Create a glass text effect in Photoshop

Published on May 13, 2023

Transparent glass text effect

In this blog I will show you how to create a transparent glass text effect in Adobe Photoshop!

Want to watch the video with instructions? Then click here or scroll down to the end of this page.

Step 1: Create file and text

First create a new file that’s 1920 x 1080 pixels. My file has a resolution of 300 pixels/inch.

Then select the horizontal type tool and pick a font. Type your text. It doesn’t matter what color the text is, we’ll make the text transparent in the next step.

When you’re done, click on the ✓ icon.

Press CTRL+T to activate free transform. You can now move and/or resize your text.

Step 2: Glass text effect

Make sure the text layer is selected. Then click on the fx icon below your layers and select ‘blending options‘.

Lower the fill opacity to 0%. The text is now transparent. Time to add the glass effect!

Select ‘Bevel & Emboss‘. You can find the settings I used in the image below. Copy these settings.

Then select ‘Inner Glow‘. Again copy the settings I used (see image below).

Select ‘Drop Shadow‘ now. Again copy the settings in the image below.

If you want to make the background black, you don’t have to add a drop shadow (because you won’t see it). In the next step I’ll show you how to change the background color.