Many people can knock up some sort of text effect on Photoshop (popular examples being words written in the sky, letters embossed into stone, and shoddy 3d text) but only a select few can call themselves Pros. Learn all the methods in the 20 tutorials below and you’ll be well on your way to joining this elite. Rather than focus on tuts for beginners, intermediates or advanced users, we’ve simply chosen ones which look like actual things from real life … like a plate, or a banana etc. All of them are easy to follow, although most do require at least some prior knowledge and experience.

1. Broken Plate Tutorial

This fun tutorial is based on using ACTUAL photographs of broken plates … it then chops and changes between Illustrator and Photoshop to add shape, texture and shadows.

2. Frozen Text Tutorial

This tutorial plays on the discovery that “dead trees” can simulate very well the ice’s “veins”. It’s not the most realistic of images but creates a cool effect.

3. Down The Drain Typography Tutorial

This impressive effect is achieved completely from scratch by using Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator CS5 and Maxon Cinema 4D. At 3 hours it’s not a simple one but well done to you if you can master it!

4. Stained Ink Effect Tutorial

One of the absolute classics here. Creating an ink an ‘grungy’ paper is a must have skill for all wannabe Photoshop Pros. At just 9 steps this shouldn’t take you too long either.

5. Stitched Typography Effect

A super quick tutorial here at only 1 hours work. The differential focus is an unusual take on this manipulation and gives it a super realistic finish.

6. Eroded Metal Text Tutorial

An intermediate lesson here. Good for getting to grips with channels and patterns. A colourful twist of the metal effect.

7. Leaking Honey Text Tutorial

Another fun one here, and impressively realistic. Lots of brushwork here and clever use of the warp tool. You also have to find yourself a high-res birds-eye pancake image!

8. Wood Typography Tutorial

An in depth tutorial that’s easy for beginners to follow. Starts off from a basis polygon, then play with wood textures and with layer styles to achieve a really funny result.

9. Super Shiny Text Tutorial

An advanced high impact black and white tut here that adapts petals into some really funky text!

10. Rope Effect Tutorial

When Adobe started announcing some of the new features of the CS5 version of Photoshop they showed the Puppet Warp tool in which they played with an elephant’s trunk. The tutorial breaks it right down for you and is surprisingly easy to do.

11. Cool Water Text Tutorial

In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create PROPER water text. Even though it might look complex it’s a very simple effect. It uses the new ‘Repoussé’ tool then some stock photos to create the effect.

12. Banana Text Tutorial

Limited scope for where this can be used … but if you ever get a commission to design a website for hungry monkeys you’re sorted.

13. Skin Effect Text Tutorial

Probably the most morbid effect out of the 20. On the plus side this tut teaches you how to create a 3D-effect without the need for any 3D tools or applications.

14. ‘Slurp’ Ice Cream Text Tutorial

So this one is hardly the most realistic image … it deals with illustration techniques, and explores ‘the power of layer styles applied to custom brushes’ … nice!

15. Classic 4×4 Emblem Tutorial

This is a biggy … 14 steps later and you can pretty much go straight ahead and open the door to Chevy’s advertising department.

16. Newspaper Text Effect Tutorial

A nice take on a popular effect. Best of all once you’ve mastered this you can choose ANY article you want, run the tut as an action and you’ve got yourself a textified article.

17. Steam Punk Typography

At 107 steps this is an absolute beast of a premium tutorial from PSDTuts! It’s fits it nicely with increasing popular ‘Sherlock Holmes / 3 Musketeers film etc.’ aesthetic though.

18. Honey Cone Typography Tutorial

How to create warm honey text effect with bubbles texture. Use simple techniques such as layer style effects and Honeycomb pattern. (Suitable for beginners)

19. Earthy Text Effect

This realistic(ish) effect is entirely doable in Photoshop and even comes with a video guide. If you’re looking to take your typography to the next level this ones for you!

20. Photo Realistic Folded Paper Effect

An understated tutorial here but my personal favourite. Possibly because the checked cutting board evokes strong memories of late nights and accidents with scalpels in the university Architecture department!

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