Lace Text Effect in Photoshop

For this Tutorial, we are going to use a Fabric Texture as “Background”, some free “Lace” Photoshop Brushes found online, and the Font “Mothica” Font from Rabbittype.

1 - In Photoshop, open the file you chose as “Background”.

2 - Select the “Type Tool” (T), select your font (we chose “Mothica”), type your text and fill it with White. In the “Character Panel” let’s change the “Tracking” to get the letters closer together.

3 - While holding the “Command/Control” key click on top of your Text Layer to make a selection, head to the “Paths Panel” and click on the “Make Work Path from Selection” button at the bottom of the Panel.

4 - Create a "New Layer” on top of everything (click on the small button at the bottom of the “Layers Panel”) and name it “Outline”. You now can “Turn Off” your Text Layer’s visibility by clicking on the small eye icon on the left side of its thumbnail.

5 - Select the “Brush Tool” (B), go to the “Brush Presets Panel”, click on the Menu on the Top-Right corner and choose “Load Brushes”. Navigate to where you saved the “Lace Brushes” and select the .abr file to load your brushes.

6 - In the “Brush Panel”, choose one of your brushes and change its size so it is proportional to your text. Then, apply the following values:

Brush Tip Size:

Shape Dynamics:

7 - Hit the “Return/Enter” key to “Stroke the Path” using your Brush. Deselect the “Path” and make a selection of the text (click on top of its Thumbnail while holding the “Command/Control” key). Then, delete the portion of the “Lace” that is inside of the text.

8 - Select another Brush and use the following values:

Brush Tip Size:

Create a “New Layer” by clicking on the small “Create New Layer” button at the bottom of the “Layers Panel” and name it “Fill”. Then, click on the Top-left side of your canvas, just on top of your text, hold the “Shift” key and click on the Top-right side to create a straight line filled with your brush.

9 - Duplicate the “Fill” Layer (Command/Control + J) and move the duplicate down using your “Arrow” keys. Place it so it overlaps the bottom of the first Layer a bit. Select your “Fill” Layers, duplicate them again and move them down. Repeat until you cover all your text with “Lace”.

10 - Select all your “Fill” Layers and click on the small “Folder” button at the bottom of the “Layers Panel” to “Group” them together and name the group “Fill”

11 - Make a selection of your text and making sure that you are working on you “Fill” Group click on the “Add Layer Mask” button at the bottom of the “Layers Panel” to “Mask” the “Lace” so it only fills the Text.

12 - Open the “Fill” Folder and double-click on top of one of the layers thumbnail to apply the following “Layer Styles”:

Bevel & Emboss:

Contour: (Ring - Double)

Texture: (Extra Heavy Canvas)

13 - Right-click on top of its Thumbnail, choose “Copy Layer Style”, then select all the other “Fill” Layers, right-click on top them and “Paste Layer Style”.

14 - Select the “Fill” Group and the “Outline” Layer and right-click on top of their Thumbnails to “Convert to Smart Object”.

15 - Double- click on top of it to apply the following “Layer Styles”:

Drop Shadow: (#706d6d)

16 - Make sure that “Fill” is selected and click “Shift + Alt/Option + Command/Control + E” to create a “Stamp”. Then, convert your “Stamp” to a “Smart Object”.

17 - Go to Filter > Render > Lighting Effects, choose a “Spot” and use values similar to these:

18 - Then, go to Filter > Blur Gallery > Tilt Shift and use something like this:

19 - In the “Adjustments Panel” create a “New Levels Adjustment Layer”, move the levers in to increase the contrast and luminosity, and “Clip” the layer by clicking on the small button at the bottom of the Panel. Reduce the “Fill” of your “Stamp Smart Object” to 55%.

20 - Create a “New Layer”, name it “Line” and place it on top of your “Fill” Layer and under the “Stamp” (or “Layer 1”) Layer. Make a selection of the “Text” and then, use the “Paint Bucket Tool” (B) to fill the text selection with white (make sure you are working on the “Line” Layer).

21 - Double- click on top of your “Line” Layer thumbnail to apply the following “Layer Styles”:

Blending Options:

Bevel & Emboss:

Contour:

Stroke: (#ffffff)

22 - Your text should look similar to this:

by @lornacane