Neon Sign

Overview: The above image is a custom neon sign which I created to explore the process used to create such an image. After travelling to New York City during the summer I began to enjoy these sort of neon signs much more, so I decided to try to create my own using Photoshop. I was unsure what I wanted the sign to say, so I used the Photoshop logo, my name, and the words "digital graphics". The circles are used to unite all three subjects into one cohesive sign.

Process: To create this sign I followed this tutorial. One important note is that the fonts used for both "Haydn Russell" and "Digital Graphics" are found within the description of the tutorial. However, they are simply preference and unneeded for the final product. The first step in the process was creating a background. I used a simple brick wall which I then adjusted using the levels adjustment to achieve a darkened room effect. Next I selected the type tool, selected the newly added neon font, and wrote Haydn Russell. Below this I added digital graphics in a smaller font size using the linoleo script font. To add the circles I selected the ellipse tool and held shift to create a circle of my desired size. After doing this twice I added a clipping mask to each circle and while in the clipping mask removed a section using the rectangular selection tool. This created the emptied section for my name. Finally, to add the Photoshop logo I downloaded a black Photoshop logo png from online, opened it in a new document, selected the pixels, painted it with a white brush, then transferred it into the neon sign Photoshop composition. With all the pieces in place I then had to add three different effects to the name layer: inner glow, outer glow, and drop shadow. Selecting a color, for this layer a light blue, I then changed each effect to have that same color. Once done I altered the choke, size, and range of the inner glow to taste in order to create a neon interior effect. In outer glow I altered the spread, range, and size of the outer glow next to create the glowing light effect around each of the letters. Finally, I changed the blending mode of the drop shadow to color dodge and fiddled with spread and size in order to cast light on the brick wall behind the lights. Once the effects were complete on the name layer I held alt, selected the fx, and dragged it to each of the other layers that composed the sign so that each had the same effect. In order to create a variation in color I went into each layer and altered the color for each of the effects (All effect colors must be the same). With this the sign was complete.

For the Future: I love the aesthetic of the neon lights and will likely be creating a variety of these neon signs within Photoshop. However, were I to do it again I would try and find a way to implement a chord plugging into the wall as well as tubes connecting each of the lights. These small changes would add to the realism of the photo and though they may not be apparent to the viewer, I would much appreciate it as the creator. This small touch would make the image seem much more realistic to anyone scrutinizing the final product. I would also not darken the brick wall as much since on most screens the bricks are nearly indistinguishable from each other.