Signature Stop, Photoshop signature tutorials, renders, tag tutorials and signature backgrounds!

In this tutorial we will be making the following signature using the pen tool, several render effects (you can find these and more in our resources section), the topaz filter and smudging (You can find a general tutorial about Topaz in this article). If you have any questions regarding this tutorial please use the comment system below. Thanks to hellboy999 for this signature!

1. Create a new file, our signature is sized 360 by 140 pixels. Size is not really important when you create signatures, just use whatever you like:

2. Apply your wallpaper, photo or render on your canvas. This photo has its focal point in the middle of the canvas:

3. We’re going to apply a black to white gradient map to darken the signature a bit. Set this gradient map to Soft light on 28% opacity:

4. Make a new layer, go to Image > Apply Image, and smudge the background a bit. Remove the parts near the focal point. To illustrate what this layer looks like I’ll show it to you on a white backgound:

shown on our render:

5. Add a large textured render on top of the signature. remove parts over your focal point or important detail in the background.

6. We’re going to desaturate the canvas. Make a new layer, and go to Image > Apply Image. Then go to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate:

7. Smudge, erase and move around some of the textures around the focal:

8. Apply the image on a new layer (New Layer, Image > Apply Image) and select Filter > Sharpen. Erase parts that come off too strong, and smudge some more parts of the background:

9. More smudging, and use the sharpen tool to sharpen some of the sections:

10. Apply the image, smudge, erase and sharpen parts. We’re going to repeat these steps a bit until it looks good. This is one of the layers shown on a white background to show you what it looks like:

11. After doing this step a few times and desaturating the result:

12. Time for some colouring. Go to Layer > New adjustment layer > Gradient Map… and select settings something similar to this:

This Gradient Map is set to Soft Light on 59% opacity. The result:

13. Using the pen tool, we’re going to create some lines around our render. Use your eyedropper tool to select 2 contrasting colors, and stroke these lines (right click > Stroke, set it to 1 and select the color you like):

14. Apply an outer glow to this layer (Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow):

Result of our lines:

15. Make a new Gradient Map, select Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map… and select some good looking gradient. If you use my adjustment layer, make sure you set it to reverse:

This layer is set to Soft Light on 21% Opacity:

16. We’re going to add some renders on our canvas, smudge and erase some of these parts. I’ll show you what my layer looks like on a white background:

Set this layer to soft light:

17. Make a new layer, and apply the image. Hide this layer for now, we’re going to need it in step 20.

18. Apply this layer on a new layer, and add a new photo filter. Image > New Adjustment Layer > Photofilter:

Leave this layer on normal and full opacity (remember to set the density to 25%):

19. Add another cinema4d layer, and smudge this a bit. This is what the layer looks like on a white background. Set this layer to Color Dodge:

Remember to set it to color dodge:

20. Grab the layer we applied in step 17, and move it on top. Reduce its opacity to 50%, this is the layer shown on a white background:

21. Apply the image on a new layer and sharpen parts of it. Erase pieces that you don’t need. This is the layer set to a white background:

The result:

22. We’re going to create another gradient map, Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map:

Set this layer to soft light, and reduce its opacity to 30%:

23. We’re going to apply the topaz vivacity filter (You can view a tutorial on the Topaz filter in this article, select Filter > Topaz Vivacity > Topaz Sharpen, and use the standard settings. After that, select Filter > Topaz Vivacity > Topaz DeJPG. Our result:

24. Add another photofilter, and select a nice looking color. my settings were:

This finnishes our tutorial, the result after applying the photo filter:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial. Feel free to comment, suggest or ask any questions in the comments below.