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How do I add a Bevel in Photoshop?

Published in Photoshop Layer Styles 4 mins read

To add a bevel in Photoshop, you'll primarily use the Layer Style options. While the provided reference doesn't directly detail the bevel process, it's still possible to use the reference to understand some related effects and techniques when creating a bevel. The reference mentions using a color overlay in conjunction with other techniques so, let's create an example that includes a bevel!

Steps to Add a Bevel in Photoshop:

Here is a step-by-step guide to adding a bevel effect to a layer in Photoshop:

  1. Select Your Layer: Open your Photoshop document and select the layer you want to apply the bevel effect to. This could be a text layer, a shape layer, or any other rasterized or vector layer.
  2. Access Layer Styles: Double-click on the layer in the Layers panel. This will open the Layer Style dialog box.
  3. Choose Bevel & Emboss: In the Layer Style dialog box, check the box next to "Bevel & Emboss" on the left-hand side of the dialogue box.
  4. Adjust Settings: Once Bevel & Emboss is selected, you can adjust the settings:
    • Style: Choose the bevel style. Options include "Inner Bevel," "Outer Bevel," "Emboss," "Pillow Emboss," and "Stroke Emboss."
    • Technique: Select a technique like "Smooth," "Chisel Hard," or "Chisel Soft."
    • Depth: Control the depth or the amount of the bevel
    • Direction: Adjust the up or down direction of the bevel
    • Size: Control the size of the bevel.
    • Soften: Softens the edges of the bevel.
    • Shading: Adjusts the lighting angles, including angle, altitude, gloss contour and anti-aliasing.
    • Highlight Mode and Opacity: Adjust the highlight color and opacity.
    • Shadow Mode and Opacity: Adjust the shadow color and opacity.
  5. Add a Color Overlay (Optional): As shown in the video, you can add a color overlay to enhance the bevel effect. To do this, check "Color Overlay" in the Layer Style dialog box. Choose the desired color and set the opacity to 100% or your desired opacity to get the desired look. You can also experiment with blending modes here.
  6. Adjust the other Bevel and Emboss settings as needed to achieve your desired effect!
  7. Click OK: Once you're satisfied with your bevel effect, click "OK" to apply the changes.

Example: Creating Beveled Text

Here’s how you would add a bevel to a text layer, incorporating the concept of the color overlay from the reference:

  • Create a new text layer using the text tool.
  • Double-click on the text layer to open Layer Styles.
  • Check “Bevel & Emboss”. Set the “Style” to “Inner Bevel,” adjust the "Technique," the "Depth," "Direction", the "Size," "Soften" and "Shading".
  • Now, select "Color Overlay" and choose a color from the overlay options. This will give the beveled text a solid color. Set the color and then make sure the opacity is set to 100% or to your desired opacity.
  • Adjust and finalize your bevel and color options as needed and then click Ok

Tips for Beveling:

  • Experiment: Test different combinations of settings to achieve different bevel looks.
  • Use Lighting: Adjust the angle of the lighting to give the bevel a natural, dimensional feel.
  • Combine with Other Effects: Combine bevels with other layer styles like drop shadows and inner shadows to enhance the effect further.
  • Blending Modes: Experiment with different blending modes for the bevel highlight and shadow to create various effects.

By combining the Bevel & Emboss settings with other layer styles such as color overlays, as discussed in the reference you can create complex effects!

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