Hot Banding Iron Designing

In this easy Photoshop tutorial you’ll learn how to design a very cool-looking branding iron effect, using the type tool, a few shapes, and a fair few layer style effects. This is my outcome from the tutorial:

1. New Document

Start by creating a new document in Photoshop. Any size will do, but for this tutorial I’ll be using a size of 600 x 300 pixels, with the default resolution of 72.
After this, you might want to choose a nice background for your canvas, I just used a nice wood texture.

2. Creating the Shape

There are two parts of the main shape, the text, and the border on the outside. Which do you want to make first? I think it’s best to make the text first so we can make the border to fit.
Get the Horizontal Type Tool out and write out your desired text, preferably something short, if you can.

In the above image you can see I’ve used a font called Impact, at a size of 200 pt. Also, you can feel free to use any color you want for the text at this stage.
Next, the border for your shape. Find and get out the Rounded Rectangle Tool, then set up your settings as similar to mine as you can/want:

Now you’ve got your tool and settings set up, create a new layer (underneath your text layer) then draw a shape the suitable size, a just so it hangs around the outside of your text.

Next, change the fill opacity for this layer to 0%, then apply this Stroke layer style.
Now your shape should look like this:

Finish off this step by merging your two layers together, so the whole shape is on one single layer.

3. Modifying the Shape

You can leave the shape the way it is, but I think it needs a few more changes before we finalize it. Start by filling your shape with a red color, do this by clicking the little icon near the top of your layer’s palette that ‘locks the transparent pixels.’
After you’ve locked the transparent pixels, fill your shape with a red color, I used #ac2009.

Finish off this step by rotating and maybe resizing your shape slightly.

Note: Press ctrl+t to go into Transform Mode.

4. Applying Effects (Layer Styles)

Now we’re finished with the shape, let’s add some effects. Right-click your layer in the layer’s palette and go to the Blending Options. Click and apply the following layer styles/settings:

1. Inner Shadow
2. Inner Glow
3. Gradient Overlay
4. Satin
5. Pattern Overlay

Now your shape should look pretty much like this:

Looking good so far! The next step is optional, in which we’ll erase away a bit of the shape to give a bit more of an interesting effect.
Start by creating a new layer, then merging your shape and blank layer together, this is basically applying the layer styles to the pixels, so they’re not really there anymore. After doing this, get out your eraser tool and select a grungy brush.
Erase away a bit of your shape like so.

5. Finalizing

When you’re pretty much all finished with your shape, go into Transform Mode (ctrl+t) and size your shape down to about 60.0% of it’s original size. This is what I’ve ended up with:

Looking great now!

6. Final Result

And now we’re pretty much finished with this tutorial, I hope it was sufficient for you all! I also hope you enjoyed this tutorial, I know I did!