I'm going to show you how to create your own superhero emblem!
This is Marty from Blue Lightning TV.
I provided a template that you can download so you can follow along.
Its link is in my video's description or project files.
When you initially click the link, you may see just one image, however, when you open
it Photoshop you'll see 4 layers: a high-contrast, black and white graphic which you can replace
with your own if you like, a starry sky photo, carbon fiber texture, and an image of intersecting
lines that we'll use for the background, however, feel free to use any background you like.
Before we begin, if you want to be notified as soon as I upload new Photoshop tutorials,
just click that Subscribe button.
For this effect, the results look best using bold, high-contrast graphics with thick shapes.
I suggest you use this lightning bolt design for now and then after you create this superhero
emblem, you can apply the same steps to your own design.
However, if you still want to use a different graphic now, place it on top of this lightning bolt design.
To ensure that it's pure black and white, go to Image.
Click any of the "Auto" options which will darken the darkest pixels to pure black and
lighten the lightest pixels to pure white.
To resize it open the Transform Tool by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + T.
Go to a corner and press and hold Alt or Option as you drag it in or out.
To reposition it, just drag the image.
Then, press Enter or Return twice.
Next, we'll remove the white background behind the black graphic.
To do this, open the Channels panel.
If you don't see it, go to Window and Channels.
Ctrl or Cmd-click the thumbnail of any of the channels to select the white area around the black shape.
Open back the Layers panel and press the "Delete" key on your keyboard to delete the white background.
Deselect it by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + D. You'll probably see a thin, white fringe surrounding it.
To remove it, go to Layer, Matting, and Defringe.
Defringe it 1 pixel.
Double-click an empty area of the emblem layer to open its Layer Style window.
Click "Color Overlay".
The Blend Mode is "Normal".
Click the color box and pick a dark color for the emblem shape.
You can always change it later if you want.
Since I already know the color I want, I'll type it into the hexadecimal field: 002C75.
Click "Bevel & Emboss".
If you're using a different design that has thinner or thicker shapes, you'll need to
adjust the setting amounts that I'm using for this design.
The Style is Inner Bevel, the Technique is Smooth, and the Depth is 30%.
The Direction is Up, the Size is 40 pixels and the Soften is 4 pixels.
Uncheck "Use Global Light".
The Angle is 148 degrees and the Altitude is 45 degrees.
Open the Gloss Contour fly-out list and click Small or Large List.
If you don't see the double and triple ring presets, click "Contours" and "Append".
I ll click Cancel since I already have the presets.
Click "Ring-Triple".
The Highlight Mode is "Linear Dodge", the color is white, and the opacity is 75%.
The shadow mode and color are irrelevant since its opacity is 0%.
Click "Contour" and open the presets.
Click "Ring-Double".
The Range is 100%.
Click "Inner Glow".
The Blend Mode is Multiply, the Opacity is 50%, and the Noise is 0.
The color is black, the Technique is "Precise", and the Source is Edge.
The Choke is 0, the Size is 25 pixels, the Contour is linear, and the Range is 50%.
We'll convert our visible emblem into another Smart Object so we can modify it non-destructively.
Click the icon at the upper, right of the Layers panel and click "Convert to Smart Object".
Double-click an empty area of the layer to open its Layer Style window.
Click "Bevel & Emboss".
The Style is Inner Bevel, the Technique is Smooth, and the Depth is 100%.
The Direction is Up, the Size is 16 pixels, and the Soften is 0.
"Use Global Light" is unchecked.
The Angle is 90 degrees, and the Altitude is 60 degrees.
The Gloss Contour is "Ring-Double".
The Highlight Mode is Linear Dodge, the color is white, and the opacity is 100%.
The Shadow's opacity is 0%.
Click "Inner Glow".
The Blend Mode is Color Dodge, the Opacity is 25%, the Technique is Softer, and the source is "Center".
Click the color box and pick white.
The Choke is 15% and the Size is 25 pixels.
The Contour is linear, and the range is 50%.
Next, we'll use the carbon fiber texture for the center of our design.
To save some space in the Layers panel, let's collapse the Smart Filters.
Make the Intersecting Lines layer active.
We'll place a new layer above it by clicking the New Layer icon.
Ctrl or Cmd-click the emblem to select its shape.
Press "Q" on your keyboard to make the selection into a quick mask.
If your foreground and background colors aren't black and white, press "D" on your keyboard.
If black is your foreground color, invert them by pressing "x".
We want white as our foreground color.
Open your Paint Bucket Tool
and make sure "Contiguous" is checked.
I'll explain what this does in a moment.
Place your cursor on the quick mask anywhere outside the emblem and click twice to ensure
all of the quick mask is deleted outside the emblem.
The quick mask inside remains because we checked "Contiguous".
If we didn't check it, that portion of quick mask would be deleted as well.
Press "Q" to revert it into a selection.
Notice as soon as we did that, our foreground and background colors reverted to black and white respectively.
Invert the selection by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + Shift + I.
Fill the selection with the foreground color by pressing Alt or Option + Delete.
Then, deselect it.
Make the carbon fiber layer active.
We want it to only appear inside the shape below it.
To do this, we need to make the carbon fiber layer into a clipping mask.
Hover your cursor between the two layers and press and hold Alt or Option.
When your cursor changes into a clipping mask icon, click between the layers.
Another way to do this is to go to Layer and "Create Clipping Mask".
I'd like to make the carbon fiber texture smaller, so I'll open the Transform Tool,
go to a corner, and press and hold Alt or Option as I drag it in.
Make a new layer and clip it to the shape.
Open your Brush Tool and invert the colors by pressing "x".
Open the Brush picker and pick a soft, round brush.
We'll adjust its size in a moment.
The Hardness is 0% and the Opacity and Flow are 100%.
To make your brush bigger or smaller, make sure the CapsLock key is off and press the right or left bracket key.
I ll make mine 700 pixels.
Go to the center and click once.
Change its Blend Mode to "Soft Light".
Click the Adjustment Layer icon and click "Solid Color".
In the hexadecimal field, I'll type in 890000.
Clip it to the shape and change its Blend Mode to "Color".
Double-click the shape to open its Layer Style window.
Click "Inner Shadow".
Click the color box and pick black.
The Blend Mode is Linear Burn, and the Opacity is 30%.
"Use Global Light" is unchecked.
The Angle is 90 degrees, the Distance is 50 pixels, the Choke is 0%, and the Size is 20 pixels.
I think I'd like to brighten the soft highlight in the center of the carbon fiber, so I'll
make that layer active and make a copy of it.
Then, I'll clip the copy to the shape.
Make the Color fill layer active and Shift-click the shape to make it and all the layer between them active.
We'll place them into a folder by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + G.
Name it, "Carbon Fiber".
Make the emblem active and make a new layer above it.
Open the Carbon Fiber folder and Ctrl or Cmd-click the black and white shape to select it.
Close the folder.
Fill the selection with any color and deselect it.
Clip it to the emblem and double-click it to open its Layer Style window.
Click Outer Glow . For is color, type in FF0000.
The Blend Mode is "Color" and the Opacity is 80%.
The Technique is Softer, the Spread is 0, and the Size is 100 pixels.
The Contour is linear and the Range is 30%.
Make the starry sky photo active.
We'll jump it to the top of the Layers panel by pressing Ctrl or Cmd and the right bracket key four times.
It should automatically clip to the emblem.
If not, just clip it manually.
Change its Blend Mode to Soft Light.
Make a new layer and clip it.
With your Brush Tool still active, go to the center and click once.
Change its Blend Mode to Overlay.
Shift-click the Carbon Fiber folder to make it and the rest of the layers above it active.
Convert them into one Smart Object.
Double-click an empty area of the layer to open its Layer Style window.
Click "Outer Glow".
For its color, type in: 508AFF.
Its Blend Mode is Linear Dodge, its opacity is 45% and the Size is 250 pixels.
The Contour is linear, and the Range is 50%.
Convert it into a Smart Object.
Open its Layer Style Window once more and click "Outer Glow" again.
This time for its color, pick white.
The Blend Mode is Color Dodge, the opacity is 75% and the Size is 40 pixels.
Shift-click the background to make it active as well and convert the two layers into a Smart Object.
Go to Filter, Render, and Lens Flare.
The Brightness is 100% and the Lens Type is "50-300mm Zoom".
In the Preview window, drag the lens flare to a point on your emblem that looks good to you.
This is Marty from Blue Lightning TV. Thanks for watching!