IMPORTANT REMINDER: This is my debut tutorial, so please be kind. Also, I’m not certain if there are similar tutorials out there; I did some searching and found a few, but they use different techniques. And for those who might find this confusing, it could be due to using different software versions. I’ve used version 2.2 for this tutorial.
1. Start by creating a new image.
2. Use the “Bucket Fill” tool to set up a black background.
3. Change the foreground color to a color other than black. Choose the “Text” tool and click on the canvas. A dialog box will pop up. Enter your desired text.
4. Reposition your text as you like using the “Move” tool.
5. Select the “Dodge/Burn” tool. With a small brush, make horizontal strokes across parts of the text to lighten it. Press and hold the ctrl key and do the same to add texture to your text.
6. Open the layers window by pressing ctrl-l. Right-click on the text layer and choose “Duplicate Layer”.
7. With the new layer selected, navigate to Layer>Transform>Flip Horizontally, then Layer>Transform>Rotate 180 degrees.
8. Position the flipped text below the original text using the “Move” tool.
9. Choose the “Eraser” tool. Select a large and soft brush. The size of the brush depends on your text size. You may need to create a custom brush.
10. On the flipped text layer, erase the lower half of the text. The amount erased will depend on the reflection effect you desire.
11. For an enhanced reflection effect, change the background to a gradient of black and dark gray.
12. Your mirrored text effect is now complete.
