§5 TEXT EFFECTS — 19 Verified Recipes

5.1 LIQUID DRIP / MELTING TEXT

Result: Flowing tendrils/streams dripping DOWNWARD from text bottom

CRITICAL DIRECTION LOGIC (verified by testing):

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CORRECT: Rotate -90 CCW → apply_wind("left") x 5-7 → Rotate +90 CW back = DRIPS DOWN
WRONG:   Rotate +90 CW  → apply_wind("right") x 5 → Rotate -90 CCW back = DRIPS UP

Why: Rotate -90 CCW → text bottom faces RIGHT → Wind "from left" pushes pixels RIGHT (toward bottom) → Rotate +90 CW back → RIGHT streaks become DOWNWARD

CRITICAL: White text on BLACK background (not transparent) — SCREEN blend removes black

MCP Tool Chain:

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1. duplicate_layer (preserve original text)
2. rasterize_layer
3. Create BLACK pixel layer → merge with text (white on black)
4. scale_layer 300% height from TOPCENTER (elongate before wind)
5. rotate_canvas(angle=-90)
6. apply_wind(method="wind", direction="left") x 5-7 times
7. rotate_canvas(angle=90)
8. apply_gaussian_blur(radius=2-3)
9. set_layer_properties(blend_mode="SCREEN", layer_opacity=90)
10. add_gradient_map_adjustment_layer (clipped — colorize)
11. add_outer_glow_layer_style (neon color glow)
12. add_layer_mask + fill_mask_with_gradient (hide top, show bottom)

Common Mistakes:

•Rotating CW (+90) first → drips go UP
•Wind "from right" after CW rotation → drips go UP
•Using "blast" method → too messy/aggressive, layer goes off-canvas
•White on TRANSPARENT + SCREEN → colors invisible
•Wave amplitude too high (>40) → text destroyed

5.2 CHROME / METALLIC TEXT

Gradient Overlay: reflected, angle: 90

•stops: {0: (26,26,26)}, {25: (216,216,216)}, {50: (26,26,26)}, {75: (250,250,250)}, {100: (26,26,26)}

Bevel & Emboss: innerBevel, chiselHard, depth: 300, size: 5, angle: 120, altitude: 30

•highlight: SCREEN white 90%, shadow: MULTIPLY black 75%

5.3 NEON GLOW TEXT

Neon Color Palette:

Color	RGB
Pink	(255, 17, 119)
Blue	(0, 212, 255)
Green	(57, 255, 20)
Red	(255, 7, 58)
Yellow	(255, 229, 0)
Cyan	(5, 217, 255)
Purple	(204, 0, 255)

Layer Styles on text:

•add_inner_glow_layer_style(blend_mode="NORMAL", opacity=100, color=NEON_COLOR, source="center", choke=0, size=8)
•add_outer_glow_layer_style(blend_mode="SCREEN", opacity=100, color=NEON_COLOR, spread=0, size=20)
•
add_drop_shadow_layer_style(blend_mode="SCREEN", color=NEON_COLOR, opacity=100, distance=0, spread=0, size=60)
- •drop shadow with SCREEN + distance=0 = wide ambient glow

Multi-Layer Glow Stacking (for INTENSE glow):

•Duplicate text → fill_opacity=0, layer_opacity=20% → Gaussian Blur 15px → SCREEN
•Duplicate again → Gaussian Blur 40px → SCREEN 50%
•Duplicate again → Gaussian Blur 80px → SCREEN 30%
•Result: 4 layers creating photorealistic multi-radius glow

5.4 GLASS / FROSTED TEXT

Key: set_layer_properties(fill_opacity=0) — NOT layer opacity

•add_bevel_emboss_layer_style(style="innerBevel", technique="smooth", depth=150, size=10, soften=2, angle=120, altitude=30, highlight_mode="SCREEN", highlight_opacity=85, shadow_mode="MULTIPLY", shadow_opacity=50)
•add_inner_shadow_layer_style(blend_mode="MULTIPLY", opacity=30, angle=120, distance=3, choke=0, size=5)
•add_inner_glow_layer_style(blend_mode="SCREEN", color={255,255,255}, opacity=30, source="edge", choke=0, size=8)
•add_stroke_layer_style(size=1, position="INSIDE", blend_mode="SCREEN", color={255,255,255}, opacity=50)

5.5 FIRE / FLAME TEXT

Same Wind technique as drip but OPPOSITE direction:

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Rotate +90 CW → apply_wind("left") x 3-5 → Rotate -90 CCW back = FLAMES UP

Steps:

•White text on black background → rasterize → merge to single layer
•rotate_canvas(angle=90) → CW
•apply_wind(method="wind", direction="left") x 3-5
•rotate_canvas(angle=-90) → back
•apply_gaussian_blur(radius=1.5)
•Optional: apply_ripple(amount=110, size="medium") for flicker
•
Gradient Map fire colors:
- •{0: (0,0,0)}, {30: (255,0,0)}, {55: (255,102,0)}, {80: (255,204,0)}, {100: (255,255,255)}

5.6 ICE / FROZEN TEXT

Text color: RGB (168, 216, 234)

•add_bevel_emboss_layer_style(style="innerBevel", technique="chiselHard", depth=250, size=5, angle=120, altitude=30, highlight_mode="SCREEN", highlight_opacity=90, shadow_mode="MULTIPLY", shadow_color={26,58,92}, shadow_opacity=70)
•add_inner_glow_layer_style(blend_mode="SCREEN", color={200,232,255}, opacity=50, source="edge", size=12)
•add_satin_layer_style(blend_mode="SCREEN", color={200,232,255}, opacity=30, angle=19, distance=11, size=14, invert=true)

Frost texture: Duplicate → rasterize → apply_crystallize(cell_size=5) → OVERLAY 40% → apply_noise(5)

5.7 GOLD / LUXURY TEXT

Gold Gradient Stops:

•{0: (191,149,63)}, {25: (252,246,186)}, {50: (179,135,40)}, {75: (251,245,183)}, {100: (170,119,28)}

•add_gradient_overlay_layer_style with gold stops, angle: 90, type: "linear"
•add_bevel_emboss_layer_style(style="innerBevel", technique="smooth", depth=200, size=3, highlight_color={252,246,186}, shadow_color={92,58,10})
•add_stroke_layer_style(size=2, position="OUTSIDE") with same gold gradient
•add_satin_layer_style(blend_mode="MULTIPLY", color={92,58,10}, opacity=25, angle=19, distance=8, size=10)

5.8 HOLOGRAPHIC / IRIDESCENT TEXT

Rainbow Gradient:

•{0: (255,0,153)}, {15: (255,102,0)}, {30: (255,255,0)}, {45: (0,255,102)}, {60: (0,204,255)}, {75: (102,51,255)}, {100: (255,0,153)}

Gradient Overlay angle: 135 + innerBevel smooth depth: 150, size: 4, soften: 2 + Satin LINEAR_DODGE white 30%

5.9 GLITCH EFFECT TEXT

•Duplicate text 3x (Red, Green, Blue) + rasterize each
•Red layer: set_channel_restrictions to red → translate 5px left, 2px up → SCREEN
•Blue layer: set_channel_restrictions to blue → translate 5px right, 2px down → SCREEN
•Green layer: keep position, channel to green → SCREEN
•Scan lines: new layer → apply_halftone_pattern (line, size:1) → OVERLAY 15%
•Color bands: thin rects, red/cyan, SCREEN 60-80%
•apply_noise(amount=15) → SCREEN 30%

5.10 EMBOSS / LETTERPRESS TEXT

Dark bg: white text, fill_opacity=0, pillowEmboss direction=down depth=150 size=2, inner shadow 30% Light bg: same but direction=up, swap highlight/shadow

5.11 OUTLINE / STROKE TEXT

fill_opacity=0 + add_stroke_layer_style(size=2, position="CENTER", color=DESIRED)

5.12 3D EXTRUDE TEXT

Duplicate 20+ times, each translate 1px right+down, merge all copies, place below original, color overlay darker shade

5.13 WATERCOLOR TEXT

Rasterize → duplicate → blur copy MULTIPLY 80% → wave on original (low amplitude) → ripple edge bleed MULTIPLY 40%

5.14 SMOKE TEXT

White on black → rasterize → wave (gen 5, wavelength 10-80, amplitude 5-20) → Gaussian 3px → liquify upward → gradient mask → SCREEN

5.15 RETRO / VINTAGE TEXT

Warm off-white (240,230,210), stroke 3px red, hard shadow (spread=100, distance=4, size=0), noise 8%

5.16 GRADIENT FILL TEXT (scene colors)

Method A: add_gradient_overlay_layer_style with sampled colors Method B: place image above text → clip to text (is_clipping_mask=true)

5.17 LAVA / MOLTEN TEXT

3-layer stack:

•Base text with Inner Glow #FF6600 SCREEN 75% size 15, Outer Glow #FF3300 SCREEN 80% size 25, Bevel innerBevel depth 300% size 7
•Duplicate → rasterize → Gaussian blur 3px → COLOR_DODGE 60%
•Gradient Map: {0: (0,0,0)}, {30: (128,0,0)}, {60: (255,100,0)}, {85: (255,200,0)}, {100: (255,255,200)}

5.18 LIQUID TEXT — GAUSSIAN + WAVE + LIQUIFY

•Rasterize text → duplicate
•apply_gaussian_blur(radius=8-12) on copy
•apply_wave(generators=3, wavelength_min=10, wavelength_max=80, amplitude_min=5, amplitude_max=25)
•liquify_forward — push downward at text edges
•Gradient mask: show bottom, hide top
•Gradient Map for colorization → SCREEN 85%

5.19 LIQUID TEXT — BEVEL & EMBOSS STACKING

Pure layer styles — no filters needed:

•Text layer with 2px stroke
•add_bevel_emboss_layer_style(style="innerBevel", technique="smooth", depth=100, size=20, angle=120, altitude=47, highlight_mode="SCREEN", highlight_opacity=100, shadow_mode="MULTIPLY", shadow_opacity=100)
•add_inner_glow_layer_style(size=15, opacity=50, source="edge")
•add_outer_glow_layer_style(size=30, opacity=60)
•Set fill_opacity=0 for glass-liquid hybrid