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This tutorial demonstrates how to stroke transparent type with rainbow colours and how to create a text reflection.
Apply Text: Beginners
Understand CS4, CS5 & CS6’s Workspace And Palettes
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards.
Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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Open a New Image and set the attributes of your choice. (File then New).
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Resolution Note
If you are printing your text, then set a Resolution of 300. If you aren’t, a Resolution of 72 will be fine.
Tip
Extend your image’s workspace by left-clicking and dragging out one of its corners.
CS4/CS5 Tip: Snap Your Image To The Top Menu’s Horizontal Bar
Another way of centralising an image is to snap it to the top (horizontal) menu-bar by dragging your image towards it: as soon as you see a blue horizontal bar, your image should automatically snap to it.
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From the Toolbar, activate the Gradient Tool. (Alternatively, open an image/background of your choice onto Photoshop’s workspace).
And enter the settings of your choice into the Options Bar.
Then left-click and stretch a Gradient Line over your image.
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Now, from the Tools Toolbar, activate the Horizontal Type Mask Tool.
And enter type attributes of your choice into the Options Bar.
Now, apply the text of your choice, and then left-click beneath it and then drag it to its final position.
And then press your Return/Enter to apply it.
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Now, press down the Ctrl Key, and then tap the J Key. (Layer then New then Layer Via Copy). This places the selected text onto its own Layer - as illustrated below.
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Then from the top menu, choose Select then choose Load Selection. And then click OK to the subsequent Load Selection dialogue box.
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Now, (still working on Layer 1): from the bottom of the Layers Palette, click open the Layer Styles (fx) menu. Then click Drop Shadow - as illustrated below.
 
Then from the subsequent Drop Shadow dialogue, enter your desired settings. (Do not click OK yet).
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From the Layer Style’s dialogue box’s left-side, mark and highlight the Bevel and Emboss box - as illustrated below.
Then enter settings of your choice into the right-side Bevel and Emboss menu, and then click OK.
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From the top menu, choose Select then choose Deselect - Ctrl then D.
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Now, from the top menu, choose Layer then choose Layer Style and then choose Stroke.
And from the subsequent Layer Style dialogue box’s left-side, mark and highlight Stroke.
Now, from the right-side Stroke menu, change the Fill Type to Gradient.
And then select a Rainbow Gradient of your choice from the subsequent Presets menu, and then click OK.
Note
For personal results, it’s important to experiment with different Stroke Blending Modes and Opacities.
When you are happy with the look of your gradient stroke, click OK to apply it to your
text.
Gradient Overlay Tip
To fill the transparent text with a gradient, (from the Layer Style dialogue box), activate Gradient Overlay. Then experiment with different Gradient Overlay settings until you see a look you are happy with, and then click OK.
After you have stroked your type with a gradient of your choice, you are ready for the next step.
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Duplicate the Text Layer by right-clicking over it and then choosing Duplicate Layer from the subsequent dialogue box. (Click OK to the subsequent Duplicate Layer dialogue box).
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Then (working on the Layer 1 copy Layer): from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Transform and then choose Rotate 180.
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Again, from the top menu, choose Edit then choose Transform and then choose Flip Horizontal.
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Now, activate the Move Tool  . Then left-click and drag the Duplicated Text and place it directly below the original text, as illustrated below.
Tip
You can nudge the text into position pixel by pixel by tapping your Keyboard’s Arrow Keys.
Tip
Reducing the Duplicated Layer’s Opacity to around 63% will fade the text’s reflection.
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To finish, from the Toolbar, activate the Crop Tool.
And then crop away any extraneous background.
Tip
Now is a good time to save your work as a Photoshop Image File.
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From the top menu, choose Layer then choose Flatten Image.
Sharpening Tip
Your image may benefit from a Sharpening Filter: top menu, then Filter then Sharpen.
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Congratulations, your Rainbow Stroked Transparent Type is complete and is ready to save.
Wendi E. M. Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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