Create A Fun, Easy Gel Text Effect With Layer Styles

Step 3: Enter Your Text

Choose a font from the Options Bar. I'm using "Bauhaus 93". Then click inside your Document Window and enter your text. I'm going to type the word "photo":

Step 4: Use "Free Transform" To Resize The Text If Needed

I'm going to enlarge my text a little using Photoshop's Free Transform command. With my text layer selected in the Layers palette, I'm going to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T (Win) / Command+T (Mac) to bring up the Free Transform box and handles around my text. Then I'm going to hold down Shift+Alt (Win) / Shift+Option (Mac) and drag out one of the corner handles to enlarge my text. Holding Shift constrains the text proportions, and holding Alt/Option forces the text to resize from the center:

Step 5: Select The "Drop Shadow" Layer Style

We're going to head into the wacky world of Layer Styles at this point, and the first Layer Style we're going to add to the text is a drop shadow.

Before we continue, I just want to say again that you should feel free to experiment with the different settings we're using for this effect. You don't have to use the specific settings I'll be using. There's lots of wiggle room to play around with in creating this gel text effect.

Now let's add our drop shadow. Click on the Layer Style icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Select Drop Shadow from the list:

This brings up Photoshop's Layer Style dialog box set to the Drop Shadow options in the middle column: