We draw complex metal surfaces in Photoshop. Create 3D metal text in Photoshop
Source
http://maxmeyer.ru
The combination of paints when working with patina has a very great importance. If you use different colorful shades of metallic wax and cover large areas, you can get extremely interesting results.
1. Cover the product with opaque acrylic primer and leave to dry for 2 hours. Then paint the entire surface with medium garnet red paint. Let dry for half an hour.
2. Apply light green oil lissing to the surface of the product and carefully shape the corners and recesses. 
3. Remove excess paint from the protruding parts with a soft cloth to obtain different shades. Let the work dry for half an hour. 
4. Take some medium garnet red paint onto your brush and remove the excess with blotting paper. Let's shade the product, emphasizing the protruding parts. Drying time - 10 minutes. 
5. Take it with your fingertip a small amount of copper-colored wax and apply it to the product, giving it shine. Let us emphasize, in particular, the protruding parts. Let the work dry for half an hour.
In this text Photoshop lesson, we will learn to create easily metal text is a popular effect widely used in video games and movie posters! This may seem like a lot of steps, but once you've done the work a few times, creating this effect won't take you more than a few minutes from start to finish. To create a metallic texture and apply it to the text, we will use a couple Layer Styles(Layer styles), multiple filters, layer blending modes and Clipping mask ( Clipping mask)! For this tutorial I will be using Photoshop CS5, but for more earlier versions this lesson is also suitable.
In front of you final result, which we will create:
The final "metal text" effect.
Step 1: Create a new document
Create a new one Photoshop document by going to the menu File - Create(File - New) or press Ctrl+N (Win) / Command+N (Mac) on your keyboard.
Go to File - New.
You'll need to create a document that's a little larger than you need, for reasons I'll talk about in due course. I'll create my document at 1200px. By Width(Wide) and 600 px. By Height(High) Permission(Resolution) I'll leave it at the default 72 pixels/inch. You can use these same settings to follow me further through the tutorial, or enter your own values. Set the parameter Background content(Background Contents) on White(White), even though we will change it in next step. Click OK when finished. Your new document will appear on the screen:
New Document dialog box.
Step 2: Fill the background with black
Press the letter D on your keyboard to quick reset Main(Foreground) and Background(Background) colors to default, if necessary, this action will set as Main(Foreground) colors black. Then press Alt+Backspace (Win)/ Option+Delete (Mac) to quick fill background current Main(Foreground) color (black):
The document is now filled in black.
Step 3: Add a New Blank Layer
Click on the create icon New layer(New layer) at the bottom of the layers panel:
Click on the New Layer icon (second icon from the right).
Photoshop will add a new one empty layer, named "Layer 1" above Background(Background) layer:
The new layer appears above the Background layer.
Step 4: Fill the New Layer with Bright Gray
Go to menu Editing(Edit) at the top of the screen and select Fill(Fill):
Go to Editing - Fill.
Fill(Fill), click on the drop-down menu to the right of the word Use(Use) and select Color(Color) from the list of parameters:
Select the Color option at the top of the Fill dialog box.
Once you select Color(Color), Photoshop will open the color palette so you can select the color you want to fill the layer with. Choose bright gray. If you want to use the same shades of gray as I did, enter 195 for the R, G, and B parameters:
Choose bright gray from color palette.
Click OK when you're ready to exit the color palette, then click OK to exit the dialog box Fill(Fill). Photoshop will fill the layer with gray, temporarily hiding the background. new layer, filled with black:
The document is now grayed out.
Step 5: Adding Noise
Go to menu Filter(Filter) at the top of the screen, select Noise(Noise), then select Add noise(Add Noise):
Go to Filter – Noise – Add noise (Filter – Noise – Add noise).
When the dialog box appears Add noise(Add Noise), add a lot of noise to the image by setting the value Effect(Amount) about 150%. Make sure the options are checked at the bottom of the dialog box According to Gauss(Gaussian) and Monochrome(Monochromatic):
Filter options Add Noise.
Click OK when ready to exit the dialog box. The document should now be filled with noise:
Document after applying the Add Noise filter.
Step 6: Apply the Motion Blur filter (MotionBlur)
We'll use all this noise to create the first part of our metallic texture. Go back to menu Filter(Filter), select Blur(Blur) and then select Motion blur (Motion Blur):
Go to Filter – Blur – Motion Blur (Filter – Blur – Motion Blur).
When the Motion Blur dialog box appears, set the Blur Angle to around -10 degrees, then reduce the Distance to 200 px:
Set the Angle to -10 and reduce the Distance to 200 pixels.
Click OK when you're ready to close the dialog box. Noise blur created a metallic effect:
Image after applying Motion blur to noise.
Step 7: Trimming the Edges
Back to step 1, I mentioned that you should create a document a little larger than needed. The reason is that the filter Motion blur(Motion Blur) creates the incorrectly blurred pixels along the edges of the document, which you can now clearly see in our document. Let's trim off those unwanted areas. Select Photoshop tool Crop/Frame(Crop) from the toolbar or press the letter C to select this document using hotkeys:
Select the Crop tool.
With active instrument Crop/Frame(Crop) click on the left top corner, where the well-textured area begins, then, without releasing the mouse button, drag the frame to the lower right corner to the edge of the well-textured area. Release the mouse button to see the area that you will keep (the dark areas around the edges will be cropped):
Create a cutting area around the area you want to keep.
Press Enter (Win) / Return (Mac) to have Photoshop trim off the unwanted edges. Now all that remains is a good texture:
Image after trimming the edges.
Step 8: Add Your Text
Select a tool Text(Type/Text) from the toolbar, or press the T hotkey on your keyboard:
Select the Text tool (Type).
With active instrument Text(Type/Text), select a font from the options bar at the top of the screen. For best result With this effect, choose a font with bold letters. I'll use Arial Black:
Font options in the options panel.
Once you've chosen a font, click inside the document and add your text. I will write the word “Metal”:
Add your own text.
When you're ready, click Apply current edit(Checkmark) in the Options Bar to apply the text:
Click Apply current edit (Checkmark) to exit text editing mode.
Step 9: Resize the text using Free transformation (FreeTransform)
Your text will most likely be too small at this stage(as in my case) so go to menu Editing(Edit) and select Free transformation (Free Transform) or press Ctrl+T (Win)/ Command+T (Mac) to call Free transformation(Free Transform) using hotkeys:
Go to Editing - Free transform.
This action will place a free transform window and handles around the text. To change the text size, press and hold Shift key and pull up any corner marker (small square). Holding the Shift key while resizing allows you to maintain the exact proportions of the text so you don't distort its shape. To move text, click anywhere inside the bounding box and simply move it with your mouse. When you're ready, press Enter (Win)/ Return (Mac) to apply the changes and exit. Free transformation(Free Transform):
Move and resize the text as needed.
Step 10: Move the Text Layer Below the Texture Layer
Click on the text layer in the layers panel and, while holding down the mouse button, place this layer between the gray texture layer (Layer 1) and the Background layer. When you see that a selected stripe has appeared between these two layers, release the mouse button and Photoshop will move the text layer to this place:
Place the text layer between the Background layer and Layer 1.
Step 11: Create a Clipping Mask (ClippingMask)
Click on Layer 1 in the Layers panel to select it. Then go to the Layer menu and select Create Clipping Mask(Create Clipping Mask):
Go to Layer - Create Clipping Mask.
Layer 1 will appear offset to the right in the Layers panel, indicating that it is now clipped. text layer:
The Layers panel now shows that Layer 1 is now clipped to the text layer.
If we look in the document window, we can see that the gray texture is now only visible inside the text:
The black color from the background layer is now visible around the text.
Step 12: Adding a Layer Style (LayerStyle) Embossing (Bevelandemboss)
Click on the text layer in the Layers panel to select it. Then click on the icon Layer Styles(Layer Styles) at the bottom of the layers panel:
Click on the Layer Styles icon.
Select Embossing(Bevel and Emboss) from the list of layer styles that appeared:
Select Bevel and Emboss.
This action will open a dialog box Layer Styles(layer Syles) set to parameter Embossing(Bevel and Emboss) in the middle column. First change Method(Technique) on Hard cut(Chisel Hard), then increase Size(Size) up to 7 pixels. Drag the parameter slider Depth(Depth) towards the right to a value of 500%:
Bevel and Emboss Options.
In the settings section Shading(Shading), click on the thumbnail Gloss contour(Gloss Contour):
Click on the Gloss Contour thumbnail.
This action will open Path Editor(Contour Editor). Click on the drop down menu Settings(Preset) at the top of the dialog box and select from the list Ring(Ring):
Select the Ring setting.
Click OK to exit Contour Editor(Contour Editor). Then, back to basics dialog box Layer Styles ( Layer Styles), check the option Smoothing(Anti-aliased) to the right of the thumbnail Gloss contour(Gloss Contour):
Check the Anti-aliased option.
Don't close the dialog box yet Layer Styles(Layer Styles). We have some more to add, but your text is on this moment should look like this:
Text after applying the Bevel and Emboss layer style.
Step 13: Adding a Layer Style (LayerStyle) Gradient overlay (GradientOverlay)
Click directly on the title Gradient overlay(Gradient Overlay) in the left column of the dialog box Layer Styles(Layer Styles). You need to click directly on the name, not on the mark field, in order for the parameter to appear Gradient overlay(Gradient Overlay):
Click on the name Gradient Overlay.
In the middle column of the dialog box Layer Styles(Layer Styles) the marked parameters for Gradient overlays(Gradient Overlay). By default, Photoshop chooses a gradient based on the current colors From basic to background colors (Foreground and Background colors) (black and white), but if another gradient is selected, click on the gradient preview bar:
Click on the gradient preview bar only if it is set to a gradient other than black and white.
Then click on the thumbnail From foreground to background(Foreground to Background) (top left) in Gradient Editor(Gradient Editor) to select it:
Select the Foreground to Background gradient.
Click OK to close Gradient Editor(Gradient Editor). Return to main dialog box Layer Styles(Layer Styles), change Blend Mode(Blend Mode) on Overlap(Overlay), then reduce Opacity(Opacity) up to 70%. This will add a highlight effect to the metal:
Gradient Overlay options.
Click OK to exit the dialog box Layer Styles(Layer Styles). Here is an effect with added layer styles:
The effect after applying layer styles.
Step 14: Adding a new layer set to Overlay mode (Overlay)
Click on Layer 1 in the Layers panel to select it. Holding Alt key(Win) / Option (Mac), click on the create icon New layer(New Layer) at the bottom of the layers panel:
Hold down Alt (Win)/Option (Mac) and click on the New Layer icon.
This action tells Photoshop to open a dialog box New layer(New layer) where we can set some parameters before the new layer is added. Check the option on the left that says Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask(Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping mask), then change Mode(Mode) (shortly from Blend Mode(blend mode) on Overlap(Overlay). Click OK when you're ready to close the dialog box. A new empty layer called Layer 2, set to Overlap(Overlay), will appear above Layer 1 (layer 1) in the layers panel. Like Layer 1, it is clipped by the text layer below it:
New Layer dialog box.
Step 15: Applying the Clouds filter (Clouds)
Let's add random highlights and shadows to the metallic effect. For this we will use Photoshop filter Clouds(Clouds) along with Blend mode(Blend Mode) Overlap(Overlay), which we have already set for the layer. Go to menu Filter(filter) at the top of the screen, select Rendering(Render) and then select Clouds(Clouds):
Go to the menu Filter - Rendering - Clouds (Filter - Render - Clouds).
“Clouds” create many light and dark areas:
Step 16: Apply the Gaussian Blur filter (GaussianBlur)
The clouds need to be smoothed out a little so that they look more like shadows and highlights. We will do this by blurring them. Go to menu Filter(Filter), select Blur(Blur) and then Gaussian blur(Gaussian Blur):
Go to the menu Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur (Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur).
When the dialog box appears Gaussian blur(Gaussian Blur), drag the slider to the right to increase the value Radius(Radius) up to 10 px.
Set the Radius to 10 px.
Here's the image after the clouds are blurred:
The cloud effect now looks more like a subtle lighting effect.
Step 17: Adding a new layer set to Multiply mode (Multiply)
Hold down Alt (Win)/Option (Mac) again and click on the create icon New layer(New Layer) at the bottom of the layers panel to open the dialog box New Layer(new Layer). Check the Use previous layer to create option Clipping Mask(Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask), then change Mode(mode) on Multiplication(Multiply). Finally, check the Fill with neutral mode color option. "Multiplication"(white) (Fill with Multiply-neutral color (white)) at the bottom of the dialog box. Click OK when you're ready to close the window and add a new layer:
Add another new layer, this time in Multiply mode.
Step 18: Add Noise
Let's dirty up our metallic effect a little by applying stains and scratches. Go to menu Filter(Filter), then select Add noise(AddNoise). A dialog box will appear Add noise(Add Noise) with the same settings as we used earlier. There is no need to change them, just click OK to exit the dialog box. Now the text is filled with noise, and since the layer is set to Multiplication, only dark spots will be visible:
The Multiply mode hides the white colors, leaving only the dark specks of noise visible.
Step 19: Applying the Median filter (Median)
To turn the noise into something that sounds like dirt or scratches, go back to the menu Filter select again Noise and then select Median:
Go to the menu Filter - Noise - Median.
Filter Median(Median) is designed to remove noise from an image. Click in the window Radius(Radius) and use the up arrow key on your keyboard to gradually increase the value while looking at the image in the document window. As the radius value increases, the noise will disappear, leaving behind “clumps” that create the effect of dirt and scratches. The value is about 9 pixels. should do. Click OK when you're ready to exit the dialog box:
Increase the Radius value to reduce noise.
Step 20: Lower the Opacity (Opacity) layer
If the stain and scratch effect looks too dark, reduce Opacity(Opacity) of the layer. You will find the option Opacity(Opacity) in the top corner of the layers panel. I'll reduce mine to 70%:
Layer Opacity parameter.
And now we're done! Here is the final result of the metal text effect:
The final result of the “metal text” effect.
Editable text settings
One of the nice parts of making this metallic effect is that our text remains completely editable and we can even change the font we use if we don't like the one we started with! To change the font, just select the tool Text(type/Text) in the Tools panel, click on the text layer in the Layers panel to select it, then select any font from the Options panel (you may need to change the text size using Free transformation(Free Transform) - see Step 9). For example, I did not change anything except the font on Trajan Pro Bold:
Same effect, different font.
Here I have edited the text, changing the word from "Metal" to "Steel". If you save your document as Photoshop. PSD file, you can open it again any time you want and edit your text without recreating the metal texture:
Same effect, different text.
The faux metallic effect is without a doubt incredibly popular among Photoshop users. And it's not hard to see why: the impressive results speak for themselves. It is clear that although there are many ways to achieve similar results, some are more suitable for certain tasks than others. My method is quite unique, at least in that it uses only layer effects and nothing more. At first glance, this method seems very limited, but in fact it is very flexible and allows the method to be easily adapted to later program interfaces, which is not possible with methods based on the lighting effect.
The result is chrome text, but I took a little time to explain how you can make it more silver, softer/harder, add bumps, etc.
Step 1.
Create a new document with size 200x200 and using Horizontal Text Tool (Horizontal Type Tool), write one letter. I used the font "Script MT Bold" in size 222. Don't be upset if you don't have this font, just choose any one that looks attractive (so you can see the effect in all its glory).
Step 2.
Select the layer where you have drawn the letter and select the menu item Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow (Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow). And set exactly the same parameters as in the figure.
Of course, you don’t have to do this step, but the dark outlines make the object stand out from the background.
Step 3.
Keep the Layer Effects dialog open. Go to the tab Embossing (Bevel and Emboss) and set the parameters as in the picture.
Optional: if you want to change the appearance of your metal, then it is better to do it here. Changing the parameter value Depth, you can make the metal softer/sharper. Parameter Gloss contour (Gloss contour) allows the effect to look softer/harder on curves. Finally, increasing the parameter Size you can make the metal appear more rounded, but only up to to a certain extent- overdo it and you will lose the metal effect.
Step 4.
Go to the tab Contour and change the curve as shown in the picture.
Step 5.
Go to the section Color Overlay and change the color to white.
Step 6
If you want a chrome tint, go to the tab Gloss (Satin) and enter the following parameters.
You don't have to do this step if you want to get silver color or you can play with curves to get different lighting effects.
Step 7
Now exit the Layer Effects dialog and admire what you've created. Of course it is great idea- add shadow and beautiful background, but I leave these things to your discretion 😉
Creating a texture that imitates metal is one of the Photoshop features widely used by designers. Today there are many ways to imitate metal surfaces, in particular shiny chrome, nickel, iron, corroded, acid-etched, elegant surfaces made of precious gold, silver, platinum, and mercury. These effects can be implemented either using special additional filters or actions that help give letters or other objects a metallic sheen and prominence, or using standard Photoshop tools that provide an equally professional result.
The easiest way to achieve a metallic effect is to use a suitable action, of which there are many on the Internet. For this purpose, it is worth looking, for example, at the following addresses: http://www.webmaster.ru/~porcupine/actions/index.cfm?row=19&curpage=5, http://easyphotoshop.chat.ru/actions/actions. htm, http://gribnick.da.ru/, http://www.fotoshop.ru/cgi-bin/actions/detail.pl?id=76, etc. However, there are not many options here, and those who want to get non-standard effect this method will not work. It’s better to try to achieve the desired effect using special plugins, which, as a rule, will allow you to get a good imitation and quite quickly. In more complex cases, you will have to act manually, relying only on the standard capabilities of the program.
Metal imitation using standard Photoshop tools
This option is very labor-intensive and far from simple, but it opens ample opportunities for creativity, especially since various techniques for simulating metal can be found on numerous online resources. Interesting ways Creating metal rings, corroded metal effects and chrome, gold and bronze text can be found on the website. The original imitation of blue metal can be found on the website http://ash.aiq.ru/. Having looked at http://www.savvy.net/, it is not difficult to understand the creation of metal textures, chrome and mercury objects. The site http://www.pegaweb.com/tutorials/ discusses how to create eye-catching metal buttons. This list can be continued for a long time, but we will limit ourselves to only the most interesting options.
Bronze
The imitation of a shiny bronze surface, presented on the website http://www.eyesondesign.net/, makes a strong impression. To implement this, create a new image in RGB mode and fill it with light brown, and then draw the intended metal object with dark brown (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Original image
Select the future metal object and save the selection as new channel Alpha1 by using the Select→Save Selection command. Then merge the layers, change the foreground color to a darker one and use the Edit→Stroke command, setting suitable parameters. IN in this case Selected Width (Border Width) 5 pixels, Location (Position) Inside (Inside), Opacity (Opacity) 100% and Mode (Mode) Normal (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Image after applying the Stroke command
Apply the command Select→Modify→Contract (Selection→Modify→Compress) with a compression width of 15 pixels, and then fill the selected area with white (Fig. 3). Stop highlighting.
Rice. 3. Image after compressing the selected area and filling the selection with white
Apply the Gaussian Blur filter: Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur (Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur) with a blur radius of 5 pixels and change the layer mode from Normal to Overlay (Fig. 4).
Rice. 4. The result of Gaussian blur and changing the layer mode
Make a copy of this layer and name the new layer Chrome. Go to the Alpha1 channel and apply a Gaussian blur sequentially: Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur (Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur) first with a blur radius of 9 pixels, then 6 and 3 and finally 1 pixel. The result will look something like in Fig. 5.
Rice. 5. Image after repeated Gaussian blur
Activate the Chrome layer and add lighting effects: Filter→Render→Lighting Effects (Filter→Render→Lighting Effects) with parameters as in Fig. 6. The result will resemble rice. 7.
Rice. 6. Window for setting parameters of the Lighting Effects filter
Rice. 7. Chrome layer after applying the Lighting Effects filter
Activate the main layer with the object, select the background, make an inversion as a result the object will be selected, and then expand the border by 1 pixel using the command Select→Modify→Expand (Select→Modify→Expand). After this, delete unnecessary parts of the border by pressing the Del key and discard the selection (Fig. 8).
Rice. 8. Result of border cleaning
Activate the Chrome layer, create a new layer Curves 1 using the command Layer→New Adjustment Layer→Curves (Layer→New Layer Setting→Curves), turning on the Group With Previous Layer checkbox and with all other parameters at default, and adjust the curves in accordance with Fig. 9. Reactivate the Chrome layer and again use the command Layer → New Adjustment Layer → Curves (Layer → New Layer Setting → Curves) with the same settings and with the Group With Previous Layer checked (Merge with previous layer) a new layer Curves 2 will appear ; the curves should be adjusted according to Fig. 10.
Rice. 9. Window for setting curves for the Curves 1 layer
Rice. 10. Window for setting curves for the Curves 2 layer
Merge the layers with the Flatten Image command and apply the command Layer→New Adjustment Layer→Hue/Saturation (Layer→New Layer Setting→Color/Saturation), turning on the Group With Previous Layer checkboxes with the Colorize parameter activated and adjusting Hue and Saturation parameters. IN in this example the option selected is: Hue - 33, Saturation 34. The result you should get is shown in Fig. eleven.
Rice. eleven. Final look bronze surface
To make it more convincing, you can introduce a suitable texture as a background, imitating, say, rusty metal; with such a texture, the result should resemble the image in Fig. 12.
Rice. 12. Sparkling bronze on a rusty texture
Gold
One of the most interesting options for simulating gold is provided on the website http://iolabs.virtualave.net/photoshop/gold/. To get a similar simulation, print black text on a white background (Figure 13), select the entire black area and save it as a selection using the Select→Save Selection command. After that, combine all the layers using the command Layer → Flatten Image (Layer → Flatten) and blur the entire image using Gaussian, applying the filter Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur (Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur) with a blur factor of approximately 5 pixels (Fig. . 14).
Rice. 13. Original image
Rice. 14. Image after Gaussian blur
Now you need to create a kind of border to do this, load the selection with the command Select→Load Selection (Select→Load Selection) and fill the selected area with black. Then invert the selection, reduce it using the Select→Modify→Contract command by 4 pixels and fill it with white (Fig. 15).
Rice. 15. Picture with a border
At the next stage, you need to slightly illuminate the object from different sides to form highlights, using the Filter→Render→Lighting Effects filter (Filter→Render→Lighting Effect) with approximately the same parameters as in Fig. 16. Please note that the settings must be changed for all three light sources. The result will look like in Fig. 17.
Rice. 16. Lighting Effects filter options
Rice. 17. Image after introducing three light sources
To give the material the appearance of metal, use the Image→Adjust→Curves command and draw a curve in (Fig. 18); As a result, the picture should resemble the image in Fig. 19.
Finally, the unspecified metal must be turned into gold by adjusting the levels using the command Image→Adjustments→Levels (Image→Adjustments→Levels) with the Input Levels equal to 100; 1.0 and 255, and selecting the color and saturation using the command Image→Adjustments→Hue/Saturation (Image→Adjustments→Color/Saturation) with the Colorize parameter enabled and the values: Hue (Hue) - 35, Saturation (Saturation ) - 35. The result should resemble the image in Fig. 20.
Rice. 18. Curves settings window
Rice. 19. Appearance images after setting Curves
Rice. 20. The final version of imitation gold
Chromium
The most original way to create chrome objects can be found at http://www.eyesondesign.net/. To implement it, create a dark gray object (Fig. 21). Rename the active layer in Chrome.
Rice. 21. Original image
Select the object, save the selection with the Select→Save Selection command and reduce it by about 3 pixels using the Select→Modify→Contract command. In this case, one must be guided by the principle: what larger size image, the larger the value you need to enter.
Create a new layer above the Chrome layer, Layer 1. Set the Foreground color to white and the Background color to black, select Reflected Gradient and create a gradient fill from top to bottom within the selection (Figure 22). Stop highlighting.
Rice. 22. Image after applying the gradient
Go to the Alpha1 channel and blur the selection using Gaussian: Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur (Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur) three times in turn. The blur radius directly depends on the image size, but the principle of changing the radius when moving to the next blur is constant: the next value of the blur radius should be half the previous one. In this case, the radius was 4 pixels for the first time, 2 pixels for the second time, and 1 pixel for the third time (Fig. 23).
Rice. 23. Result of Gaussian channel blur
Return to the Layers palette, activate the Chrome layer and add lighting effects Filter→Render→Lighting Effects (Filter→Render→Light Effect) with the same parameters as in Fig. 24.
Rice. 24. Setting the Lighting Effects filter options
The next step is to give the image a metallic sheen. To do this, open the Curves dialog box: Image→Adjustments→Curves (Image→Adjustments→Curves) and create the curve shown in Fig. 25. In this case, the coordinates of the first point of the curve are set to (60; 190), and the second to (190; 60) Fig. 26.
Rice. 25. Window for setting curves
Rice. 26. The appearance of a metallic sheen
Finally, use the command Image→Adjustments→Brightness/Contrast (Image→Adjustments→Brightness/Contrast), setting the appropriate values for the Brightness and Contrast parameters. In the example under consideration, the Brightness value is 70 and Contrast 40 (Fig. 27).
Rice. 27. The final version of the chrome surface
Mercury
As for imitation of mercury surfaces, on the Internet on many sites you can find two fundamentally different options implementation of this effect. One, undoubtedly, first appeared on the website http://www.savvy.net/, and the authorship of the second is difficult to establish today. It is the second option that gives a more effective imitation of mercury, so we will focus on it.
Create a new image in RGB mode, set the background to black and White color as the foreground color. Create a new channel Alpha 1 and draw the intended metal object (Fig. 28), and then discard the selection.
Rice. 28. Original image on channel Alpha 1
Make a copy of the Alpha 1 channel by default the new channel will be named Alpha 1 copy. Then blur the Alpha 1 copy channel using Gaussian: Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur (Filter→Blur→Gaussian Blur) with a blur radius of about 3 pixels (if the object is very large, you can use a larger blur radius value; Fig. 29).
Rice. 29. Channel Alpha 1 copy after Gaussian blur
Make a copy of the Alpha 1 copy channel - the new channel will be named Alpha 1 copy 2. Switch again to the Alpha 1 copy channel and apply the filter Filter→Other→Offset (Filter→Other→Shift) with parameters (-1,-1) and the Wrap option Around (Cycling). Go back to the Alpha 1 copy 2 channel and use the same filter, but with the settings (1; 1).
After this, carry out calculations for the channel using the Image→Calculations… command, selecting the settings as shown in Fig. 30. As a result, a new channel Alpha 2 will be created, and the image will look like in Fig. 31.
Rice. 30. Calculations command settings window
Rice. 31. Image after calculations
On the Alpha 2 channel, successively apply the commands Image→Adjustments→Invert (Image→Adjustments→Negative) and Image→Adjustments→Auto Levels (Image→Adjustments→Auto Levels) - fig. 32.
Rice. 32. Result of negative and tone correction
Now use the Airbrush tool to soften the edges of the image. Set the pressure to 6%, select a brush of about 45 px, set the foreground color to white and spray it.
At the next stage, you will need to enhance the reflection effect using the command Image→Adjustments→Curves (Image→Adjustments→Curves), constructing a curve approximately like the one in Fig. 33. The result should resemble the image in Fig. 34.
Rice. 33. Curves settings window
Rice. 34. Image after enhancing the reflection effect
Load the selection saved in the Alpha 1 copy channel using the Select→Load Selection command, invert it and fill the selection with black.
Load the Alpha 1 copy selection again and compress the selection by about 3 pixels using the Select→Modify→Contract command. Make an inversion and apply the command Image→Adjustments→Invert (Image→Adjustments→Negative). As a result, the image on the Alpha 2 channel will look something like the one in Fig. 35.
Rice. 35. Channel Alpha 2 after all the manipulations performed
Now select the entire image, copy the selection to the clipboard, switch to the RGB channel and paste the selection into it. Then give the metal the desired shade using the Image→Adjustments→Hue/Saturation command with the Colorize option turned on and the appropriate Hue and Saturation values. The result should resemble the image in Fig. 36.
Rice. 36. Final view of the mercury surface
Metal imitation using plugins
Quite a few plugins have already been created in which the metal imitation effect is implemented to one degree or another. For example, pseudo-3D metal objects can be achieved using the Lighting effect of the Ulead Type.Plugin. The realistic texture of gold is easily simulated using the Gel filter from the KPT 6.0 group from Metacreation. Various versions of shiny metal surfaces (chrome, gold, silver, etc.) can be created very quickly using the Chrome filter from the Eye Сandy 4.0 group from Alien Skin, and matte ones metal surfaces turned out well thanks to the PhotoGroove 3.0 effect from the Extensis PhotoTools 3.0 group.
Let's consider the possibilities of using plugins to simulate shiny surfaces of liquid metal using the example of the Chrome filter from the Eye Candy 4.0 group, and to create matte surfaces using the example of the PhotoGroove 3.0 filter from the PhotoTools 3.0 group.
In the first case, select the object to which you want to apply the filter (Fig. 37), and use the command Filter→Eye Сandy 4000→Chrome (Filter→Eye Сandy 4000→Chrome) with approximately the same parameters as in Fig. 38. As a result, we obtain the image shown in Fig. 39.
Rice. 37. Original image
Rice. 38. Setting the parameters of the Chrome filter from the Eye Candy 4.0 group
Rice. 39. The result of the Chrome filter from the Eye Candy 4.0 group
To use the PhotoGroove 3.0 filter, also select the object and use the command Filter→PhotoTools→PhotoGroove 3.0 (Filter→ PhotoTools→PhotoGroove 3.0), setting the appropriate parameter values, for example as in Fig. 40. As a result, we obtain the image shown in Fig. 41.
Rice. 40. Setting parameters for the PhotoGroove 3.0 filter from the Extensis PhotoTools 3.0 group
Rice. 41. The result of the PhotoGroove 3.0 filter from the Extensis PhotoTools 3.0 group
It’s quite easy to create beautiful metallic text in Photoshop. Just a few simple manipulations with layers, assigning the correct styles and you're done. Even a beginner can handle it. I offer you a text-picture lesson and (a little later) a video lesson on this topic. By the way, this technique, of course, is suitable not only for text, but also for any silhouettes.
1. Create a new document with a size of 1000 x 700 px. with a resolution of 72 Dpi. Take the metal texture, copy and paste it into the created document. Press Ctrl+T and transform according to the document boundaries.
2. Take another metal texture, open it in Photoshop, go to the image menu → image size and set the settings as in the screenshot. Next, go to the edit menu → define pattern, enter a name, for example “steel” and press ok.
3. Create a new layer with a white fill in the same document. Let's make the main color black, select a round brush, set the size to 1 pixel and hardness to 100%. Let's draw chaotic scratches on the white layer. Go to the Edit menu again → Define, enter the name “scratch 1” and click OK.
4. Create another new layer and repeat step 3, with the only difference being that we will make the scratches more frequent and add a little bolder ones (by increasing the brush size accordingly). Let's define a pattern called “scratches2”.
5. Let’s create the text we need by making it (what exactly it is doesn’t really matter). Text color is white. Then double-click on the layer with the text and in the window that pops up, set up the layer styles in accordance with the screenshots below.
You should get something like this:
6. Create a duplicate of the layer with the text (Ctrl+J) and remove the effects from the duplicate - simply by dragging them to the trash can of the layers panel. Set the fill value for this layer to 0%. Set the styles for this layer as in the screenshot.
After these manipulations, you will see scratches on the letters: 
It should be understood that most style settings are selected for a specific document size. Other sizes require adjustments to the values in the layer styles.
For those who do not really understand all of the above, a video tutorial is coming soon, which will be published here, and in which it will probably be easier for you to understand the sequence and essence of the actions.
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