Continued… Learn how to polish up on your text effect skills add some shine to your next design in Photoshop
Once you’re happy with the image placement, set the Opacity back to 100%, then press Ctrl/Cmd+A to Select All and go to Image>Crop. Duplicate this layer and rename it ‘Blur environment’. Now apply a Gaussian Blur of 5.0px as this eliminates unnecessary detail, but still maintains enough information for a realistic reflection.
Now for the fun part! Ensure the ‘Blur environment’ is the target layer, then choose Filter>Distort>Glass and load the Graphic blur.psd (saved in step 9) from the Texture drop-down menu. For a really reflective finish set the Distortion value to 20 and leave the Smoothness at 3 and the Scaling at 100%.
We now need to hide the background of this layer, so switch to the Channels tab and load the Graphic sharp channel as a selection. Return to the Layers tab, ensure the Blur environment is the target layer, then click on the Add mask button at the foot of the palette.
To accentuate this layer, apply some Layer Styles: Drop Shadow: Mode: Multiply, Opacity: 100, Global Light: checked, Distance: 11, Spread: 0, Size: 5. Inner Shadow: Mode: Screen (# 0aa6b9), Opacity: 88, Global Light: checked, Distance: 8, Choke: 0, Size: 5. Bevel and Emboss: Style: Outer Bevel, Technique: Smooth, Depth: 590, Direction: Up, Size: 5, Soften: 0, Global Light: checked, Altitude: 30. Highlight: Screen, Opacity 72, Shadow: Multiply, Opacity: 100.
To make the chrome text and border really shine, apply a Gaussian Blur of 3px to the ‘Original environment’ layer. Place a new layer filled with #1e3738 below the ‘Distorted environment’ and label it ‘Inner fill’. Change the blend mode to Multiply and reduce the Opacity to 88%.
Now we’ll create the specular highlights for the chrome. First, duplicate the Graphic sharp channel, then press Ctrl/Cmd+I to Invert it to negative. Go to Filter>Artistic>Plastic Wrap. In the next dialogue box, set the Highlight Strength to 16, the Detail to 8 and the Smoothness to 6 and hit OK. Rename this channel Graphic highlights.
We now need to restrict the Plastic Wrap effect to the logo. First, load the original Graphic sharp channel as a selection, press Shift+ Ctrl/Cmd+I to Inverse the selection, then Contract by 1px. Ensure your foreground/background colours are set at default, then hit Opt/Alt+Delete to fill the selection with black.
Deselect, then Select All (Ctrl/Cmd+A) and return to the Layers tab. Paste the selection as an uppermost layer and name it ‘Plastic wrap graphic’. Next, change the blend mode to Screen to render the black areas invisible.
Load the Graphic sharp channel as a selection and Contract by 1px. Add a layer above the Original Graphic called ‘Clipping mask’ and fill with black. Deselect and use a hard-edged brush to fill the inner gaps with black to make a solid oval. Now Alt-click between its thumbnail and the Original environment thumbnail. Repeat to connect the remaining upper layers.
Add a Drop Shadow to the Clipping mask layer; Mode: Multiply, Opacity: 57, Distance: 1, Spread: 10, Size: 29. As a finishing touch, add a top layer and name it Specular highlights. Now grab a small, soft-edged brush and paint some subtle white glints for best results, concentrate over the existing logo highlights to accentuate, rather than overpower them.