When you digitized a Type layer, you no longer have the option to revert back to your text and change the spelling, the number of words, or spaces between words.

But why do so?

If you apply a filter, of any type (from the filter menu), you have to do that. This is why Type layers are different to images layers. They are similar to Adobe Illustrator vector type layers and are such (fully editable, gradual etc.) until you convert them from vector to normal pixel layer. This is called digitizing (rasterizing). In previous versions of Photoshop this is also referred to as rendering. There is one basic rule: if you want to use a filter or different effects in your text, you need first to digitize.

First thing you need to do is open your photo on photoshop, right click on layer and duplicate the photo twice by Right Click-> Duplicate -> OK.
Once this is done turn off your background layer, and now you are ready to go into the main retouching process.

First we will apply a filter to the first layer, that’s Filter -> Distort -> Diffuse Glow , which will bring up the Diffuse Glow menu as shown below.

Next you want to move the graininess slider to 0, the glow between 4 and 7 and finally the clear slider between 7 and 10 to avoid wash-out colours hit ok, and you are done with your first layer.

Moving on to your second layer, Filter->Blur->Gaussian Blur and set it to 5.5 and move back to your top layer.

Select the top layer and go to blending mode to overlay and there you go your new picture glamourized with soft focus and softer light in less that 5mins!

First, open up a new document and fill it with black as the background. This is important so make sure that the background color is black. Now, type in the text you wish to apply the tutorial to, we’ll use the text “Photoshop” as you can see below.

Now, flip the text 90 degrees CCW, you can do this by using the transform tool under ‘edit’. After this we’ll apply the wind filter, you can do this by going to Filter -> Stylize -> Wind, make sure to apply wind from right to left. Repeat this step 3 times.

Flip the text back using 90 CW (edit -> transform again) and add a gaussian blur filter (Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur -> 7 pixels). Now make a new layer (ctrl+shift+n) and go to Image -> Apply Image.

Now it’s time to utilize the first magic, go to Image -> Adjustments -> Hue/Saturation and make sure ‘colorize is selected’. Set the hue to 40 and the saturation to 100.

Duplicate this layer (ctrl+j) and go again to hue/saturation, this time set the hue to -40. Now set the layer on color doge and click ctrl+e which will merge down the layer.

After this we’ll use liquify which is placed under the filters menu, press “W”, select brush size 50, with a density of 40, you can keep the pressure at 100. We’re now going to use the dodge tool to create some cool flames by ‘dragging the wind up’. After you’ve added the first set to flames, lower the brush size to add more details to your flames, using the same technique.

After you’ve done this, type your text again, but this time in black - move your text ‘into’ your old text. Now duplicate layer 1 (the new layer, use ctrl+j again) and drag it above the other layers. Set it on screen and leave the opacity to 100%, both these things can be handled from inside the layers menu.

Now add a layer mask and take the gradient tool, take the linear gradient white to black and drag from top of the text to the bottom. After this, use the smudge tool at 60 pixels and drag over the black letters you don’t want to be black.

Create a new layer and go to Image -> Apply Image, set this new layer to screen and the opacity to 60%. On top of this we’ll use Gaussian Blur with the radius 50 pixels (Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur). Again, create a new layer and go to Image -> Apply Image. We’ll now make a new layer once again and go to Image -> Apply Image, important is to set the opacity of this layer to 50% this time, after this press ctrl+t.

After this, go to Edit -> Transform -> Perspective to create a shadow effect by mirroring the image, this will make the text float and look really cool!

Hopefully, if you’ve done all the steps right, you’ll have something like this on your screen.