Fire

Step 1: Create A New Blank Photoshop Document

Let's begin by creating a new blank Photoshop document. Go up to the File menu at the top of the screen
and choose New. Or, for a faster way to create a new document, use the keyboard
shortcut Ctrl+N (Win) / Command+N (Mac ). Either way brings up Photoshop's New Document dialog
box. Enter in the dimensions you need for your effect. For this tutorial, I'm going to enter 3 inches for
my Width, 3 inches again for my Height, and for the Resolution value, I'll enter 300 pixels/inch. When
you're done, click OK to exit out of the dialog box. Your new document will appear on your screen:

Create a new Photoshop document using the New Document dialog box.

Step 2: Fill The New Document With Black

Since our flaming text probably won't look very impressive against a white background, let's fill our new
document with black. For that, we'll use Photoshop's Fill command. Go up to the Edit menu at the top of
the screen and choose Fill, or press Shift+F5 to select the Fill command with the keyboard shortcut:
Go to Edit > Fill.

When the Fill dialog box appears, choose Black for the Contents at the top of the dialog box, which tells
Photoshop that we want to use black as our fill color:

Choose Black at the top of the Fill dialog box.

When you're done, click OK in the top right corner of the dialog box to exit out of it. Your document will
now be filled with solid black:
The background of the document is now filled with black.

Step 3: Select The Type Tool

We'll need some text to work with, and for that, we'll need Photoshop's Type Tool. Select it from the
Tools palette, or press the letterT on your keyboard to select it with the shortcut:

Select the Type Tool.

Step 4: Choose A Font

With the Type Tool selected, you'll see that the Options Bar at the top of the screen has changed to
show options specifically for the Type Tool. Choose whichever font you'd like to use for the effect. This
fire effect tends to work best with serif fonts, so I'm going to choose Times New Roman Bold. Don't
worry about the size of the font for now:
Choose a font from the Options Bar.

Step 5: Set Your Text Color To White

We'll use white as our initial text color, even though we'll be adding more colors later on. To quickly set
your text color to white, press the letter D on your keyboard, which resets
Photoshop's Foreground and Background colors to their defaults, making your Foreground
color black and your Background color white, as we can see by looking at the Foreground and
Background color swatches near the bottom of the Tools palette. The Foreground color swatch is the
one in the top left. The Background color swatch is on the bottom right:

The Foreground and Background color swatches in the Tools palette.

The text color and Foreground color are one in the same in Photoshop. Changing one also changes the
other, which means that in order to change our text color to white, all we need to do is change the
Foreground color to white. At the moment, our Background color is set to white, with our Foreground color
set to black, exactly the opposite of what we need. To swap them, making white the Foreground color,
simply press the letter X on your keyboard. If we look at the two color swatches once again in the Tools
palette, we can see that our Foreground color is now set to white:

Press "X" to swap the Foreground and Background colors.

Step 6: Add Your Text

With the Type Tool selected, a font chosen and your Foreground (text) color set to white, click inside your
document and add your text. I'm going to type the word "FIRE", all in capital letters:

Add your text to the document.

When you're done, click on the checkmark in the Options Bar to accept the text and exit out of text
editing mode:

Click on the checkmark in the Options Bar to accept the text.

Step 7: Resize And Move The Text If Needed With Free Transform
My text is a little too small at the moment, so I'm going to resize it using Photoshop's Free
Transform command, which I can also use to move the text. Go up to the Edit menu at the top of the
screen and choose Free Transform, or press Ctrl+T (Win) /Command+T (Mac) to access it with the
keyboard shortcut:
Go to Edit > Free Transform.

You'll see the Free Transform box and handles appear around the text in the document. To resize the
text, hold down your Shift key, which will maintain the aspect ratio of the text as you resize it, then click
on any of the corner handles (the little squares) and drag it inward or outward depending on whether you
need to make the text smaller or larger. To move the text, click anywhere inside the Free Transform box
and drag the text to a new location. I'm going to make my text larger and move it into the bottom center of
my document, which is where you'll want to move your text as well. Press Enter (Win) / Return (Mac)
when you're done to accept the transformation and exit out of the Free Transform command:

Resizing and moving the text with Free Transform.

Step 8: Rasterize The Text
At this point, we've done all we can with our text while it's still text. To continue on with the next steps in
our fire effect, we'll need to convert our text into pixels, which in Photoshop is known as rasterizing the
text. Make sure you have everything spelled correctly before you proceed, since the text will no longer be
editable once we've rasterized it. To convert the text into pixels, go up to theLayer menu at the top of the
screen, choose Rasterize, and then choose Type:

Go to Layer > Rasterize > Type

Nothing will seem to have happened to the text in the document, but if we look in the Layers palette, we
can see that the text layer, sitting directly above the Background layer, has been converted into a normal,
pixel-based layer. We're now essentially working with an image that looks like text rather than actual text,
although I'll still refer to it as the text layer to keep things simple as we go along:

The text layer in the Layers palette has been converted into a normal layer.

Step 9: Duplicate The Text Layer

To create the flames effect, we'll need to work on a copy of our text layer, which means we need to
duplicate the layer. The easiest way to duplicate a layer in Photoshop is with a keyboard shortcut. First,
make sure you have the text layer selected in the Layers palette (selected layers are highlighted in blue),
then press Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac). Once again, nothing will seem to have happened in the
document itself, but we can see in the Layers palette that we now have a copy of the text layer sitting
above the original (the copy has the word "copy" added to its name):

The Layers palette showing a copy of the text layer directly above the original.

Step 10: Turn The Copy Off For Now

We've duplicated the text layer, but we're actually going to create the main fire effect on the original text
layer, saving the copy for later. In fact, we don't even need to see the copy for the moment, so click on the
small eyeball icon (officially known as the layer visibility icon) on the far left of the layer in the Layers
palette. The eyeball will disappear from the Layers palette, and the layer itself will disappear in the
document:
Hide the text copy layer by clicking on the eyeball icon on the left of the layer.

Step 11: Select The Original Text Layer

With the copy now hidden from view, click on the original text layer in the Layers palette to select it:

Click on the original text layer to select it and make it active.

Step 12: Rotate The Canvas 90° Clockwise

To create the flames for our fire text effect, we'll be using a few of Photoshop's filters, and the first one
we'll be using - the Wind filter - only works from left to right (or right to left), which means that in order to
use it, we'll need to rotate our image. Go up to the Imagemenu at the top of the screen, choose Rotate
Canvas, and then choose 90° CW (clockwise):
Go to Image > Rotate Canvas > 90° CW.

This rotates the image so that the text is now appearing along the left of the document:

The text now appears along the left of the document.

Step 13: Apply The Wind Filter

We're ready to apply the Wind filter. Go up to the Filter menu at the top of the screen, choose Stylize,
and then choose Wind:
Go to Filter > Stylize > Wind.

This brings up the Wind filter dialog box, which consists of a preview area in the top left and a few options
below it. The options are divided into two sections, Method and Direction. Make sure that Wind is
selected for the Method, then down at the bottom, set the Direction to From the Left:

Set the Method to "Wind" and the Direction to "From the Left".
Click OK when you're done to exit out of the dialog box and apply the Wind filter. They're a little hard to
make out in the screenshot, but you'll see small streaks appearing from the letters extending out towards
the right:

Small streaks appear from the letters after applying the Wind filter.

Step 14: Re-Apply The Wind Filter A Couple More Times

The streaks are too small and subtle after applying the Wind filter once, so let's re-apply it a couple of
times. To quickly re-apply the last filter you used, simply press Ctrl+F (Win) / Command+F (Mac ). Each
time you press the keyboard shortcut, you'll apply the filter again. I'm going to press the keyboard shortcut
twice to apply the Wind filter two more times to the text. This makes the streaks much longer and more
pronounced:
The streaks are now much more visible after applying the Wind filter three more times.

Step 15: Rotate The Canvas 90° Counterclockwise

We're done with the Wind filter, so let's rotate our image back to the way it was originally. Go back up to
the Image menu, chooseRotate Canvas once again, and this time, choose 90° CCW (counterclockwise):

Go to Image > Rotate Canvas > 90° CCW.

This rotates the image back to its original position:

The image is now back to its original position.

Step 16: Apply The Gaussian Blur Filter

We need to soften the streaks up a little bit by applying a small amount of blurring to them. For that, we'll
use Photoshop's Gaussian Blur filter. Go up to the Filter menu at the top of the screen, choose Blur,
and then choose Gaussian Blur:

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

This brings up the Gaussian Blur dialog box. All we want to add is a small amount of blurring, so I'm going
to enter a Radius value of about 1.2 pixels down at the bottom of the dialog box:

Enter a Radius value of around 1.5 pixels in the Gaussian Blur dialog box.

Click OK when you're done to exit out of the dialog box and Photoshop applies the blurring effect. Your
streaks should now have a softer look to them:
The white streaks now appear with a soft blur.

Step 17: Duplicate The Background Layer

Click on the Background layer in the Layers palette to select it. Then use the same keyboard shortcut we
used earlier, Ctrl+J (Win) /Command+J (Mac), to duplicate the Background layer. You'll see a copy of
the Background layer, named "Background copy", appear above the original in the Layers palette:
The Layers palette showing a copy of the Background layer sitting above the original.

Step 18: Merge The Text Layer With The Background Copy Layer
If you look at the text layer in the Layers palette, you'll see a preview thumbnail to the left of the layer's
name which shows us a small preview of the contents of the layer. Notice how most of the thumbnail is
filled with a checkerboard pattern? That checkerboard pattern is how Photoshop represents transparency,
which means that our text is currently surrounded by nothing but transparency. We need to fill all that
transparent area with black. To do that, we'll merge the text layer with the copy of the Background layer
we just created.

To merge the two layers together, first click on the text layer in the Layers palette to select it. Then go up
to the Layer menu at the top of the screen and choose Merge Down near the bottom of the list of
options:

Go to Layer > Merge Down.

This merges the text layer with the Background copy layer directly below it:

The text layer and the Background copy layer are now merged into one.

Step 19: Rename The Merged Layer "Flames"

Unfortunately our merged layer, which contains our text, has kept the name "Background copy". It's not a
huge problem but it could make things confusing for us, so let's rename the layer. Double-click directly
on the layer's name and rename it "Flames":

Rename the merged layer "Flames".

Step 20: Draw A Rectangular Selection Around The Text

In a moment, we're going to bring our image into Photoshop's Liquify filter, a very powerful (and fun) filter
used for warping and twisting pixels. Unfortunately, its power comes at a price. Depending on the size
and complexity of the image you're working on, the Liquify filter can, on occasion, slow your computer
down to a crawl, especially if you're working on an older system. In our case here, we're not working with
anything terribly complex so we shouldn't run into any problems, but one way to limit how much work
Photoshop has to do is to limit how much of the image actually opens inside the Liquify filter.

So how to we do that? We simply drag a selection around the area that we want to work with! First, we'll
need the Rectangular Marquee Tool, so either select it from the Tools palette or press the letter M on
your keyboard to select it with the shortcut:

Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool.

Then, with the Rectangular Marquee Tool selected, simply click and drag a selection around the text,
including the white streaks that we created with the Wind filter. Make sure to leave extra room above the
text for our flames. Your selection should look something like this:
Drag a rectangular selection around the text, leaving extra room at the top for the flames.

Step 21: Apply The Liquify Filter

With the area that we want to work with selected, go up to the Filter menu at the top of the screen and
choose Liquify:

Go to Filter > Liquify.

This brings up Photoshop's massive Liquify filter dialog box, which consists of some tools along the left, a
very large preview area in the center, and a lot of potentially confusing options on the right. If you've
never used the Liquify filter before, there's no need to panic. For this effect, all we need here is one tool,
one option, and the preview area. Everything else, we can safely ignore.
First, select the Forward Warp Tool from the very top of the list of tools along the left:

Select the Warp Tool in the top left corner of the dialog box.

Next, over on the right of the dialog box, you'll see a section called Tool Options, and the very first option
in this section is Brush Size. This is where we can change the size of the brush we're using, and it's the
only option we need for this effect. Start with a medium size brush. The default brush size of 100 should
work fine:

The Brush Size option on the right of the Liquify dialog box.

The first thing we'll do is give our white streaks more of a wispy look to them. Click inside the streaks at
different spots and drag your mouse a short distance either left or right to gently warp the streaks and
give them some subtle, random curves. Just click, drag a short distance and release your mouse button,
then click and drag again in a different area. Try not to click inside the letters themselves for now. Just
warp and wiggle the streaks. Don't forget to include the streaks in the middle and bottom sections of the
letters. When you're done, you should end up with something similar to what I have in the screenshot
below:
Click and drag inside the white streaks with the Forward Warp Tool.

Go back over to the Brush Size option on the right of the dialog box and choose a much smaller brush
size. I'm going to set mine to around 15:

Select a much smaller brush size.

This time, click directly inside the letters and drag your mouse upward to create the shapes of little flames
shooting out from them. You can drag straight up for some of the flames, but for others, try to drag on
more of an angle to add more variety. Wiggling your mouse a little as you drag upward will also help
create more interesting looking flames. If you make a mistake, press Ctrl+Z (Win) /Command+Z (Mac )
to undo your last brush stroke, then continue on. If you need to undo several steps,
press Ctrl+Alt+Z (Win) /Command+Option+Z (Mac) as many times as you need. When you're done with
the tops of the letters, do the same thing with the bottom of the letters, as well as any other areas that
look like they could use some flames shooting out of them. Don't spend too much time thinking about
where your next flame should go, since fire should look random and chaotic, not planned and controlled.
You should end up with something like this:

Click inside the letters and drag upward to create small flames shooting out of the letters.

Finally, let's create some larger flames. Go back over to the Brush Size option and choose a larger size
brush. I'm going to set my brush size to 50:

Select a larger brush size.

Once again, click directly inside the letters and drag upward, this time creating larger flames. Just as we
did with the smaller flames, try to add some variety by dragging upward at different angles and wiggling
your brush to bend and twist the shapes. Again, don't forget about the bottom and middle sections of the
letters. When you're done, your final result should look something like this:

Create a few larger flames with the larger size brush.

Click OK to exit out of the Liquify filter dialog box. There may be a brief pause while Photoshop applies
the effect to the document, but when it's done, your text should be engulfed in a blaze of unrealistically
white fire:
Our liquified flame effect.

Step 22: Add A Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer

Let's add some color to our flames. For that, we'll use a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. Click on
the New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette, then select Hue/Saturation from the
list that appears:
Select a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer from the bottom of the Layers palette.

This brings up the Hue/Saturation dialog box. First, select the Colorize option in the bottom right corner of
the dialog box. Then, in the center of the dialog box, set the Hue value to around 40 for a warm
yellow/orange color, then crank the Saturation value all the way up to 100 to really boost the color's
intensity:

Colorize the flames with a bright yellow/orange color.

Click OK to exit out of the Hue/Saturation dialog box. Our flames are starting to look much better, but
we're not quite done yet:

The flames now appear warmer with a yellowish orange color.

Step 23: Add A Second Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer

We'll add one more color to our flames using a second Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. Click once again
on the New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette and select Hue/Saturation from
the list. This time, don't select the Colorize option. Just set the Hue value to around -15 for a deeper
orange color. Click OK when you're done to exit out of the dialog box:
Set the Hue value to around -15 in the second Hue/Saturation dialog box.

Step 24: Change The Blend Mode Of The Adjustment Layer To Overlay
Go up to the Blend Mode option in the top left corner of the Layers palette (it's the drop-down box that by
default is set to "Normal"). Change the blend mode for the second Hue/Saturation adjustment layer
to Overlay:

Change the blend mode of the second Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to Overlay.
This adds a more realistic color combination to our flames, with the lighter areas keeping the bright
yellowish orange color from the first Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and the darker areas now appearing
with a deeper, richer shade of orange:

The flames now appear with much more natural colors.

Step 25: Select And Turn On The Text Copy Layer

At this point, we're done with our flames. We'll finish off our effect by working on the text copy layer that
we created way back at the beginning of the tutorial. Before we can work on it though, we'll need to turn it
back on since it's currently hidden from view. First, click on the text copy layer in the Layers palette to
select it. Then click on the layer visibility icon (the empty square) on the far left of the layer to turn the
layer back on in the document:
Select the text copy layer, then click on the layer visibility icon.

Step 26: Add A Gradient Overlay Layer Style

Let's add some color to our text. With the text copy layer now selected and visible, click on the Layer
Styles icon at the bottom of the Layers palette and choose Gradient Overlay from the list that appears:

Click on the Layer Styles icon, then select Gradient Overlay.

This brings up Photoshop's Layer Style dialog box set to the Gradient Overlay options in the middle
column. Click on the gradient preview area in the center of the options:
Click on the gradient preview area.

This brings up Photoshop's Gradient Editor. In the bottom half of the Gradient Editor is where we can
create our own custom gradient. You'll see a thin horizontal bar showing a preview of the current gradient
colors, with a small color stop directly below it on each end. Let's change the color on the left of the
gradient. Click on the color stop on the left to select it, then click on the color swatch at the bottom of the
dialog box:

Click on the color stop on the left, then click on the color swatch to change its color.

This brings up Photoshop's Color Picker. Choose a dark orange/brown color, which will be used for the
bottom of our letters, then click OK to exit out of the Color Picker:
Choose a dark orange/brown color for the left side of the gradient.

Back in the Gradient Editor, click on the color stop below the right side of the gradient preview bar to
select it, then click again on the color swatch:

Click on the color stop on the right, then click on the color swatch to change its color.

When the Color Picker appears, choose a bright orange color which will appear at the top of our letters.
Click OK when you're done to exit out of the Color Picker, then click OK to exit out of the Gradient Editor
since we've now chosen our colors for the gradient:
Choose a bright, saturated orange color for the right side of the gradient.

At this point, the only dialog box open on your screen should be the Layer Style dialog box. You'll see that
the gradient preview area is now showing the new colors we selected. Make sure the Style option is set
to Linear and that the Align with Layer option is selected. Also, make sure the Angle of the gradient is
set to 90°:

Click on the gradient preview area.

Click OK when you're done to exit out of the Layer Style dialog box. Our custom gradient is now applied
to our text:
Everything is now looking much more colorful.

We could stop here if we wanted to, but right now, it looks like text sitting in front of flames. I want the
effect to look more like the text itself is on fire. We'll add some finishing touches to our fire text effect next!