PICTURE POSTCARDS

1 Type some text

Open TYCC84.jpg. Go to Window>Workspace>Typography. Choose the Horizontal Type mask tool from the Tools panel. In the Options bar, choose Gill Sans from the Font Family menu. Set style to Bold and a Size value of 200 points. Hold Shift and type ‘ITALIA’.

3 Add a texture

Choose Layer>New>Layer. Label the layer ‘Italia’. Click OK. Open TYCC83.jpg. Choose Select>All and then Edit>Copy. On the main document choose Edit>Paste Special>Paste Into. Drag inside the text with the Move tool to reveal the ripples from the copied image.

5 Create a reflection

Set Blending Mode to Screen and Opacity to 64%. Click the ‘Italia’ layer. Press Cmd/Ctrl+J. Click between the duplicated layer and its mask to link them. Choose Edit>Transform>Flip Vertical. Hold Shift and use the Move tool to drag the text to the bottom of the frame.

2 Warp the text

Move the cursor away from the text until it changes to an arrow. Drag the text near to the skyline. Right-click and choose Warp Text. Set the Style menu to Wave. Tick the Horizontal button. Drag the Bend slider left to -34 so that the text warps to flow above the buildings. Click OK.

4 Add 3D edges

Choose Layer>Layer Style>Bevel & Emboss. Set Style to Inner Bevel and Technique to Chisel Hard. Set Depth 74%, Direction Up and Size 27. In Shading, set Angle 164 and Altitude 11. Click Pattern Overlay, open the Pattern picker, load Rock Patterns, choose the Dirt pattern.

6 Add some blur

Click ‘Italia copy’ and choose Layer>Rasterize>Layer Style. Set the Blending Mode to Overlay and drop Opacity to 75%. Go to Filter> Blur>Radial Blur. Set Amount to 9, Blur Method to Zoom and Quality to Best. Drag the Blur Center to make it match the text above.