at an affordable price and fast too, within 24 hours. I did provide this link for reference and inspiration to my designer as I liked how yours look. I’m not going to design a logo without any professional help anytime soon although it’s fun designing it or trying to at least.
Flag as inappropriateGreat text effect. Thank so much
Flag as inappropriateThis was sooooooooo…etc awesome!!!
Flag as inappropriatemikiri how do u do pikiri
Flag as inappropriateThis was a great exersise to get me to be active on text!!! I love it!!!
Flag as inappropriatenice i like it
Flag as inappropriateI Like it.
Flag as inappropriateThanx
Nice tut, thank for share
Flag as inappropriateIt didn’t work on Adobe photoshop 7, Why is it not working?
Flag as inappropriateWTH?! i do everything you do, and then i click ok and it doesn’t changes ANYTHING!! WTH?! Can someone tell me what the problem is?! i Use photoshop CS4…
Please e-mail me or respond:
waker@live.com.pt
Flag as inappropriateGreat tip , Thank you for your share!
Flag as inappropriatewow thanks so much.152
Flag as inappropriatewow thanks so much.147
Flag as inappropriategreat tutorial . Thanks
Flag as inappropriateNice tutorial man. It really helped me through the hard times, you know what I’m saying? Gosh, I was lost and then I found your tutorial with those bubbles and GOLLEE!!! I was astounded at how well it worked. You changed my life and I would like to meet you for lunch if that’s alright with you…haha. We can talk about photoshop and stuff…email me and we will set a date!
Flag as inappropriateThanks,
Hanley
Nice tutorial man. It really helped me through the hard times, you know what I’m saying? Gosh, I was lost and then I found your tutorial with those bubbles and GOLLEE!!! I was astounded at how well it worked. You changed my life and I would like to meet you for lunch if that’s alright with you…haha. We can talk about photoshop and stuff…email me and we will set a date!
Flag as inappropriateThanks,
Hanley
Good Job.
Flag as inappropriateHow did you make the water effect that you had on the final product?
Flag as inappropriateFantastic … I love it! :-)
Flag as inappropriateamazing
Flag as inappropriatereally amaging?
Flag as inappropriatesuperb
Flag as inappropriateThank you very much, nice tutorial… I love it! :-)
Flag as inappropriateGod bless u !
Flag as inappropriateThanks..
Flag as inappropriateNice tut, continue doing it,
Flag as inappropriatehahaha bubbly effect, hmmmmm good text effect man!
Flag as inappropriatedear david im presently persuing masters in multimedia developement and i m greatly benifited by your work..
Flag as inappropriatei also do hold the same view as you and looking forward to provide free designing tutorials
wishes- ARNAB
nice tut bub.
Flag as inappropriateso sweet effect …………
Flag as inappropriateyaaaaaaaaaaa its a cool txt efftec
Flag as inappropriatenice dude
very good. thanks
Flag as inappropriateYeah, thanks a lot, I never noticed that on the site. Should be okay from now. One more thing though, would you mind telling me what font you’ve used to create the bubble effect above, as the fonts you’ve suggested look nothing like the one in the picture?
Thanks again.
Flag as inappropriateThe font I used is called “Wubble” and can be bought for just under $10.
Good luck with your project mate!
Flag as inappropriateOr you can download here:
http://www.urfonts.com/details.php?font=Wubble
Flag as inappropriate@Ben: Ben, could I possibly refer you to the School of Photoshop?
Flag as inappropriateOk, I’ve found your tutorial very helpful but I’ve never used photoshop before. I’ve got as far as going through all of the steps your tutorial shows but it still looks nothing like yours :D. Please could you contact me at my email address provided, I’m in need of a little photoshop job doing which I am willing to pay for.
Thanks a lot.
Flag as inappropriatei think, it’s good job;)
Flag as inappropriatebravo!
I’ve just joined this site and it looks great.
Flag as inappropriateOhhhh i cant make the text whayyyy ????
When i make a new document in Black Background and writ “DARDAN” and when i Select The style that Does not work WHAY ?
p.s In all other Styles Work but in Your Not :S:S
Have i Loaded wrong or what ?
And sory for my bad English becouse i am from Albenien :$:$
Flag as inappropriateits good but the text is hidden, i cant get result
Flag as inappropriateNice tutorial, i love the layer styles
Flag as inappropriatethanks buddy!
@David sorry im so behind, here in cyprus, i moved to my permanent housing, and its been 8 months and still no internet. im so behind, please excuse not seeing these months articles :P
and yes this worked out great as the bar i designed for was called…wait for it :P …..keep waiting…
“BUBBLES!”
Flag as inappropriate@Uproar: Of this month? We’ve already released several mate ;)
Glad to hear that this effect worked out so well for you!
Flag as inappropriateI absolutely LOVE this simple, but very intriguing text effect. It will come in great use with my latest project, the concept fits the project perfectly. I have not been around a tutorial site for this long, and for this many hours before :P
Again this site intrigues me so much. Full of wonderful items and resources.
p.s. David when will the first tutorial of this month be released. i’m so eager to read it.
Flag as inappropriategreat work nice tuts :)
Flag as inappropriatereally liked this “School Of Photoshop”
thnx for every thing
This is the best Photoshop tutorial site online! Thanks a million for your hard work! Keep it up.
Flag as inappropriatenice tutorial..
Flag as inappropriatethanq david..
terima kasih
@Paul – No, but they really shouldn’t differ too much in look or in how they work.
Flag as inappropriateMy options looked nothing like the tutorial. Did you use PS CS3 Extended?
Flag as inappropriatevai ti fude filha da puta vagabundo lazarento corno pau no cu
Flag as inappropriateText Effect Quickies: Bubble Text
Flag as inappropriateoh.. I see.. I’ll try then. thanks David!
Flag as inappropriate@ ladyheart – Actually, Font’s are different to install than the “Layer Style” document provided in the tutorial. Installation depends on your operating System. For Windows, I believe you’ll need to move the font to your C > Windows > Fonts Directory (or something like that…), or if you have Vista, Right Click the Font, and then install it.
It may require you to restart Photoshop before that font will be made available.
After that, you may want to look through our Drawing and Type Tools Tutorial if your not familiar with using Type in Photoshop.
Flag as inappropriateOh.. btw,I noticed that the file’s type should be .tpl, am I right?
All the fonts I install is in .ttf file. so, how can I change the type please?
^^
Flag as inappropriateDear David… I’ve downloaded the fonts.
I’ve also read your comment to Jana on how to install them – Install Brushes and Custom Shapes.
The problem is, I followed all the steps but when the new window appeared to load the files, I was unable to see them. All of the fonts apparently invisible. I don’t know what to do.
The properties of the font is –
Type – TrueType Font File (.TTF)
Open with – Windows Font Viewer.
Hope you can help. Thanks! ( I am using PSD CS3, and windows vista. )
Flag as inappropriateDat was a gud one. Thanxs. :-)
Flag as inappropriategreat tutorial
Flag as inappropriate@ Jana – It actually works in the same way which you Install Brushes and Custom Shapes. Only, look for the Arrow icon in your “Styles” palette vs. your brushes or shapes palette.
So… Find the Arrow on your “Styles Palette”, then click Load Styles, and finally browse to the style you wish to install. Good Luck!
Thanks bl4kdev1l and Blue Buffalo! I’m very proud to be featured on PSDTuts right now! Enjoy the effect! We’re going to start releasing a few “Text Effect Quickies” on a more frequent basis here I think.
Flag as inappropriateCool! This reminds me of Spongebob’s “Bubble Buddy“
Flag as inappropriateIf I want to download the layer effect where in Photoshop folder should I save it?
Flag as inappropriateNICE MAN!! VERY HELPFUL :D AND CONGRATS #1 FAV TUT SITE IN PSDTUTS!!!
Flag as inappropriate