Sponge Text - by Spacific designs.com

SPONGE TEXT

This Effect is similar to the Style used for the popular cartoon series SpongeBob.

1.) Create a New file, 800 X 600 pixels at 225 ppi on a white background.

2.) Click the Foreground color swatch and the Color-Picker will open. Enter #FFFF00 at the bottom input box, then click the OK button to close.

Foreground Color will change.

3.) Select the Horizontal Type tool

and type your text. The font used is Arial Black Regular 36pt Smooth. Leave the curser bar blinking and go on to Step 4.

4.) In the Options bar (located top of program) click on the Create Warped Text button

. Once the palette appears, click the downward arrow to access the various options and select Shell Upper. Next, be sure Horizontal is selected then change the Bend to +36%. Click OK to close the palette. The text will now look a little squeezed.

Select the Move Tool

to apply transformation.

5.) Press Ctrl+T to bring up the Free Transform bounding box, then in the Options bar, enter a Width of 110 and a Height 0f 240, then place curser inside the Transform bounding box and Double-Click to apply transformation.

6.) Go to Layer > Rasterize >Type. In the Layers palette... Drag the Type layer Down and Drop on the Create a new layer button to duplicate layer. Now, press D on the keyboard to set the Foreground color to black. Next, press Shift+Alt+Backspace to fill with black.

7.) Drag this layer Under the layer below. Press Shift+Ctrl+Alt and click the Down arrow on the keyboard 3 times. (This will create 3 Duplicate layers in a Downward path.)

8.) Turn Off the Eye icons

to the Top and Bottom layers, then go to Layer > Merge Visible. You will now see a mess like the image below with all the Black layers now merged to one layer.

9.) Now, turn back On the Eye icons to the Top and Bottom layers. Select the Eraser tool . Carry the brush over the work area and Right-Click to open the Brush-Picker. Select the Hard Round 19px brush. Press Enter on the keyboard to close the Picker. (If the library is different than the image below, click the triangle at the top right corner and a pop-out will appear. Select Reset Brushes. A message box will appear, just click OK and the correct library will load).

Click+Drag to erase the jagged edges.

10.) In the Layers palette... click on the Top layer to Select. Now, go to Filter > Artistic > Sponge. When the filter appears, adjust to these settings: Brush Size:2, Definition:19 and Smoothness:2. Click the OK button to close palette.

(I'm not really pleased with the effects of this filter relating to a sponged effect but it will dirty the sponge for us and that's what I am after.)

11.) Go to Window > Styles to open the Styles palette (if not visible). In the Styles palette... click on the style named Sponge1 and the effects will be applied. Go to Step 12.

(Alternately, you may apply this style manually by following Step 11a below.)

11a.) At the bottom of the Layers palette... click on the Add a layer style button and a pop-out menu will appear. Select Pattern Overlay and the Layer Style palette will open. Click the downward arrow to the right of the Pattern window to open the Pattern-Picker. Click the triangle at the top right corner and a pop-out will appear. Select KS Patterns. A message box will appear, just click OK and the correct library will load. Select the Pattern named Sponge and click Enter on the keyboard to close the library. Adjust Opacity to 70%. When you are finished, click OK to close the Layer Style palette.

12.) Compare your work at this point.

Click on the next layer Down to Select. Go to Filter > Sponge. (No adjustments needed this time, Photoshop will apply the previous settings used earlier automatically from memory, pretty cool hey?) You will not see any change until the next Step.

13.) In the Styles palette... click on the style named Sponge2

and the effects will be applied. Go to Step 14.

(Alternately, you may adjust settings manually by following Step 13a below.)

13a.) This time we'll bring up the Pattern Overlay palette another way. Go to Layer > Layer Style > Pattern Overlay... and when the Layer Style palette opens, click the downward triangle next to the Pattern window to open the Pattern-picker. Select the style named Sponge and adjust the Opacity setting to 65%. Click the OK button to close palette.

14.) Next, turn Off the Eye icon

to the Background layer. Go to Layer > Merge Visible. (This will merge the two type layers and prepare the work area for the next few succeeding steps.) Now, turn back On the Eye icon to the Background layer.

15.) Press X on the keyboard to switch the Foreground color to white. Select the Eraser tool

and place the Eraser over the work area and click to take bites out of the text around the Edges.

16.) Now, the final step. Go to Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow... and when the Layer Style palette opens, adjust the settings accordingly then hit the OK button to close the palette.

Text is now finished. Click here to compare your work.