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Here’s an nice text effect using the layer mask in Photoshop to turn an image into text background.  This effect is very easy to do and works great on logos, web page headers or print ads.

If your following along with me, download the music background I’m using here: Sheet Music

Here’s the final:

Step 1:

Open a new document in Photoshop with a white background and a size of 1024×768.  Next create your text in the middle of the page. I used the Impact font, color black and a size of 150pt.

Step 2:

Open your sheet music image and drag drop it into your main document that contains the text, name it music text.  Make sure its below your text layer in the layers palette.  Select the music text layer in the layers palette an hit ctrl-t to activate the transform tool.  Re-size the sheet music so the music notes look a little more condensed.

Step 3:

In the layers palette, click the music text layer to select it, then Ctrl-click the thumbnail of the text layer above to create a selection.

Make sure the music text layer is still selected and click the “add layer mask” button at the bottom of the layers palette. Then turn off the eye of your text layer.

Add a drop shadow to the music text layer by clicking the “add layer style” button at the bottom of the layers palette and keep the default settings and also select the outer glow with these settings:

So far, your text should look like this:

Step 4:

Create a new layer above the music text layer and name it gradient. While keeping the gradient layer active, ctrl-click the “layer mask thumbnail” in the music text layer which will create a selection in the shape of the text.

Go to edit>fill and fill the selection with white.  Next, click the “add layer style” button at the bottom of the layers palette and add a gradient overlay to the gradient layer.

click on the gradient color bar to set your colors.

In the layers palette, set the opacity for the gradient layer to 60%.  For a little extra touch, add a 2px stroke around the gradient layer ( I used a brown color on mine). And that’s it.  Try it with ads or logo’s.