Glass Text

Finished project
  Download presets.

Download these presets, unzip and extract them to your Presets directory.

  
Lay down the text Make vector text.

Open an image or create a new one. Set your background color swatch to #30AFB4 and the foreground color swatch to null. Click on the Text tool Text tool. Create as Vector and Anti-Alias checked. I've used 120 point Bodoni Bold Condensed here. Objects->Align->Center in Canvas, or use the Object Selector tool Object Selector tool to put the text where you want it. Selections->From Vector Object. Selections->Load/Save Selection->Save Selection to Alpha Channel. You can just accept the default name. Right click on the vector layer and choose "Convert to Raster Layer". Do not deselect.

  
Start the contouring Contouring the text.

Layers->New Raster Layer. Selections->Modify->Contract by 2 pixels. Click on the Flood Fill tool Flood Fill tool and fill the selection with white. If you're using a serif font, like here, you may have to click in several spots to fill it. Selections->Select None. Adjust->Blur->Gaussian Blur, set the radius to 2. In the Layer Control Palette, set the blend mode on this layer to Overlay. Right click on the layer and choose Merge Down.

  
Bevel and texture the text Bevel and texture the text.

Selections->Load/Save Selection->Load from Alpha Channel. Hit the Load button. Effects->3D Effects->Inner Bevel. From the Preset drop down choose the amc_glassbevel preset. Effects->Texture Effects->Soft Plastic. From the Preset drop down, choose amc_glasstutorial.

  
Starting to look like glass Continue texturing.

With the selection still active, Adjust->Sharpness->Unsharp Mask, set the values to 1, 100 and 4. Selections->Modify->Contract by 5. Selections->Modify->Feather by 5. Hit the Delete key twice. Selections->Load/Save Selection->Load from Alpha Channel. Hit the Load button. Selections->Modify->Select Selection Borders, check Inside, anti-alias and set the value to 2. Adjust->Blur->Gaussian Blur, set the value to 1.0.

  
Finished Add a shadow and refract the background.

Selections->Load/Save Selection->Load from Alpha Channel. Hit the Load button. Effects->3D Effects->Drop Shadow. Set the color to black, the rest of the settings are a personal preference, I used Offsets of 2, Opacity of 100 and a Blur of 4. With the text still selected, in the Layer Control Palette make the bottom layer active (your image or flood fill). Effects->Distortion Effects->Punch, set the value to 50.