BLACK PANTHER Text Effect in Photoshop [How To Use Layer Styles Like a PRO]
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The Black Panther text effect recreates the gold, chrome-edged title from the Black Panther movie poster by stacking Layer Styles on copies of one text layer.
Layer Styles are effects like bevels, strokes, and overlays that you control from a single dialog. One text layer with a few styles only gets you so far, though.
This tutorial uses a stacking technique instead. You split the effect into small pieces, give each piece its own layer, and stack those layers to build the final look.
It is a step-by-step tutorial, so you can follow along even if you are a beginner. You will finish with metallic text, a deep 3D extrusion, textured inner lines, and bright flares.
The same thinking works for any text effect you want to build. Separate large elements into smaller ones, and you can control each one.
The video was recorded in Photoshop 2018 (version 19.1). Every tool it uses works the same way in the current version.
Note: Photoshop lets you add more than one Stroke or Color Overlay to a single layer. Bevel & Emboss still allows only one per layer, so stacking layers remains the way to combine several bevels.
Key Takeaways
- Set a layer’s Fill to 0 to hide its own pixels while its Layer Styles stay visible. Opacity would hide both.
- The Stroke Emboss style applies a bevel only where the layer has a Stroke. A stroke at 0% opacity still works as an invisible outline for that bevel.
- In a gradient’s opacity stops, black is 100% opacity and white is 0%. That is the reverse of a layer mask, where black hides and white reveals.
- Uncheck Use Global Light before you change a bevel’s angle. Otherwise the new angle changes the lighting on every layer.
- With a selection active, CtrlAltShiftT (Windows) or CommandOptionShiftT (macOS) repeats the last transform on the same layer. Tapping T while you hold the other keys builds a 3D extrusion.
- A style’s name does not limit its use. An Outer Glow set to black and Multiply works as a soft shadow.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- Black Panther Text Effect Keyboard Shortcuts
- Step 1: Color the Texture Inside the Black Panther Text
- Step 2: Create the Highlights and Shadows Layer
- Step 3: Build the Main Bevel of the Black Panther Text Effect
- Step 4: Add the Bevel Highlight and Bevel Shadow
- Step 5: Enhance the Highlights on the Black Panther Text
- Step 6: Extrude the Black Panther Text with Repeat Transform
- Step 7: Style the Extrusion Edge
- Step 8: Create the Main Extrusion
- Step 9: Enhance the Extrusion
- Step 10: Draw the Lines Inside the Letters
- Step 11: Style the Lines with a Texture
- Step 12: Add the Flares and Finish the Black Panther Text
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to color a texture with a clipped Solid Color layer in Multiply mode
- How to stack duplicate text layers with their Fill set to 0
- How to shape a metallic edge with Stroke, Bevel & Emboss, and Gloss Contour settings
- How to extrude text in 3D with a repeated Free Transform
- How to draw inner lines with the Line Tool and the Ellipse Tool, then style them all at once
- How to blend flares into the design with the Screen blending mode
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2018 (version 19.1 or later) or the current version
- The starter PSD, which includes the background, text, flare, and texture layers
- The free Wolf’s Bane II font, the closest match to the Black Panther logo
- Optional: the BEYNO font for the credits text. It is a paid font.
Practice Files
Download the starter PSD used in this tutorial and follow along step by step.
Black Panther Text Effect Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Create a clipping mask | Ctrl Alt G | Command Option G |
| Duplicate a layer by dragging | Alt drag | Option drag |
| Duplicate the layer | Ctrl J | Command J |
| Group the selected layers | Ctrl G | Command G |
| Load a layer as a selection | Ctrl click the layer thumbnail | Command click the layer thumbnail |
| Fill with the foreground color | Alt Backspace | Option Delete |
| Free Transform | Ctrl T | Command T |
| Commit the transform | Enter | Return |
| Repeat the last transform on the same layer | Ctrl Alt Shift T | Command Option Shift T |
| Deselect | Ctrl D | Command D |
| Draw a straight line with the Line Tool | Shift drag | Shift drag |
Step 1: Color the Texture Inside the Black Panther Text
Open the starter PSD. It has a gray background layer to work on, a blue background layer for the end, a text layer, a flare layer, and a texture layer.
The text uses the Wolf’s Bane II font. It is the free font that most closely resembles the Black Panther logo.
Select the texture layer and turn on its visibility. Then click and drag it into the text group, right above the text layer.
Press CtrlAltG (Windows) or CommandOptionG (macOS) to create a clipping mask. The text layer now controls the visibility of the texture.
Click the New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon and choose Solid Color. Set the color to R 20, G 100, B 160, a deep blue, and click OK.
Press CtrlAltG (Windows) or CommandOptionG (macOS) again to clip the color layer. Change its blending mode to Multiply to apply the color onto the texture.
Rename the layer “Color” so you know what it does.
Tip: You can delete the color layer’s Layer Mask. You don’t need it, and removing it keeps the Layers panel clean.
Step 2: Create the Highlights and Shadows Layer
Select the Black Panther text layer. Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS), then click and drag it to just above the Color layer. Releasing the mouse duplicates the layer.
Rename the copy “Highlights/Shadows.” From here on, each new layer controls one part of the effect, and the layers stack on top of each other.
Right-click the layer and choose Blending Options to open the Layer Style dialog.
Bring the Fill Opacity down to 0. The layer’s own pixels disappear, but any Layer Styles you apply stay visible.
Click Color Overlay. Change the color to white and the blending mode to Overlay. This creates the highlight.
Click Gradient Overlay. Choose the second preset, Foreground to Transparent, with black as your foreground color.
Double-click the gradient to open the Gradient Editor. The color stops on the bottom are all black. The stops on top control opacity: the black stop is at 100% and the white stop is at 0%.
Note: This can be confusing if you are used to layer masks. With a mask, black hides and white reveals. Here it works the other way around.
Set the Opacity to 85% and the Scale to 50%. Make sure Align with Layer is checked, then click OK.
Tip: If you resize the finished text later, the style sizes don’t follow automatically. Learn how to scale Layer Styles in Photoshop to keep them in proportion.
Step 3: Build the Main Bevel of the Black Panther Text Effect
Now work on the bevel, the outline around the text. Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and drag the layer all the way to the top of the layer stack to duplicate it. Name the copy “Bevel Main.”
Double-click to the side of the layer name to open the Layer Style dialog.
In Blending Options, make sure the Fill Opacity is set to 0. Once again, you only want to see the pixels the Layer Styles create.
Add a Stroke before the bevel, because this bevel should only affect the stroke. Use these settings:
- Size: 10
- Position: Inside
- Blend Mode: Normal, at 100% Opacity
- Color: R 220, G 190, B 105
Click Bevel & Emboss. By default, the bevel covers the whole layer. Change the Style to Stroke Emboss so the bevel only appears where there is a stroke.
Click Reset to Default, then set the Depth to 100, the Size to 10, and leave Soften at 0. The Angle of 90 degrees and Altitude of 30 work great.
Open the Gloss Contour picker and choose the last contour on the second row.
Tip: If your contours look different, click the gear icon in the picker and choose Reset Contours. Then pick the last one on the second row.
The Gloss Contour works directly with Bevel & Emboss. It spreads the color over the layer based on the curve you choose, which makes it perfect for a glossy metallic look.
For the highlights, use white, Screen, and 100% opacity. For the shadows, use black, Multiply, and 75% opacity. Check that Stroke Emboss is still selected, then click OK.
Step 4: Add the Bevel Highlight and Bevel Shadow
Press CtrlJ (Windows) or CommandJ (macOS) to duplicate the layer and name it “Bevel Highlight.” Double-click to the side of the layer to open its styles.
In Stroke, change the Size to 5 pixels to make it smaller. Bring the stroke’s Opacity down to 0. The stroke stays invisible and only works as an outline for the bevel.
In Bevel & Emboss, make these changes:
- Depth: 330
- Size: 20
- Gloss Contour: the first one on the second row
- Highlight Mode: Color Dodge at 50% opacity, for a brighter, hotter highlight
- Shadow Mode: Multiply with black, at 25% opacity
Toggle the Preview checkbox to compare the before and after, then click OK.
Note: This is the real point of the tutorial. You don’t need a single Layer Style for the entire text. You can stack individual pieces to create more interesting effects.
With Bevel Highlight selected, press CtrlJ (Windows) or CommandJ (macOS) again and name the copy “Bevel Shadow.”
Open its styles and change the Stroke size to 15, so it is larger. In Bevel & Emboss, choose the second Gloss Contour on the second row.
Drag the highlight opacity down to 0 to turn the highlights off. This creates the outline effect around the text. Click OK.
Step 5: Enhance the Highlights on the Black Panther Text
With Bevel Shadow selected, press CtrlJ (Windows) or CommandJ (macOS) and name the copy “Bevel Shadow Enhance.” Open its styles and turn off the Stroke.
In Bevel & Emboss, change the Style to Inner Bevel. The bevel now follows the whole text, not the stroke. Set the Depth to 100 and the Size to 5, and choose the very first, default Gloss Contour.
Leave the highlight opacity at 0, since this layer only handles shadows. Set the shadow opacity to 30 and click OK.
Next, enhance the highlights with two layers, one for the left side and one for the right. Press CtrlJ (Windows) or CommandJ (macOS) and name the copy “Highlight Left.”
Open the Layer Style dialog. Under Bevel & Emboss, uncheck Use Global Light first.
Warning: If you change the angle with Use Global Light checked, the lighting changes on every layer. Keep the original layers at 90 and 30.
Set the Depth to 100, Direction to Up, Size to 5, and Soften to 0. Use an Angle of -175 and an Altitude of 0.
Raise the highlight opacity to 70, and type 0 in the shadow opacity to turn the shadows off. The small circle in Shading shows where the light comes from. Here it comes from the left, so the highlight lands on the left side.
Click OK, press CtrlJ (Windows) or CommandJ (macOS), and name the copy “Highlight Right.” In Bevel & Emboss, click Down to light the opposite side.
Lower the highlight opacity to 40. A real object would not have the same highlight on both sides, so one side should be a bit dimmer. Click OK.
With Highlight Right selected, hold Shift and click the Black Panther text layer. Press CtrlG (Windows) or CommandG (macOS) to group the layers and name the group “Main Text.”
Step 6: Extrude the Black Panther Text with Repeat Transform
The extrusion uses the repeat transform shortcut. You make a selection, fill it, transform it once, then repeat that same change many times to build depth.
Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) and click the thumbnail of the original Black Panther text layer. This loads a selection around the text.
Select the gray background layer and create a new layer above it. With black as your foreground color, press AltBackspace (Windows) or OptionDelete (macOS) to fill the selection with black.
Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS) for Free Transform. In the Options bar, make sure the link icon between width and height is on, so both stay in proportion.
Type 99.9% for the scale, then press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS) twice to apply it. This is a very small change, but you will repeat it many times.
Hold CtrlAltShift (Windows) or CommandOptionShift (macOS) and tap the T key. Each tap repeats the transform on the same layer and adds new pixels, scaled inward by 0.1%.
When the extrusion is about as thick as you want, press CtrlD (Windows) or CommandD (macOS) to deselect. Name the layer “Extrusion Edge.”
Note: Each copy scales from the center. Letters near the center, like the T, get almost no extrusion, while letters near the edges, like the P and the R, get more. That progression is what makes it look realistic.
Step 7: Style the Extrusion Edge
Double-click to the side of Extrusion Edge to open the Layer Style dialog.
Click Stroke and set the color to R 140, G 105, B 50, a brown. Raise the stroke’s Opacity so you can see the color fill in.
In Bevel & Emboss, set the Style to Stroke Emboss. Check Use Global Light right away, so this layer uses the original 90 and 30 lighting.
Set the Depth all the way to 1,000 and the Size to 20.
For the Gloss Contour, make a custom one. Select the second contour, then double-click the contour icon to open the curve graph.
Drag points up and down, and click to add new ones. Pushing a point up adds bright highlights that make the edge look more like chrome. Shape the curve until the text has nice reflections, then click OK.
Change the highlight blending mode to Screen and keep it at 40%. Type 35 in the shadow opacity to turn the shadows back on, then click OK.
Step 8: Create the Main Extrusion
Now take the text back even further. Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) and click the Extrusion Edge thumbnail to load it as a selection.
Create a new layer and press AltBackspace (Windows) or OptionDelete (macOS) to fill it with black. Move it below Extrusion Edge and name it “Main Extrusion.”
Photoshop still remembers the last transform. Press CtrlAltShiftT (Windows) or CommandOptionShiftT (macOS) and keep tapping T while you hold the other keys, until you like the thickness. Then press CtrlD (Windows) or CommandD (macOS) to deselect.
Warning: If you closed Photoshop or made another transformation since the last step, the shortcut repeats the wrong change. Do the 99.9% transform again on this layer first.
Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and drag the fx icon from Extrusion Edge onto Main Extrusion to copy the styles. Then double-click to the side of Main Extrusion and turn off the Stroke.
Select Color Overlay, set the blending mode to Normal, and use R 120, G 90, B 40, another brown.
In Bevel & Emboss, use these settings:
- Style: Inner Bevel
- Depth: 1,000, with Direction set to Down
- Size: 70, with Soften at 0
- Angle and Altitude: the defaults of 90 and 30
- Gloss Contour: the third one on the second row
- Highlight Mode: Overlay, white, at 50% opacity
- Shadow Mode: Multiply, black, at 50% opacity
Click OK to finish the Main Extrusion styles.
Step 9: Enhance the Extrusion
Press CtrlJ (Windows) or CommandJ (macOS) to duplicate Main Extrusion, and name the copy “Extrusion Enhance.” This layer adds realistic highlights to the angles of the extrusion.
Open its styles, uncheck Color Overlay, and bring the Fill Opacity to 0. In Bevel & Emboss, set the Direction to Up. Choose the Gloss Contour that looks like steps, the second to last on the second row.
Set the highlight color to R 255, G 215, B 90, a yellow, and its mode to Screen. Set the shadow color to R 30, G 25, B 10, a dark brown. Click OK.
Click the top extrusion layer, hold Shift, and click the bottom one. Press CtrlG (Windows) or CommandG (macOS) and name the group “Extrusion.”
Step 10: Draw the Lines Inside the Letters
Next, add the lines inside the text, like the ones in the Black Panther logo. The video shows the letter P only, since the process repeats. Do the same on every other letter.
Select the gray background layer, then choose the Line Tool. Set the Weight to 5 pixels with no stroke. The color doesn’t matter, so red is fine.
Hold Shift and drag to draw a straight line. Move the line layer to the top of the layer stack. Don’t worry about color or style yet.
For curved parts of a letter, like the round part of the P, use the Ellipse Tool. You can draw curves with the Pen Tool, but the Ellipse Tool gives a much better result.
Select the Ellipse Tool and set it to no fill with a 5-pixel stroke in any color. Click and drag to draw a circle over the curve.
You only need half the circle. Click the Direct Selection Tool, click the point you don’t need, and press Backspace (Windows) or Delete (macOS). Click Yes when Photoshop asks, and you have a clean, round line.
Tip: To trim the arc further, use the Add Anchor Point Tool to click a new point on the line. Then select the unwanted point with the Direct Selection Tool and delete it.
Step 11: Style the Lines with a Texture
Once you have drawn lines on all the characters, select every line layer with Shift click. Press CtrlG (Windows) or CommandG (macOS) and name the group “Lines.”
Double-click to the side of the group. A Layer Style on a group applies to all of its contents, so you only do it once.
Select Color Overlay and pick a lighter brown: R 159, G 119, B 54.
Click Bevel & Emboss and click Reset to Default. Then click Texture below it.
Open the pattern picker and reset the patterns to the default list. Pick a pattern, set the Depth to 2, and press the Up Arrow key to raise it. A Depth of 10 should work.
Go back to Bevel & Emboss and adjust the highlights and shadows to taste.
Add a soft shadow with Outer Glow. Reset it to the default, change the blending mode to Multiply, and set the color to black. Lower the opacity to about 10% and click OK.
Tip: You can use any Layer Style for anything you want. Here a glow works as a shadow, because Multiply keeps the black pixels.
For more ways to add texture to type, see how to create a realistic rock text effect with masks and clipped layers.
Step 12: Add the Flares and Finish the Black Panther Text
Click the Move Tool and turn on the flare layer.
Change the flare layer’s blending mode to Screen. Screen keeps the bright areas and removes the dark background.
Drag the flare into place above the R. Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and drag to duplicate it, and move the copy to another spot.
Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS) and scale the copy so it looks a bit different from the first flare.
Finally, turn off the gray background layer and turn on the blue background layer. The design is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
This tutorial uses Wolf’s Bane II, a free font that closely matches the Black Panther logo. The end credits style text uses BEYNO, which is a paid font. Install the font before you open the starter file.
Fill hides only the layer’s own pixels, so its Layer Styles stay visible. Opacity hides the pixels and the styles together. Setting Fill to 0 lets each stacked layer show nothing but its effects.
Stroke Emboss is a Bevel & Emboss style that only bevels the layer’s Stroke. It needs a stroke to work. If you set the stroke’s opacity to 0, the bevel still shows while the stroke color stays hidden.
Press CtrlAltShiftT (Windows) or CommandOptionShiftT (macOS) to repeat the last Free Transform. With an active selection, each repeat adds new pixels to the same layer. Keep tapping T with the other keys held, and the copies build into a 3D extrusion.
Use Global Light links the light angle across every layer in the document. Changing the angle on one layer changes it everywhere. Uncheck Use Global Light on the layer first if you want a different light direction there.
A Gloss Contour is a curve inside Bevel & Emboss that controls how highlights and shadows spread across the bevel. Wavy curves give a glossy, metallic look. You can double-click the contour to edit its curve by hand.
Yes. Double-click to the side of the group in the Layers panel to open the Layer Style dialog. The style applies to every layer inside the group, so you only set it up once.
Conclusion
You built the Black Panther text effect from a stack of simple layers. Each one handles a single job: color, highlight, bevel, shadow, extrusion, or texture.
The settings work as a starting point. Once you understand how the pieces stack, you can use the same approach on any text or logo.
Watch the full video for every click, and comment on the video if you have a question.
Selections and Masking Mastery
Complete course includes 2.5 hours of step-by-step lessons, 6 structured modules, downloadable practice files, and custom Photoshop brushes. Everything you need to master selections and masks in one place.
Keep going
Next, use the same stacked Layer Styles method to create the Spider-Man text effect in Photoshop.
Related Links
Final Image
Drag the slider to see before and after
![After: BLACK PANTHER Text Effect in Photoshop [How To Use Layer Styles Like a PRO]](https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/156-black-panther-text-after.jpg)
![Before: BLACK PANTHER Text Effect in Photoshop [How To Use Layer Styles Like a PRO]](https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/156-black-panther-text-before.jpg)
I enjoy all of your tutorials. I can follow along with you, but I am not sure I would spend this much time on a text, since I am a landscape photographer. I will try to learn some of your techniques, but I may not remember them fully. It is really good though. Thanks.
Thank you, Barry! I appreciate that! Like with all tutorials, take the bits and pieces that will help you in your work.
ur presentation and tutorials awesome, can u give tutorial or just say, how u make this (Final Image
Drag The Slider To See Before & After) with any plugin.
The before and after is a plugin called Twenty Twenty
https://wordpress.org/plugins/twentytwenty/
Spectacular Jesús… I never cease to be impressed by your genius!
Thanks too for your generosity with the related PSD etc.
Roger
You’re welcome, Roger!
how can i get image thats used in the creation of black panther text effect
This tutorial is amazing…it’s exactly what I’m looking for, how to create many details in the text. Thanks again!
Btw, I copied that group Text and group Line, and change the layer blending mode to hard light, Opacity down to 50%, that looks good.
Already subscribed!
Thank you so much. I am always your biggest fan
You guys are great, and i know there is lot of hard work behind this and we are just eating fruits, thanks a lot, big fan
Hello Jesus,
I’m unable to download the starter kit. Just letting you know.
Where can I see this tutorial from the begining? If you dont mind
My name is cortez from South Africa. I have been your subscriber for a while and have been watching your youtube channel very educatif. I wanted to ask if it’s possible for you to do a tutorial on how to turn a person into a professional cartoon. like a pro cartoon like the one for boss baby kind of cartoon sir?
kindly let me know god bless you you have been a blessing to me now i can say that i am a photoshoper have a great day sir
Can you make Kalki 2898 ad Font style textures please 😭 🥺 😭 🥺. And can you make the Flash trailer title card tutorial with textures please 😭🥺😭😭🥺😭🥺