How to Add a Sparkle Effect in Photoshop (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-19 22:11

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a glitter effect that you can apply to shapes and text in Photoshop.

Step

Part 1 of 4: Creating a New Project

Step 1. Open Photoshop

Double-click the Photoshop icon, which is the "Ps" in the blue box.

Step 2. Click File

It's in the upper left corner of Photoshop. Click to open the drop down menu.

Step 3. Click New…

You'll find this option at the top of the drop-down menu. Click to open a window.

Step 4. Enter a name

Type a name into the text box at the top of the window.

You can also adjust all the settings in this window, if needed

Step 5. Click OK

Place this button at the bottom of the window. Click to close the window and open a new project.

Part 2 of 4: Creating a New Base Layer

Step 1. Click the " New Layer " button

This icon resembles a rectangle with folded corners, which is at the bottom of the " Layers " window.

If you don't see the " Layers " window on the right side of Photoshop, first click on the label Windows at the top of Photoshop, then check the option Layers.

Step 2. Open the “Swatches” window

Click Windows at the top of Photoshop, then check the option Swatches in the dropdown menu.

Step 3. Choose a color

Click a color in the " Swatches " window on the right side of Photoshop. This is the color of the glitter that will be used.

Step 4. Replace the background color with the foreground color

Click the 90-degree arrow to the right of the two-color square in the lower-left corner of the window.

Do this only if the front box contains color and the back box is white.
You can also press X to change the foreground and background colors.

Step 5. Apply selected color as background

Press Ctrl+← Backspace (Windows) or Command+Del (Mac) to do this. You will see the background color change according to the selected color.

Step 6. Click Filters

It's at the top of Photoshop. Click to open the drop down menu.

Step 7. Select Noise

You will find this option in the middle of the drop down menu Filter. Click to bring up the drop down menu.

Step 8. Click Add Noise…

It's in the drop-down menu. A new window will open.

Step 9. Select the amount of noise

Click and move the " Noise " slider to the left to decrease the noise, and to the right to increase the noise.

The higher the " Noise " number, the less gaps the glitter effect has

Step 10. Check the box " Monochromatic"

It's near the bottom of the window. This option ensures that the glitter color matches the one previously selected.

If you want more colored glitter, leave this box unchecked

Step 11. Click OK

It's at the bottom of the window.

Step 12. Add the " Crystallize " effect

This effect brightens up the part with glitter, which will enhance the look of the glitter:

Click Filter
choose Pixelate
Click Crystallize…
Set the "Cell size" slider to between 4 and 10.
Click OK

Part 3 of 4: Adding and Merging Layers

Step 1. Right click on the base layer

Will find this glitter layer options window " Layers ". Click to open the drop down menu.

For Mac users, you can hold down Control while clicking a layer

Step 2. Click Duplicate Layer…

Place this button on the dropdown layer.

Step 3. Click OK when prompted

This option will create a copy of the glitter layer and place it at the top of the " Layers " window.

Step 4. Right click the new layer

It's at the top of the " Layers " window. A drop down menu will appear.

Step 5. Click Blending Options…

You'll find it near the top of the drop-down menu. Click to open the Blending Options window.

Step 6. Click the "Blend Mode" drop-down box

This box is at the top of the window. Click to open the drop down menu.

Step 7. Click Multiply

This option is in the drop-down menu.

Step 8. Click OK

It's on the right side of the window. Click to apply the " Multiply " effect to the duplicate layer.

Step 9. Rotate the second layer

This ensures that the second layer complements the base glitter layer instead of just blending in with it:

Click Image at the top of Photoshop.
choose Image Rotation
Click 180°

Step 10. Create and rotate one more layer

Right-click (or Control-click) the layer you just created and edited, then click Duplicate Layers… and click OK. You will rotate the layer by clicking Image, choose Image Rotation, and clicking 180° in the pop-out menu.

You can add and edit more layers after this if you want, but three should be enough for the glitter effect

Step 11. Merge the three layers

In the " Layers " window, click the top layer, then hold down Shift while clicking the bottom layer (not the " Background " layer). When all layers are selected, press either Ctrl+E (Windows) or Command+E (Mac) to merge all three layers together. This step will create the glitter layer.

Step 12. Change the glitter color

If you want to change the color of the glitter, do so by following these instructions:

Create a new layer and make sure it's at the top of the " Layers " window.
Choose a color and apply it to the layer.
Right-click the layer.
Click Blending Options…
Click the "Blend Mode" drop-down box.
Click Soft Light
Click OK, then repeat additional layers to darken the colors, if needed.

Part 4 of 4: Applying the Glitter Effect

Step 1. Create a new layer

Click the " New Layer " button at the bottom of the " Layers " window.

Skip this step if you want to apply a glitter effect to the outline of the image

Step 2. Add text or images

Depending on whether you want to fill the outline of a text or image with a glitter effect, the next steps can vary:

Text - Click icon T in the toolbar, then type the text you want.
Image - Open the image in Photoshop, select the "Quick Selection Tool" in the toolbox, click and drag around the outline of the image, right-click the outline area of the shape, and click Layer Via Cut.