Displacement Mapping in Adobe Photoshop can give your text a new, dynamic appearance. It makes it appear like a “part” of the image. Follow this guide to learn how to use this technique.
Step 1: Make a displacement map
Before adding the text you wish to blend in, you need to make a displacement map that we will use later.
- Open your picture in Photoshop.
- Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. - Set the Radius to 1.0 Pixels, and click OK.
Set the Radius to 1.0. - Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation and click OK. You can also click on the Hue/Saturation icon under the “Adjustments” tab.
Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation and click OK. - Bring the Saturation all the way to the left by moving the small white arrow. You can also adjust the value of Saturation to -100.
Adjust the Saturation to -100. - Go to File > Save As.
Go to File > Save as. - Name your file and click Save. For example, we named it “Displacement Map”.
Name your file and click Save. - Close the file in Photoshop by pressing the small X beside its name.
Close the file by clicking on the small X beside its name.
Step 2: Add your text
Once the displacement map has been made, you can add your text. First, open the original picture in Photoshop again, then follow these steps:
- Click on the Horizontal Type tool.
Click on the Horizontal Type tool. - Click anywhere on the image, and type your text.
- Once your text is added, right-click on the text layer in the Layers tab.
Right-click the text layer. - Select Convert to Smart Object.
Select Convert to Smart Object.
Step 3: Use the Displace Tool
It is time to apply the displacement map to your text.
- Go to Filter > Distort > Displace.
Go to Filter > Distort > Displace. - You can leave these options at their default values. Click OK.
Click OK. - Locate the previously saved displacement map file, select it and click Open.
Open the Displacement Map file you created.
Step 4: Adjust the appearance of your image
If you are unhappy with how your text looks, here are some tips for making it look more realistic.
- To adjust the appearance of the Displacement Map, set the Fill to 0 and double-click on the Layer.
Set the Fill to 0, then double-click the Layer. - In the Layer Style, click Color Overlay, and choose the color by clicking the color rectangle.
Click Color Overlay, and choose the color of your text by clicking on the color rectangle. - In Blend Mode, choose Linear Burn.
Select Linear Blur within Blend Mode. - Click Bevel & Emboss. Change the “Style” to Emboss and make the direction Down.
Click Bevel & Emboss. Set the Style to Emboss. Set the direction to Down. - Set the Angle to –45 degrees to match the shadows in the picture. The correct angle can be different in your case.
Set the Angle to -45 degrees. - To soften the look, set the “Highlight Mode” to Linear Dodge and the “Shadow Mode” to Linear Burn.
Set the “Highlight Mode” to Linear Dodge, and “Shadow Mode” to Linear Burn - Then, set their Opacity to 20%.
Set their Opacity to 20%. - Finally, click OK. Our text is looking much more realistic now!
The final result of our Displacement Map.
