This nebula text effect is both quick and easy using a few simple tricks in Photoshop. The technique would work great for posters or book and magazine covers. Using the same basic techniques, it can also be easily modified by varying the text, brushes, and background. Let's take a closer look at how I achieved this effect.

Step 1 - Choose a Font and Text
Create a new document in Photoshop at 3000x2000 pixels. Fill the background with a dark gray (#181717). Choose a good bold font for your title text. I chose the word Believe using a font called [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] . I also angled the font slightly.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Once youve added your text, duplicate the layer, and then Ctrl+Click the duplicated layer and choose Rasterize from the menu that appears. Now click Filter | Blur | Radial Blur and choose a setting around 5-10. Then reduce the opacity to 75%

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Now turn off the original text layers visibility. Then Cmd+Click the text layers thumbnail in the layers panel to create a selection of your text.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Step 2 - Apply a Brushes to the Text Selection
For the next step youll need to download and install the [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] .
Create a new layer above the radial blurred text layer. Choose a dust particles brush, scale it down to around 500 pixels and begin clicking around the selection.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Without releasing the selection, click Select | Modify | Expand and enter 20 pixels. Then click Select | Modify | Feather and enter 5 pixels. Now create a new layer and with another dust particles brush, scaled down to around 300-500 pixels, begin clicking around the modified selection. Dont click as many times as you did inside the first selection.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Now click Select | Modify | Expand and enter 20 pixels again to expand the selection further. Create another new layer and choose another brush and click a few more times around the inside of the selection. You may need to turn this layers opacity down to around 50% depending on your preference and how its looking.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Step 3 - Apply Background and Foreground Debris
Release the selection by pressing Cmd+D on your keyboard. Create a new layer and choose another particle brush and click around the text to add some debris outside of a selection.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Create another layer and choose a new brush, but this time doesn't scale it down as far. This debris will appear to be more in the foreground. Click Filter | Blur | Gaussian Blur with a setting around 2-5 to blur the foreground debris slightly.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Step 4 - Add a Background Image
I added a nebula background to the bottom most layer. You can use mine ( [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ) or you can download your own at the [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] .

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Step 5 - Final Adjustment Layers
Heres where the magic happens. Add a Gradient Map adjustment layer from the adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the layers panel. Set the gradient to #0a2a59 and #ffd200.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Now add a Levels adjustment layer using the same menu. Adjust the levels similar to the image below.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Finally, create a Photo Filter adjustment layer and choose Cooling Filter 82 and set the density to 50%.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Conclusion
Heres a look at my final piece. I hope these techniques opened a few doors and inspired a few ideas for you. Id love to see your work created based on this tutorial. Feel free to share using the comments field below.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]