Guide to Styles and Creating fancy fonts. -

Welcome to my guide of Styles!

Styles are used on Adobe Photoshop to change the appearance of your layers. I personally use them making fancy text. Adobe comes with a wide array of styles to begin with. But you can make and save your own styles for your own use. Style Menu

To edit a layer's style, right click the layer in your layer window. Then select blending options.

Drop Shadow

Drop Shadow is used to make a shadow behind your text. It is a nice tool for making 3D effects.
Drop Shadow Layout

-Angle: The angle your shadow appears in.
-Distance: How far the shadow is from the source (Text in this case).
-Spread: How wide/large the shadow is.
-Size: How large the shadow is. Larger shadows are generally lighter, I advise sticking with the default shadow size.
-Contour: The pattern the shadow forms in. Good for giving it a "Deformed" look.
-Opacity: How clear the shadow is.

*There is also inner shadow which makes a shadow on the inside of the source. Same layout as Drop Shadow for Menu.*

Outer Glow

Makes the outside of your source glow a designated color. Helps to make your text stand out on a similar background color.
Outer Glow Layout

-Opacity: How clear the glow is.
-Noise: How grainy the glow is. Like a T.V. when you go to a channel that doesn't exist or your Satellite craps out on you.
-Color: You can pick the color of the glow.
-Technique: Softer is a night light glow. Precise tends to stretch out from the source.
-Spread: How big the glow is.
-Size: Changes area the glow covers. Larger sizes are lighter and spread out more.
-Contour: Style/Pattern of the glow. Good for "Deforming" your glow.

*There is also inner glow, which like inner shadow is identical to its outer counterpart, but effects the inside of the source.*

Satin

Makes your source darker. I feel like a retard everytime I use this tool because I don't know much of the details myself.
Satin

-It has most of the tools that other things have such as contour, opacity and angle.
-Distance: Distance from the source. Make it big and you can't see it at all.

-Size: Spread of the satin. Like other tools, it gets lighter as it gets bigger.

Color Overlay

I shouldn't even need a picture for this one. It's so f**king self explanitory, you pick a color and your text/source becomes that color. You have opacity also if it helps at all.

Color Overlay, the tool for dumbass monkeys who can't figure out how to change the source color the easy way.

Gradient Overlay

I'm happy every time I use it. Probably because I'm on some form of drug when I use it and my mind turns into a rainbow.

You can't have color overlay and gradient overlay in the same style, color overlay (As useless as it is) takes priority because not only does it suck, it makes you need to know it sucks.
Gradient Overlay Layout.

-Style: Lets you change the way the colors line up. From radial (Circular), diamond (Duh...), and more.
-Double click your gradient to pull up this menu: Gradient Editor

Gradient Editor
-Lets you tinker with the color values of your gradient.
-I highly recommend you click Load as soon as possible. A folder should open with like 8 or something extra gradients. Load them all, they are really good.

Stroke

Basically your outline tool.
Stroke Layout

-Size: How thick the stroke is.
-Position: You can place the stroke outside the source, inside the source or in the center of the source.
-Fill Type: Color, Gradient and Pattern are available. As tempting as it might be to create the perfect hippie experience by doing a ton of Gradients, it might not look that good. Try to keep your source clear.

Final Notes

Click new style to save the style you have made. You can even name it!

If you want more info or help with making styles, please PM me.

Enjoy and Happy Mappling!