Master the Art of Creating Glitch Text in Photoshop Tutorial

Master the Art of Creating Glitch Text in Photoshop Tutorial

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Creating a New Document
3. Formatting the Text
4. Converting the Text into a Smart Object
5. Adding Color Effects
6. Adding Glow and Blur Effects
7. Adding Scan Lines
8. Adding Glitches
9. Adding Video Interference Glitches
10. Final Touches
11. Conclusion

Introduction

Welcome to this tutorial on how to create the look of text seen through a vintage CRT monitor. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process step by step, showing you how to achieve this retro effect on your text using Adobe Photoshop. Let's get started!

Creating a New Document

To begin, open Adobe Photoshop and create a new document. Go to File and select New. Set the Width to 1550 pixels, Height to 870 pixels, and Resolution to 150 pixels per inch. Choose RGB as the color mode and set it to 8 bits per channel. Click OK to create the new document.

Formatting the Text

Once you have the new document set up, it's time to add the text. Select the Horizontal Type Tool from the toolbar and choose a font. If you don't have a specific font in mind, you can use the "Tiresias Infofont Regular" font provided in the tutorial. Set the font size to 90 points, alignment to center, and color to white. Click on the document and type out your desired text.

Converting the Text into a Smart Object

To make the text editable and apply various effects, we will convert it into a Smart Object. Select the Move Tool from the toolbar and press Ctrl or Cmd + A to select all the text. Click the "Align Horizontal Centers" and "Align Vertical Centers" icons to center the text on the document. Then, press Ctrl or Cmd + D to deselect the text. Right-click on the text layer and choose "Convert to Smart Object" from the dropdown menu. Rename the layer to "Green".

Adding Color Effects

To give the text a vintage look, we'll apply color effects to it. With the "Green" layer selected, go to Filter, Blur, and choose Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to 2 pixels and click OK. Ctrl-click or Cmd-click on the thumbnail of the "Green" layer to make a selection of its shape. Go to Select and choose Save Selection. When the window appears, click OK. Then, deselect the selection. Make two copies of the "Green" layer by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + J twice. Name the top layer "RGB" and the layer under it "Red". Hide these two layers by clicking off their eyeball icons.

Adding Glow and Blur Effects

Double-click on the "Green" layer thumbnail to open the Layer Style window. Under "Advanced Blending," uncheck the red and blue channels but leave the green channel checked. Click OK. Make the "Red" layer visible and active. Double-click on the layer to open the Layer Style window. Uncheck the green and blue layers but leave the red layer checked. Click OK. Your text should now have a yellow color. To create a shifting effect, move the "Red" layer 4 pixels to the left and the "RGB" layer 4 pixels to the right. Make a copy of the "Green" layer and drag it to the top of the Layers panel. Group the text layers into a folder named "Text" for organization. Double-click on the "Gaussian Blur" effect applied to the "Green" layer and increase the Radius to 10 pixels. Make a copy of this layer, double-click on the "Gaussian Blur" effect again, and increase the Radius to 30 pixels.

Adding Scan Lines

To simulate the visual effect of a CRT monitor, we'll add scan lines to the text. Create a new layer and fill it with white by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + Delete. Go to Filter, Filter Gallery, and open the "Sketch" folder. Choose "Halftone Pattern" and set the Pattern Type to Line, Size to 2, and Contrast to 50. Press Ctrl or Cmd + T to activate the Transform Tool. In the Height field, type in 50% and press Enter or Return twice. Ensure that the Snap function is enabled in the View menu. Drag the scan lines to the bottom and top of the document while holding the Shift key to snap them in place. Merge these two layers by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + E. Change the Blend Mode of this layer to "Soft Light" and blur it by going to Filter, Blur, and Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to 0.5 pixels. To add subtle scan lines inside the text, make a copy of the scan lines and change the Blend Mode to "Subtract". Reduce the opacity to 25%. Open the Channels panel and Ctrl-click or Cmd-click on the thumbnail of "Alpha 1" to load the selection. Return to the Layers panel and click the Layer Mask icon next to the top scan-line layer. Group the scan-line layers into a folder named "Scan-lines".

Adding Glitches

To enhance the retro effect, we'll add glitches to the text. Make a new layer and fill it with black by pressing "D" on your keyboard and Alt or Option + Delete. Go to Filter, Noise, and choose "Add Noise". Set the Amount to 30%, and make sure Gaussian and Monochromatic options are selected. Activate the Transform Tool by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + T. In the Width field, type in 500%, and press Enter or Return. Crop the image by selecting all and going to Image and choosing Crop. Change the Blend Mode to "Color Dodge" or experiment with "Linear Dodge" for a different effect.

Final Touches

For the finishing touches, we'll add a subtle, soft green glow on the inside of the text. Create a new layer and fill it with a bright, iridescent green color using the hexadecimal code 5AFF00. Change the Blend Mode to Multiply and reduce the opacity to 25%. Use the Brush Tool with a large size, soft hardness, and 50% opacity to apply brush strokes in the center of the text. Lastly, create a composite snapshot of the image by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E on Windows or Cmd + Shift + Option + E on Mac. Make rectangular selections across the text and apply the ZigZag filter to create interference glitches. Then, add additional video interference glitches by creating thin selections, feathering them, and applying various effects.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've successfully created the vintage CRT monitor text effect using Adobe Photoshop. This technique allows you to recreate the nostalgic look and feel of old-school technology. Have fun experimenting and finding creative ways to use this effect in your design projects. Thank you for following along with this tutorial from Blue Lightning TV!

Highlights:

• Learn how to create the vintage CRT monitor text effect using Adobe Photoshop.
• Step-by-step instructions guide you through each process.
• Apply color effects, glow effects, blur effects, scan lines, glitches, and video interference glitches.
• Enhance your designs with a nostalgic and retro feel.
• Create a unique and eye-catching text effect for your projects.

FAQ:

Q: Can I use any font for this effect? A: Yes, you can use any font of your choice. However, for this tutorial, "Tiresias Infofont Regular" was used.

Q: How can I adjust the intensity of the color effects? A: You can adjust the intensity by changing the opacity and blending modes of the layers.

Q: Can I apply this effect to images or other design elements? A: Yes, you can apply similar effects to images or other design elements by following the same steps with slight modifications.

Q: Can I customize the settings for the scan lines and glitches? A: Yes, feel free to experiment with different settings to achieve the desired effect.