Creating a Spray Paint Effect on Text in Photoshop

Creating a spray-painted stencil text effect in Photoshop is a great way to add a raw, urban, and grungy feel to your designs. Instead of manually painting, we’ll use filters, blending modes, and textures to achieve a realistic spray-paint effect without needing a drawing tablet.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to: Create natural overspray and spray-paint textures
Add grunge details for a realistic feel
Use blending modes and filters to refine the look

By the end, you’ll have a stunning stencil spray-paint effect ready to use in your projects!

Step 1: Setting Up the Document

1. Open Photoshop and create a New Document.
2. Set the size to 3840×2160 pixels (4K resolution for high detail).
3. Choose a black background.

Step 2: Adding the Text

1. Select the Type Tool (T) and type your text.
2. Use a bold, stencil-like font such as Mr. Stalwart (a free Google Font).
3. Press Ctrl + Enter (Windows) / Cmd + Return (Mac) to confirm the text.
4. Resize the text (Ctrl + T / Cmd + T) and rotate it slightly for a dynamic feel.

Step 3: Preparing the Text for Effects

1. Rasterize the Text:
   • Right-click the text layer and select Rasterize Type.
2. Ensure White Text on Black Background:
   • Go to Edit > Fill (Shift + F5) and set:
     • Contents: Black
     • Blending Mode: Behind
   • This ensures that the transparent areas are filled with black.

Step 4: Creating the Spray-Paint Effect

1. Add a Layer Mask to the Text Layer:
   • Click the Mask Button at the bottom of the Layers panel.
2. Apply a Cloudy Noise Pattern to the Mask:
   • Select the mask and go to Filter > Render > Clouds.
   • This creates a random noise pattern.
3. Blur the Mask:
   • Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur with a 25px radius.
4. Increase Contrast in the Mask:
   • Press Ctrl + L (Windows) / Cmd + L (Mac) for Levels.
   • Adjust Black Input: 80, White Input: 175.

This creates a randomized spray effect around the edges.

Step 5: Blurring the Spray-Paint Effect

1. Apply a Lens Blur to the Text:
   • Select the text layer and go to Filter > Blur > Lens Blur.
   • In the Depth Map Source, choose Layer Mask.
   • Set Radius to 100.
   • Keep Iris Shape as Pentagon and set other values to 0.
2. Fade the Blur Effect:
   • Immediately after applying Lens Blur, go to Edit > Fade Lens Blur (Ctrl + Shift + F).
   • Reduce the Opacity to 80% for more definition.

Now, the text looks like real spray paint, but we need to refine it further!

Step 6: Creating the Speckled Spray Paint Look

1. Change the Blending Mode of the Text Layer to Dissolve.
2. Convert White Areas to Transparency:
   • Select the text layer and press Ctrl + A, then Ctrl + C to copy.
   • Click on the mask, press Alt + Click, and then Ctrl + V to paste the text into the mask.
3. Fill the Layer with White:
   • Press D to reset colors.
   • Press Ctrl + Backspace to fill with white.
4. Reduce Opacity to 97%:
   • This adds small speckles of paint for a more natural look.
5. Merge with Background for Smoother Edges:
   • Unlock the background layer and press Ctrl + E to merge.
   • Apply a 0.5px Gaussian Blur to smooth the dissolve effect.

Step 7: Adding Real Spray-Paint Texture

1. Import a Real Spray Paint Texture (InkPaint170 from TextureLabs).
2. Invert the Image (Ctrl + I).
3. Transform (Ctrl + T) and Position the Texture where you want more detail.
4. Set Blending Mode to Screen for realistic highlights.

This extra detail enhances the authenticity of the spray-paint look!

Step 8: Adding Color Details

1. Import a Colored Spray Texture (InkPaint182).
2. Apply Color Overlay:
   • Go to Effects > Color Overlay.
   • Choose a red color.
3. Position the Texture as an Underline for a cool graffiti effect.

Step 9: Creating a Realistic Background

1. Import a Leather or Rough Surface Texture (Fabric148).
2. Adjust Brightness & Contrast for better contrast.
3. Set the Stencil Text Layer to Screen Mode.
4. Reduce Opacity to 80% so the texture shows through slightly.

Step 10: Adding Grunge Elements

1. Import a Black Grunge Texture (Grunge120).
2. Set Blending Mode to Screen to reveal white paint splatters.
3. Import a White Grunge Texture (Grunge121).
4. Set Blending Mode to Multiply to add darker grunge elements.
5. Use Levels (Ctrl + L) to increase contrast.

Step 11: Final Adjustments

1. Apply Levels Adjustment to the Entire Image

• Go to Image > Adjustments > Levels.
• Adjust:
  • Black Point: 6
  • White Point: 210
  • Midtones: 1.15

2. Adjust Blue Channel for Realism

• In Levels, switch from RGB to Blue Channel.
• Lower midtones to 1.15 for a cool-toned effect.

This step ties everything together with a realistic, cohesive look!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve created a stunning spray-painted stencil effect in Photoshop!

Recap:

Used Lens Blur and Dissolve Mode for realistic spray textures.
Applied real paint textures for added realism.
Enhanced the effect with grunge overlays and background textures.
Finalized with Levels & Color Adjustments to balance the composition.

Now it’s your turn! Try this effect with different fonts, colors, and textures to create your own unique graffiti-style design!