In this tutorial I will show you how to create a wafer text effect in Adobe Photoshop using a font as a foundation. You will begin by creating the pattern for text and then you will build the wafer text. In the end you will create some chocolate and a cream as an ornament for your text. Let’s begin!

Tutorial Resources

• Insaniburger Font

Step 1

First we will create the pattern that will be used for your text. Create a 24 x 26px document, go to View > Show > Grid to enable the Grid and then go to View > Snap To > Grid to enable the Snap to Grid. Hit Control + K to open the Preferences window, go to Guides, Grid & Slices and enter the settings mentioned in the next image. Along the tutorial I turned off the grid ( Control + ‘ ) for you to have a better vision. The grid will make it easier for you to create the shapes.

Step 2

Concentrate on your Toolbar and set the foreground color to #F2C088. Select the Line Tool, focus on the top bar and set the Weight to 7px. Move to your canvas and create the following vector shapes.

Step 3

Focus on the Layers panel, select all the vector shapes, right click on one of them and go to Merge Shapes. Open the Layer Style window for this vector shape and enter the settings mentioned below.

Step 4

Focus on your Layers panel, hold the Control button from your keyboard and then click on the thumbnail icon that stands for the existing vector shape to load a simple selection around it. Go to Select > Modify > Contract and set the Contract to 3px. Focus on the bottom side of the Layers panel and click the Create a new layer button. Set the foreground color to #FFFFFF, pick the Paint Bucket Tool and fill your selected zone. Once you’re done, hit Control + D to clear your selection and then lower the Fill to 0%. To save the pattern simply go to Edit > Define Pattern, pick a name for your pattern and click Ok.

Step 5

Hit Control + N and create a 2000x 1200px document.

Step 6

Pick the Horizontal Type Tool and use the Insaniburger Font. Move to your canvas, add the “SWEET” text with the size set to 450px and the color to #E3A45D. Once you’re done, open the Layer Style window for this text and enter the settings mentioned below.

Step 7

Focus on the Layers panel, select the text made in the previous step and duplicate it using the Control + Jkeyboard shortcut. Select the fresh copy, change its color to #68524F, right click on it and go to Clear Layer Style. Hit the up button from your keyboard four times to move it 4px up.

Step 8

Select the piece of text that lies in front and make a new copy in front ( Control+J ). Select this copy, move it 4 px up using that same up arrow button and change its color to #E3A45D. Make sure that this fresh copy is selected and duplicate it. Select the newly made copy, move it 4 px up and change its color to #68524F. Finally, duplicate this second piece of text. Once again, select the copy, move it 4 px up and replace the existing fill color with that same #E3A45D. In the end things should look like in the following images.

Step 9

Reselect the piece of text that lies in front and duplicate it ( Control+J ). Select this copy, move it 4 px up and then open the Layer Style window and enter the attributes shown in the following images. For the Pattern Overlay section make sure that you’re using the pattern saved in the beginning of the tutorial.

Step 10

Duplicate ( Control + J ) the text edited in the previous step, select the fresh copy, right click on it and go toClear Layer Style. Make sure that this copy is still selected, lower the Fill to 0%, open the Layer Style window and enter the settings mentioned below.

Step 11

Set the foreground color to #39180F, pick the Pen Tool and create a vector shape roughly as you can see in the first image. Make sure that this vector shape is still selected and hit Shift + Control + [ to send it in the back and then place it behind the “T” as shown below.

Step 12

Open the Layer Style window for the vector shape made in the previous step and enter the settings mentioned below.

Step 13

Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool and click on your canvas to open the “Create Rounded Rectangle”window. Enter the settings shown in next image and then click the Ok button. Place the newly made shape as shown in the following image.

Step 14

Open the Layer Style window for the vector shape made in the previous step and enter the settings mentioned in the next images.

Step 15

Using the same tool, click again on your canvas to open the “Create Rounded Rectangle” window. Enter the settings shown in next image and then place the new shape as you can see below.

Step 16

Pick the Add Anchor Point Tool and add new anchors points roughly as shown in the next image. Grab the Direct Selection Tool, select the highlighted anchor points one by one and drag them down using the down arrow button from your keyboard as you can see in the second image.

Step 17

Open the Layer Style window for the vector shape made in the previous step and enter the settings mentioned in the next images.

Step 18

Load a selection around your front piece of text and then go to Select > Modify > Contract. Enter a 25 pxContract and then click the OK button. Move to the Layers panel and create a new layer using the Create a New Layer button. Make sure that the foreground color is set to white, pick the Paint Bucket Tool and simply click inside your selection to fill it as shown in the following image. Once you’re done, hit Control + D to get rid of that selection.

Step 19

Make sure that the layer made in the previous step is still selected, right click on it and go to Convert to Smart Object. Go to Filter > Disort > Zig Zag , set the Amount to 6, Ridges to 7 and Style to Pond Ripples and then click Ok. Focus on the Layers panel and lower the Fill to 25% for your smart subject.

Step 20

Open the Layer Style window for the smart object made in the previous step and enter the settings mentioned below.

Step 21

Duplicate ( Control + J ) your smart object, select the copy, right click on it and go to Clear Layer Style. Make sure that the copy made in this step is still selected, lower the Fill to 0%, open the Layer Style window and enter the settings mentioned below.

Step 22

Concentrate on your Layers panel, select all the things made so far and then group them using the Control + Gkeyboard shortcut. Open the Layer Style window for this group and enter the settings mentioned below.

Step 23

Focus on the Layers panel, select the Background layer and click on the padlock icon to unlock the layer. Set the foreground color to #335671 , grab the Paint Bucket Tool and fill the canvas with a new color. Open theLayers Style window for the unlocked layer in this step and enter the settings mentioned in the next images.

Final Results

Download the PSD

Tutorial by Razvan Gabriel

Thank you for reading this tutorial and I hope that these techniques will help you in your future projects. See my portfolio here: MySketch.net – Razvan Gabriel