X-Files Effect
by Nick Ustinov

You've seen X-Files, haven't you? And you liked the effect they use for their title? Something very mysterious, right.. That's not that complex as you thought it is. All you need is Photoshop and a little bit of patience.
x_1.gif (1698 bytes) Start with a RGB image, make the background black. Type something. If you are using Photoshop 4.0, hit Ctrl-E (Cmd-E on Mac) to merge type layer down. Now, open Channel Palette (Window>Show Channels) and  drag any of the channels to a New Channel icon. This will create channel #4. Double click it and rename to "original type".
x_2.gif (4134 bytes) Drag original type channel to a new channel icon to duplicate it. Double click channel #5 and rename it to "white". Then Ctrl-click (Cmd-click on Mac) on the channel to load it as a selection. Now we gotta expand it a little. Use Select>Modify>Expand with setting of 2 pixels. Edit>Fill with white. Remove the selection (Select>None).

Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur.. with setting of 2
x_3.gif (6163 bytes) Drag white channel to a new channel icon so we can have one more channel. Double click channel #6 and rename it to "yellow". Ctrl-click it to get the selection. Again, Select>Modify> Expand.. and enter value of 2. Fill with white, remove the selection and gaussian blur it all by 3.
x_4.gif (12451 bytes) Final channel we are gonna use - drag yellow to a new channel icon.. Rename it to "green", Ctrl-click it, expand by 6. Fill with white, deselect, blur by 10 pixels. Ok, preparations are ready. Let's do it.
x_5.gif (8795 bytes) Switch to channel RGB. Select>Load Selection... choose channel "green". Now pick some nice green color as foreground color. Here is used R:0 G:255 B:0

Edit>Fill... with foreground. Do the same for "yellow" channel but use R:128 G:255 B:0 color.
x_6.gif (7395 bytes) Now the same for the "white" channel but use plain white color.
x_7.gif (6833 bytes) Finally, load "original type", Select>Modify>Contract by 1 pixel and fill with black.

You are X-Filed!
© 1997 Nick Ustinov.