In this tutorial I will take you through a few steps that will show you how I created a poster design. This illustration was created for a contest started by UPrinting Design over at You The Designer. I was one of the lucky winners. Also, because of the requests to write a tutorial on this design, I made some changes to it, and I decided to show you the design process behind this piece.
Final Image Preview
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Video Tutorial
Our video editor Gavin Steele has created this video tutorial to compliment this text + image tutorial.
Step 1
The first thing that came into my head when I heard about the typography contest was a typing machine, so I started from that. I have provided each link for all the stock I used. Then, after a few days of trying to figure out how to continue, I started adding letters to the document. As I continued experimenting with the letters, I decided to add them into the design to construct a quote out of them (see the red text in the design).
First of all, you need to open up a new document. The size I chose for the tutorial is 768 pixels by 1024 pixels. The poster I did for the contest is a little bit different from the one in this tutorial, but both have similar concepts and techniques used.
Step 2
Now I will use two vintage textures. I would like to thank the author of these textures Princess-of-Shadows for putting these together. They are amazing! You can experiment with other textures or backgrounds if you like.
Step 3
In this step, you will need to move both textures into your document and fit them. You can scale them if need be. Next, finish positioning them one on top of another. You will need to select the one you placed above and set it to Multiply. This will blend the two textures together.
Step 4
Next, I will import another stock image. You can find this image at wilddoug. Simply use the Magic Wand Tool (W) to remove the white around the typewriter or use the Pen Tool (P). Lastly, name the layer "Typewriter."
Step 5
Set the "Typewriter" layer to Multiply and Opacity to 90%.
Step 6
Now, duplicate the "Typewriter" layer and set it to Soft Light and Opacity of 30%.
Step 7
Next you need to create some text. The font I used is Arial. Just write your text with white and also make it all caps, then transform the text as you wish. Also, set the layer to Soft Light and Opacity to 50%.
Step 8
The next step is the hardest or maybe I should say it takes a lot of time to get this to look just right. You will have to write a lot of words and move each word into each letter of the "ALPHABET" word. You are free to position and transform the words as you wish. Also, the font used here is called American Typewriter and I moved all the words into a folder called "ALPHABET."
As you can see, I have colored some of the letters with red. I did this to highlight the quote I told you about. Also, to give a greater impact to the effect, if you look in the lower side of the letters, they seem to be falling down. This adds more movement to the composition.
Step 9
The final result so far should look like the image below.
Step 10
Now you need to add some more text. This time you will make it look like it jumps right out from the typewriter. Don't create full words, but only letters. For example, I start with the letter "a", and duplicated it a couple of times, then transformed each until it fit right. Next, I went to the next letter "b" and so forth. In the end move all the letters to a folder called "Text."
The red lines represent the area where you should place the letters for maximum impact, so it looks like the letters are jumping out of the machine. This unifies the typewriter image with the lettering in the sky.
Step 11
You will need to repeat Step 10, but this time add less letters and make them smaller. Now, rasterize all of them , then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use a Radius of 1.0 pixels. This will give the illusion that the letters are further away.
Step 12
Create six more letters. This time make them larger then the rest. Next, transform them using the Transform Tool (T). Now Rasterize them all. Also, you will need to select three of them (or as many you like) and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use different Radius for each. This will give the illusion that these letters are closer.
Step 13
To make the letters look like they are high in altitude, I create a new layer and brush some clouds over the text. Here is a link for some fine cloud brushes on DeviantArt.
Conclusion
Add more letters in the lower part of the image, as this makes a nice border. Also, paint some more brushes (fly, crack on the upper left part of the image and a splat). You will need to paint these with black and set them to Multiply. Visit the User Link Feed for free resources. You can view the final image below or view a larger version here.
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Owz October 7th
Wow you make this look so easy.. will have a go at this tonight..
Congratulations on winning BTW
Owain
http://www.icomcreative.co.uk
( )NaldzGraphics October 7th
looking good;)thanks for the tuts
Ronald
( )Nate October 8th
Nice ending result. I like the floating letters that are in focus and out. It takes the poster to another level of cool =)
Thanks for sharing.
( )Ariful Alam Khan October 8th
Nice, Thanks for the tut.
( )Chris October 8th
I think you should turn off the letters tracing layer (the big translucent type layer)
( )Tix'z - Emil Melgaard October 8th
Good tutorial, but the typewriter looks a bit fake though.
You should have added a bit of shadow to make it more realistic.
But it looks really nice with the red highlights in the “ALPHABETH” text.
( )greg October 8th
thanks for writing the tut. However this is just not good design at all, the alphabet looks weak and boring, it doesn’t stand out from the background. The focus lies on the typewriter and not the typography, I didn’t even see the alphabet at first glance. This is a nice aestetic piece, but not a poster or typography piece.
My suggestion is take the random letters and the typewriter out and make it a landscape format, with just the word alphabet made up from the individual words. Keep the background and make the type really pop.
( )Wakkos October 8th
Forget the poster, the background tip is great! xd
( )Sheldon October 8th
Now this what i am talking about more tuts on jobs u more likely get , poster, flyer, billboards , and more Typography tuts plzz. thx GJ..
btw anybody got any books on tyopgraphy? on poster designs , or any tuts or sites about the use of typography?
( )Chris Robinson October 8th
this isn’t so much of a “tutorial”, its more like a “my process” writeup…
( )Daisy Enggina October 8th
this is thebomb.com/awesomest
( )Duo October 8th
Not bad, but nothing amazing.
( )diesel October 8th
Thanks for this, quite interesting.
And for the guys above – what more can he give?
“How to download an image of a typewriter?”
“What words to write inside the letters?”
lol
( )Vanguard October 8th
Nice. Thanks a lot for tutor.
( )joey tarantola October 8th
great job man
( )remmac October 8th
you could make some brushes from letters, and scatter and shape dynamics would do the typing for ya…..
( )nice thingie though!
Stacy October 8th
Inspiring! Thank you for sharing how to do it!
( )Lawrence77 October 8th
Typewriter my favorite one…
going to try with in a week (i hope)
LAWRENCE 
( )Long Beach Web Design October 8th
Very cool result. I like the overall look of this piece. Great job on the tutorial.
( )Acsel October 8th
A deep low tutorial my friend.I see you are using the same thing over and over and guess what, over again!UPrinting Design, PS ROMANIA, and now PSDTuts…keep up the ….. work
( )Mil October 8th
Nice tut, and a nice looking poster.
( )But I’ve always wondered if there was an easier way to randomize text across a certain area.
Myke Cave October 8th
Wow this tut couldn’t have come at a better time. Was just looking up some examples for typographic posters.
( )Drew Douglass October 8th
Wow, looks like this took a very long time but the end result is very nice and appealing. Thanks for sharing
( )tabs October 8th
Wow, very nice tutorial! Always wanted to make a Typographic poster and this is just right. Thank you.
( )Seraphim Collective October 8th
Great job!
( )Duo October 8th
Diesel, the point is – people should look for the fastest solution to achieve some effects. And this was just done as we see this. I mean: letter by letter, word by word etc. I mostly like tutorials for technics, the result is on second place.
Final effect looks good, but tutorial does not amaze me. Remmac had a good point, why didnt author use brush options for letters? It would be much, much easier.
( )foty October 8th
Agree with greg. Bad design. Looks cool but definitely not a typographic poster.
( )You can barely tell there is type in there.
Hennessy October 8th
Great !!!! well done
( )insic October 8th
looks great!
( )Jonathan October 8th
Very intriguing effect. A small criticism though, the word “alphabet” could really benefit from being much more dominant. Nevertheless, it looks nice.
( )Sam October 8th
Oh I know how “hard” step 8 can be.. I made a poster like this, too some time ago.
You can watch it on my web site
Great tutorial! I love the typewriter!!
( )Mr_LeE October 9th
Now imagine if the type section was done in Illustrator!
Vectors are the future.
( )Joefrey Mahusay October 9th
Really nice!
( )Conrad Gorny October 9th
Thanks heaps this is nice!
Conrad Gorny
( )Freelance Graphic Designer
http://www.conradgorny.com
r4ge October 9th
very nice grunge! thanks for the great work
( )Roshan October 9th
I agree its a very intriguing effect. I was trying it but then I stuck with step 8. eventually I made it work but I am not really sure if I had done some quality work anywhere near this final output.
Photoshop is a lot of practice, I guess.
Thank you for nice tutorial.
Roshan
( )Freelance Developer
http://www.instantshift.com
Mr. Sifuentes October 9th
Amazing challenge.
( )Andrei Potorac October 9th
Little brother, you can do better! :p
( )insic October 9th
i realy like this kind of effects.
( )Dan October 10th
One more (hopefully constructive) criticism. Please don’t use Arial in a typographic poster. I don’t mean to sound condescending, but it’s like trying to play the piano with boxing gloves on.
( )Love October 10th
Thanks for the tut. I like it
( )Dainis Graveris October 10th
huh, I think for the time consuming text part brushes could be used as well, just changing brush settings and getting nice results pretty fast. Just for an idea!
Thanks, nice tutorial!
( )Johnson Koh October 10th
This is indeed time consuming, especially on Step 8. But I guess most typography arts are tedious to perform but will often end up with great results.
Thanks for sharing your techniques!
( )Bolo October 11th
Very nice. Just wanted to let you know that I was brainstorming for my next CD cover and after reading your tut I got inspired. I willl work on similar approach to the one you used. Thank you for the inspiration and sharing your knowledge.
( )Tstikvoort October 11th
This is really awesome
tx !
( )Jesse Vlasveld October 13th
The “Alphabet” with the letters in them in done really good, but I think you overdid it with the clouds and the larger scattered letters a little.
Still a lovely tutorial though, thanks.
( )Josh McGlinn October 16th
Looks pretty sharp! Thanks for the tutorial!
http://www.mcgstudio.com
( )Simon Flow November 2nd
Is it possible to translate the tutorial in Italian and post it on an italian forum?
( )Obviously i will put credits and a link to the site.
tk November 12th
glad to see a mate from Romania so tallented
( )ံံHan Myo February 2nd
Idea is very good!! Thank you for this tuts.
Han Myo
( )ံံHan Myo February 2nd
Idea is very good!!! Thank you for this tutorial.
Han Myo
( )isagh February 5th
Thank’s for this tutorial..
( )keyza February 5th
dea is very good!! Thank you for this tutorial..
( )Heber February 8th
how i can download this tutorial like a pdf? Danke.
( )arunjaki February 24th
hi very nice one, i like this
( )Ronnie March 6th
Wow, why do so many losers post useless criticisms on this site? This tutorial was awesome. Maybe some of you were expecting a recipe, but I’m so glad I came across this, because I was looking for some insight into a designer’s mind. That’s worth a hell of a lot more than a recipe of what buttons to push.
And to the people who just post to insult the person’s work? Wow, you are prime examples of the talentless no-class bozos we’d never hear from if it wasn’t for the internet. You people are useless. Ever hear of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism? Ever hear of APPRECIATION? Good luck on the careers you’ll never have.
Thanks a million for posting this tut.
( )Kevon Garcia June 13th
Hey, nice tutorial !
You can check my version of this tut out at http://www.flickr.com/photos/38408458@N02/3622925362/
Please leave comments let me know what you think.
( )Angel Belle October 5th
Thx for sharing
( )That’s really great to learn it!!!
Tutorial Lounge December 11th
really awesome tips and tricks for make an beautiful typography poster.
( )KARTINI BINTI ABU BAKAR February 5th
I don’t mind to be a tutor too!
( )Jay Hector February 5th
nice .. but but…. the red font color at the alphabet really disturbs me…
( )better if all black font colors.