Looking for a way to give some extra “life” to a logo or type treatment? The two most common techniques to help a logo 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. This technique works with almost any logo or type treatment.
1.Position the logo.
Position the logo where you want it on screen. Be sure to use a safe title area document if you are working in video. Use alignment tools to center the logo if needed.
Note: You can open a new document with title safe and action safe guides showing. Choose File > New, and then choose a preset video document that matches the standard used by your video editing system.
Position the logo where you want it on screen. Be sure to use a safe title area document if you are working in video. Use alignment tools to center the logo if needed.
Note: You can open a new document with title safe and action safe guides showing. Choose File > New, and then choose a preset video document that matches the standard used by your video editing system.
2.Duplicate the logo layer.Make a copy of the logo by duplicating the layer: choose Layer > Duplicate Layer. Name the duplicate layer Light 1. Place the copy above the original logo.
3.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.
4.Fill it.
Load the default colors by pressing D. Load the layer named Light 1 by Cmd + clicking (Mac OS) or Ctrl + clicking (Windows) its thumbnail in the layers palette. Fill the selection by pressing Option + Delete (Mac OS) or Alt + Delete (Windows). Deselect the layer by choosing Select > Deselect.
Load the default colors by pressing D. Load the layer named Light 1 by Cmd + clicking (Mac OS) or Ctrl + clicking (Windows) its thumbnail in the layers palette. Fill the selection by pressing Option + Delete (Mac OS) or Alt + Delete (Windows). Deselect the layer by choosing Select > Deselect.
5.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 (which is for a video) 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.
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 (which is for a video) 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.
6.Color it.
On the blurred layer named Light 1, apply the Color Overlay layer style by choosing Layer > Layer Style > Color Overlay. Select the desired color and adjust opacity to taste. You should get a real-time preview of your work if the Preview box is checked. Click OK.
On the blurred layer named Light 1, apply the Color Overlay layer style by choosing Layer > Layer Style > Color Overlay. Select the desired color and adjust opacity to taste. You should get a real-time preview of your work if the Preview box is checked. Click OK.
7.Build it.
Move the glow layer, light1, behind the logo by dragging it below the logo layer in the Layers palette—so the beams shoot past. You may choose to place a background image behind the logo. Optionally, you may also choose to place an additional copy of the beam layer on top. Adjust the opacity to make the color look like it has wrapped around the logo.
Move the glow layer, light1, behind the logo by dragging it below the logo layer in the Layers palette—so the beams shoot past. You may choose to place a background image behind the logo. Optionally, you may also choose to place an additional copy of the beam layer on top. Adjust the opacity to make the color look like it has wrapped around the logo.
8.Composite it (optional).
If you want to key the image in a video application you will need to create an alpha channel to store the transparency of the glow:
Turn off the visibility icon for all layers that you don’t want included in the alpha channel. Then make a new (empty) layer and make sure it is selected.
Choose Merge Visible from the Layer’s palette submenu while holding down Option (Mac OS) or Alt (Windows). The resulting layer contains all of the merged elements while leaving the originals behind. Cmd + click (Mac OS) or Ctrl + click (Windows) this new layer’s thumbnail to load the selection, and then turn this layer’s visibility icon off.
Switch to the channel’s palette and click on the Save Selection as Channel icon at the bottom of the palette. Once the alpha channel is created, you can release the selection by choosing Select > Deselect.
In the Layers palette, turn the background layer on and fill it with the same color as your glow. This will ensure that you have clean edges in your alpha channel by avoiding any stray color data in the glowing areas.
Be sure that you have only one alpha channel in your document. Then choose File > Save As and save a copy of the file in a format your NLE system recognizes such as PICT or TARGA. Make certain that the Save Alpha Channels box is checked so the alpha channel will be embedded.
If you want to key the image in a video application you will need to create an alpha channel to store the transparency of the glow:
Turn off the visibility icon for all layers that you don’t want included in the alpha channel. Then make a new (empty) layer and make sure it is selected.
Choose Merge Visible from the Layer’s palette submenu while holding down Option (Mac OS) or Alt (Windows). The resulting layer contains all of the merged elements while leaving the originals behind. Cmd + click (Mac OS) or Ctrl + click (Windows) this new layer’s thumbnail to load the selection, and then turn this layer’s visibility icon off.
Switch to the channel’s palette and click on the Save Selection as Channel icon at the bottom of the palette. Once the alpha channel is created, you can release the selection by choosing Select > Deselect.
In the Layers palette, turn the background layer on and fill it with the same color as your glow. This will ensure that you have clean edges in your alpha channel by avoiding any stray color data in the glowing areas.
Be sure that you have only one alpha channel in your document. Then choose File > Save As and save a copy of the file in a format your NLE system recognizes such as PICT or TARGA. Make certain that the Save Alpha Channels box is checked so the alpha channel will be embedded.
I just love the way you have described the usage of lightblast effect on photoshop. This information is really very useful for the photoshop beginners. Thanks for your guidelines.
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