Easily Recreate the TikTok Logo Effect In Photoshop with Advanced Blending
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Recreate the TikTok logo in Photoshop by splitting one Smart Object into offset cyan and red copies with Advanced Blending.
In this Copycat Wednesday, you’ll learn how to recreate the TikTok Logo effect in Photoshop!
Recorded in Photoshop 2020 (version 21.2), the same steps to recreate the TikTok logo in Photoshop still work in the current version of Photoshop.
Key Takeaways
- The effect comes from Advanced Blending, not a filter or a plugin. Unchecking a channel in the Layer Style dialog creates the cyan and red split.
- A Smart Object keeps every duplicate layer linked, so swapping the logo once updates the whole effect.
- Removing the red channel leaves cyan. Removing the green and blue channels leaves red. A channel always renders as its opposite color when it is turned off.
- Holding Shift while nudging a layer with the Move tool moves it 10 pixels at a time instead of 1.
- The finished Smart Object works as a reusable template for any logo, not only TikTok’s.
Table of contents
What You Will Learn
- How to convert a layer into a Smart Object so it stays editable
- How to isolate color channels with Advanced Blending
- How to nudge layers precisely with the Move tool and the keyboard
- How to swap the contents of a Smart Object without rebuilding the effect
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2020 (version 21.2 or later) or the current version
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicate the layer | Ctrl J | Command J |
| Jump to rename the layer below | Tab | Tab |
| Nudge the layer 1 px | Arrow key | Arrow key |
| Nudge the layer 10 px | Shift Arrow key | Shift Arrow key |
| Save and commit Smart Object edits | Ctrl S | Command S |
| Group the selected layers | Ctrl G | Command G |
Tutorial Image
Download the starter image here!
Set Up the layers
Open the document with a black background layer and another layer with TikTok’s logo.
Select the Logo layer > right-click > Convert to Smart Object. With a Smart Object, you can apply editable adjustments, distortions, filters, and transformation.
Duplicate the Logo layer twice. You can also press CtrlJ (Windows) or CommandJ (macOS) and repeat that again to duplicate the layer.
Note: When you duplicate a Smart Object, the duplicates are all tied to the original Smart Object. (i.e. changes made to the contents of the original Smart Object, will apply to the duplicate).
For the full mechanics behind blending layers by channel, see Blending Modes Explained.
Rename the Layer
Rename one layer as “Cyan” and the other as “Red.”
Tip: Press Tab (Windows) or Tab (macOS) to quickly switch between renaming one layer and the one below it.
Reposition the Layers
With the Cyan layer selected, activate the Move tool and hold Shift as you tap Left Arrow five times.
Then, still hold Shift as you tap Up Arrow five times.
Tip: With the Move tool active, pressing an arrow key moves the layer 1 pixel at a time. Holding Shift while pressing an arrow key moves it 10 pixels at a time.
Select the Red layer. Hold Shift as you press Down Arrow five times.
Then, hold Shift as you press Right Arrow five times.
Apply Advanced Blending Options
Double-click on the side of the Cyan layer to bring out the Layer Style window.
Under Advanced Blending, uncheck the R channel to only show the Green and Blue channels, and this results in a Cyan color. Press OK to exit the window.
This channel-isolation trick is not unique to logos. The same Advanced Blending setup creates the color-shift look in the VCR VHS Camcorder Glitch Effect.
Double-click on the side of the Red layer to bring out the Layer Style window.
Under Advanced Blending, uncheck the Green and Blue channels to only show the Red channel. Press OK to exit the window.
Edit Smart Objects to Recreate the TikTok Logo in Photoshop
Double-click on the Logo Smart Object layer thumbnail to open it in another tab.
Select another icon or logo in the library to swap it with the TikTok logo. Just click the image from the library and drag it to the Layers panel.
Disable the original logo to only show the new logo.
Change the logo color to white (#ffffff). Then, press the checkmark to commit to the changes.
Press CtrlS (Windows) or CommandS (macOS) to save the changes and automatically apply it to the working document, then close the tab.
Returning to the working document, you’ll see how Photoshop applies the same effect even with a new text or logo simply by editing the Smart Object.
You can use this Smart Object as a template to apply this effect to any other logo.
If the logo you are templating still has a background to clean up first, see how to remove a white background from logos in Photoshop.
With this tutorial on how you can recreate the TikTok logo in Photoshop, you can even use it as a template to create logos with the TikTok style!
Frequently Asked Questions
You recreate the TikTok logo in Photoshop by mixing color channels, not by applying a preset filter. Advanced Blending turns off channels on two duplicate layers so one shows only cyan light and the other only red light, then the offset position creates the glitch look.
A Smart Object is a container layer that keeps its contents editable. Duplicating a Smart Object keeps every copy linked, so editing the original logo updates every cyan, red, and original copy at once.
Select the Move tool, then hold Shift while tapping an arrow key. Each tap moves the layer 10 pixels instead of the usual 1 pixel.
Yes. Double-click the Smart Object thumbnail, swap in a new logo, change its color to white, then save and close the tab. Photoshop applies the same cyan-and-red effect to the new logo automatically.
White is made from all three color channels at full strength. Turn off red and only green and blue remain, which render as cyan. Turn off green and blue and only red remains.
Advanced Blending has been part of the Layer Style dialog for years. This tutorial was recorded in Photoshop 2020 (version 21.2), and the same steps work in the current version of Photoshop.
Conclusion
This TikTok logo effect comes down to one trick: turning off color channels on two Smart Object copies so they render as pure cyan and pure red.
Because the layers stay linked as a Smart Object, the same setup works as a template for any logo, not just TikTok’s.
Watch the full video above, and comment on the video if you have a question.
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Keep going
Next, try the same channel trick on a Duotone Double Exposure Effect.
