HEADS UP!
- Before starting this part of the work, please go to the "Universe" exercise" and create the background. Place all the Layers associated to the Universe into a Layer Set called "Universe".
Light Blast!
Looking for a way to give some extra “life” to a title or type treatment? The two most common techniques to help a title standout are a glowing edge or a drop shadow. This is based on the principle of type on pattern, which says that a contrasting edge makes it far easier to see something when it is positioned over a busy or moving background. But why be ordinary? By backlighting an image, we can dramatically offset it from its background. Photoshop works with almost any title or type treatment.
- Create a Layer Set
- Create a new Layer Set by clicking on the folder icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. Name it "Light Blast". Place all the associated "Light Blast" layers in this set. Obviously, this set needs to be above the "Universe" set.
- Design a Title
- Open a letter-sized document, in CMYK at 300dpi. Design a quick movie title in black and white. Try to use a bold enough type face. It will tend to show better.
- Position the title.
- Position the title where you want it on screen. Use alignment tools to center the title if needed.
- Duplicate the title layer.
- Make a copy of the title by duplicating the layer: choose Layer >Duplicate Layer. Name the duplicate layer Light 1. Place the copy above the original title.
- Blast it!
- Apply the Radial Blur on the duplicate layer (Filter >Blur >Radial Blur). Set the amount to 100, the Blur Method to Zoom, and the Quality to Good. Click OK.
- Fill it.
- Load the default colours by pressing D. Load the layer named Light 1 by Cmd + clicking its thumbnail in the layers palette. Fill the selection by pressing Option + Delete. Deselect the layer by choosing Select >Deselect.
- Extend it.
- Repeat the blur/load/fill cycle until your rays are the desired length. You can run the last filter again choosing Filter >Radial Blur (the top menu item), this applies the last filter with its last previously used values. In the example I repeated the cycle three times to achieve my look. Depending on the resolution of your composition you may need to run the combination more or less times.
- Colour it.
- On the blurred layer named Light 1, apply the Colour Overlay layer style by choosing Layer >Layer Style >Colour Overlay. Select the desired colour and adjust opacity to taste. You should get a real-time preview of your work if the Preview box is checked. Click OK.
- Build it.
- Move the glow layer, light1, behind the title by dragging it below the title layer in the Layers palette—so the beams shoot past. You may choose to place a background image behind the title. Optionally, you may also choose to place an additional copy of the beam layer on top. Adjust the opacity to make the colour look like it has wrapped around the title.
