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Creating Nice looking Signatures

Level 13
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
823
This tutorial will demonstrate the basics of how to create simple signatures using Adobe Photoshop.

Examples:
A sig I made for PrinceofIce:
frozenprince5ey.jpg

My old signature:
heriosansignature0wh.png


In this tutorial you will need the following tools:
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • The internet (note: if you dont have the internet you cant read this tutorial)
  • 45 min to an hour
  • Some sort of concept for what you want to create

For starters lets open Adobe Photoshop and Create a new document, 500 x 80 should look nice. Also, be sure to use RGB color with a Transparent Background. (Refer to image)
tutorial1al.png


Alright, now we should have a blank canvas with little squares everywhere. Not much of a signature but at least we have our size set.

Now lets import our background image. You can copy and paste an image if you already have one or go online to google.com and find some. For this tutorial I searched "Arthas" in google and pasted my result into the background.

After moving it around with the Move (v) tool my image looks like this.
tutorial2jq.png


Alright now were cooking with fire, time to add the name "PrinceofIce" to the image. For this we'll need to create a new photoshop file (size: 400 x 400 works well) and (using the text tool) type in our name "PrinceofIce".
Note: I used Monotype Corsiva, Regular, Size 45, Smooth font

tutorial9zx.png


Nows where it gets tricky, were going to create that nice ice effect for the text. To do this we will need to rotate the text and then use a wind effect over it.

Under "Image" we are going to rotate the entire canvas 90 degrees CCW (Counder Clock Wise)

Before we use the wind effect we need to keep the text strait so it doesnt become unreadable. To do this we're going to dupllicate our text layer in the Layer box (F7 will show the layer box if you dont have it). After the layer box is visible right click the text and select "Duplicate Layer..." from the dropdown menu.

You should see something like this in your layer box.
tutorial9ou.png


Now right click the layer copy and select send to back. You wont notice a change yet and thats good. Now, making sure that "PrinceofIce Copy" is highlighted in our layer box go to Filter -> Stylize -> Wind and select "Blast" and "From the Left"

A messagebox will appear and ask you to rasterize the layer, click ok.

Looking at the image now you should still see no immediate change. Still with "Prince of Ice Copy" highlighted in your layer box press v (or select the move tool from the toolbox) and press the right arrow on your keyboard. (Two times should be enough for you to see a difference)

tutorial0ln.png


Now we will need rotate our text back to its original position. (Image - Rotate Canvas 90 degrees CW)

This will be the basis for our text. Now we need to move this text back to our image; but first lets make it look icy. Select the "PrinceofIce" copy layer and right click it, navigate to blending properties. (From within these properties you can change many features to create new looks for text/images/shapes etc.)
Under blending properties look along the left column for "Color Overlay" and check and highlight it (to highlight it click the text "Color Overlay"). Pick a light teal color. Repeat this procedure for the other "PrinceofIce" Layer.

tutorial9vq.png


Now that you have these colored lets import them into our main image and edit them a little further. To import them into the main image we will need to select them using the rectangular marquee tool (selection box - hotkey m) and copy merged. (Edit - Copy merged OR Ctrl+Shift+C)

Alright, now we can close this 400 x 400 image and return to our signature.

Lets paste this text in (Edit - Paste or Ctrl + V)

tutorial6lc.png


Alright guys, well the difficult part is over now. If you've made it this far pat yourself on the back and cheer. Now we're just going to add in some nice effects.

First lets select our new layer (PrinceofIce text) and go back to the blending properties. (right click layer and select blending properties form the dropdown menu). This is where the cool iced over effect comes from.
Edit the properties as follows:
Outer Glow - Blue, 75% Opacity
Inner Glow - White, 90% Opacity
Bevel and Emboss - Inner Bevel Style and Technique: Smooth
Texture - Pattern : Crystals (from the Patterns2 Preset patterns) If you cannot find it any rough rocky pattern will do.

Now your Blending Properties sheet should look like this.
tutorial5ly.png


And your image should look like this.
tutorial4fd.png


All thats left now is to add in the bars along the top and bottom of the image and add in the icicles on the right.

To make the bars we will create one bar along the top and then copy & paste it to the bottom.

For the first bar we will use the rectangle tool (hotkey - u). And draw a nice border just barely through our friend arthas's head. (Note: Color doesnt matter at this point because we will use the blending properties to cover it up)

Alright Now in your layer box select the shape we just made and bring up the blending properties. Edit the propterties as follows:
Blending Options: Custom - Opacity 75%
Outer Glow - Light Blue color, Opacity: 75%
Inner Glow - White, Opacity: 75%
Bevel and Emboss (just checked)
Texture - Crystal (or same texture as last)
Color Overlay - Light Blue

tutorial6an.png


Alright now that you have edited the bar your image should look like similar to this
tutorial5tw.png


Now just duplicate the bar layer (in the layer box right click the shape we just created [most likely named shape 1 unless you named it] and select "Duplicate Layer" from the dropdown menu) and move it to the bottom of the image (using the move tool [hotkey - V])

Alright. Now were just about finished. Add in a few final touches, and its over. First lets go to google and get our icicle image (simply type in icicle) and you should see a result similar to the one i selected. Now just cut away a piece of it and paste it onto your image (you may have to arrange your layers a little to get it under both bars and under your text, to do this just use the Layer menu from the top of the screen and select Arrange.

Now your signature should look like this:
tutorial6vb.png


Finally lets add a little bluish tinting to our image of Arthas so he looks a little more.. well.. blue! To do this we will use the blending properties again and once again go to color overlay. Select a blue color and change the opacity to a lower number (15% looks good to me).

Alright, Now you have a fully finished signature (hopefully) and you also know the basics of the blending properties in Photoshop! Congradulations and well done!

Heres the finished product:
frozenprince5ey.jpg
 
Level 32
Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
5,291
:thumbs_up: Bravo! We aspiring PSP artists learned a great deal from the "Creating Nice looking Signatures" tutorial. It's informative, detailed, and presented in a friendly way. It would be best attach the images themselves to this excellent tut rather than linking to them offsite.
 
Level 8
Joined
Oct 2, 2005
Messages
385
mmk its a good tutorial but I think it be better off if it was written on how to make your own as in not use any pictures that you didn't make yourself. So at the most I suggest you give credit on what pictures you used in this tutorial to those who made them. So if thats a blizzard pic of arthus please say so
 
Level 8
Joined
Oct 2, 2005
Messages
385
Well just look at the website you got it and use that reference instead. But yea there only so many people that really want to take there time to draw there own. So yea just put that in and all be good for me.

Edit: Better yet put that in your tuturial lesson on how to put the reference of peoples pictures in there sigs in a cool way! (ow and just incase your looking at myne and saying I didn't do it I drawn myne from scratch.)
 
Level 45
Joined
Jun 3, 2005
Messages
6,982
Well this tut isnt much..just tells you how to put text on it and a border and to tint it blue, nothing about rendering a bg or the use of motion to form an illusion that suits the eyes. That is what i find interesting in sigs.

My old sig in which i drew, the artwork took me about 7hrs to make, and 5-10mins to turn into a sig. So i can understand why people dont draw theirs. But i chose this sig i saw someone have on a forum cuz its fucking funny due to its retardedness.
 
Level 13
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
823
I understand that the tutorial didnt show many advanced photoshop features, however it was aimed at newer users. I introduced blending, layers and color scheme. I also showed a proper usage of the wind tool to create an ice effect.
These are the BASICS of photoshop, the fundamentals that people need to learn to make signatures, nice skins, icons etc.
Besides, advanced users already know how to make nice looking sigs.
 
Level 3
Joined
Oct 11, 2004
Messages
28
Decent beginners tut, but for pities sake, don't abuse your text styles.

Bevel & Emboss, Outer Glow, etc - these look terrible when plain unless you have decent blending skills.
 
Level 7
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
327
Its all about me!Thanks it feels nice to have my name in a tutorial plus im using a ur signature and avatar.There good looking both of em so ty once again.
 
Last edited:
Level 13
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
823
I just skimmed at the pics, i dont read much (always do, dont think i ignored your tut though) so..ja your right. If its for beginners, okay... But maybe you should teach the beginners more advanced stuff aswell in another tut?

Im hoping to write a more advanced PsP tutorial to go along with the Blood Elf skin im making (that is if i finish it ... havnt got alot of time lately :sad: )

PrinceofIce said:
Its all about me!Thanks it feels nice to have my name in a tutorial plus im using a ur signature and avatar.There good looking both of em so ty once again.
You're very welcome, anytime :smile:
 
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