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How to Make Live Ink Bleed in Photoshop

Turn flat type into rough, bleeding ink using only native Photoshop layer styles and adjustment layers. A Drop Shadow set behind a zero-fill text layer creates the spread, a Threshold layer hardens it into ink, and grunge textures break up the edges. Everything stays live, so you can change the text or the bleed amount at any point.

  • 6 steps
How to Make Live Ink Bleed in Photoshop

Setup

Document

Photoshop document: 16 in x 20 in, 300 dpi, 8-bit.

Document

Settings

  • Size 16 in x 20 in (4800 px x 6000 px)
  • Resolution 300 dpi
  • Color mode RGB, 8-bit

Step 1

Text and Threshold

Add your text above a solid white background layer. Then add a Threshold adjustment layer above your text.

Text and Threshold
UI — Layers
UI — Layers

Layers

  • Threshold 1 Adjustment layer, top of stack
  • LIVE INK BLEED Type layer
  • Color Fill 1 Solid white background

Step 2

Fill Opacity and Drop Shadow

Open the Layer Styles of your text layer. In the Blending Options, reduce the Fill Opacity to 0%. Then add a black Drop Shadow, and uncheck 'Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow'.

The 'Size' slider will adjust the bleed amount, and the 'Spread' slider will adjust the bleed size.

Fill Opacity and Drop Shadow
UI — Blending Options
UI — Blending Options
UI — Drop Shadow
UI — Drop Shadow

Blending Options

  • Blend Mode Normal
  • Opacity 100%
  • Fill Opacity 0%
  • Channels R On, G On, B On
  • Knockout None
  • Blend Interior Effects as Group Off
  • Blend Clipped Layers as Group On
  • Transparency Shapes Layer On
  • Layer Mask Hides Effects Off
  • Vector Mask Hides Effects Off

Drop Shadow

  • Blend Mode Normal, black
  • Opacity 100%
  • Angle 62
  • Use Global Light Off
  • Distance 0 px
  • Spread 0%
  • Size 65 px
  • Contour Linear
  • Anti-aliased Off
  • Noise 0%
  • Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow Off

Step 3

Grunge and Paper Textures

Add grunge and paper textures above your text and below the Threshold layer. Play around with the Blending modes, opacity, and blur of these layers

Grunge and Paper Textures
UI — Layers
UI — Layers

Layers

  • Threshold 1 Adjustment layer, top of stack
  • PM_08 (paper texture) Overlay 100%
  • PM_08 Smart Filters Gaussian Blur, Levels
  • GRUNGE 2 Vivid Light 21%
  • GRUNGE 2 Smart Filters Gaussian Blur
  • GRUNGE 1 Screen 17%
  • GRUNGE 1 Smart Filters Gaussian Blur
  • LIVE INK BLEED Type layer, Drop Shadow effect
  • Color Fill 1 Solid white background

Step 4

Group and Blend If

Group all these layers, then use Blend If in the Layer Styles of the group to remove the white pixels.

Group and Blend If
UI — Layers
UI — Layers
UI — Blend If
UI — Blend If

Blend If

  • Group name txt threshold
  • Blend If Gray
  • Current Layer 0 — 250
  • Underlying Layer 0 — 255

Step 5

Inner Glow on the Parent Group

Put the group you just created inside another group, and apply the Inner Glow layer style to the parent group.

Inner Glow on the Parent Group
UI — Layers
UI — Layers
UI — Inner Glow
UI — Inner Glow

Inner Glow

  • Blend Mode Normal
  • Opacity 21%
  • Noise 0%
  • Color White (solid color)
  • Method Smooth
  • Technique Softer
  • Source Center
  • Choke 28%
  • Size 111 px
  • Contour Linear
  • Anti-aliased Off
  • Range 100%
  • Jitter 0%

Step 6

Final Texture and Adjustments

Add some final texture and adjustments.

Final Texture and Adjustments
UI — Layers
UI — Layers
UI — Levels
UI — Levels

Layers

  • Levels 1 Adjustment layer, top of stack
  • paper stains Vivid Light 100%
  • paper stains Smart Filters Levels, Hue/Saturation
  • PM_08 Overlay 100%
  • Group 2 Inner Glow effect

Levels 1

  • Input Levels 0 / 1.00 / 255
  • Output Levels 37 / 247

Finish

Result

Done!

Result

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