How to Place a logo in Photoshop

How to add a logo to an object in Photoshop

This tutorial shows how to add a loo to any object is a hyperrealistic way.

Start with a leather bag in this case. This will work on any surface.

If you have the logo in your Library, drag it into your document.

If the logo isn’t in the library, choose File>Place and find it. Or choose FIle>open and then Combine the images in your object document.

place logo into Photoshop

They will now be on 2 layers.

If the Logo is a Smart Object, as indicated by the Smart Object Badge; Right-Click and Choose Rasterize layer

rasterize smart object

Press Ctrl/Cmd+T for Free Transform

Drag the corner handles to resize the logo and position it. Don’t press Enter yet.

resize logo to match object in Photoshop 2024

Right-Click and choose Distort

Warp logo

Drag the corners to match the perspective of your object.

Right-Click and Choose Warp (If right-Click doesn’t work, make sure to Press Ctrl/Cmd+T Again)

Drag to match the roundness and bends of your object

warp logo to match shape of object

We need to hide the black. Don’t select it, here’s a faster way.Where it says Normal in the layers panel, change it to Lighten. Changing the layer blending mode hides black.

hide black on image using photoshop blending mode

Now we want to make the logo wrap to fit all the contours and wrinkles.

We will make a Displacement Map

Hide the Top layer

Choose the Channels Panel

Click on the Blue channel (Has the most contrast)

Right-Click and choose Duplicate Channel

use channels to make a displacement map

Under Destination>Document choose new

This will copy the channel to a brand new document

Click ok

create a photoshop document from a channel

We now have a new document.

Save it as a .psd to your desktop. File>Save as

I called it dmap.psd

Clse the document, you no longer need to edit it.

new psd document

Choose your original document with the bag.Click on RGB in the channels Panel to show all the channels again

choose RGB Channels

Return to the layers panel and turn on the logo layer again.

Make sure the logo layer is selected

lets apply the displacement map

Choose Filter>Distort>Displace

Keep the default settings and click ok

displacement map setings

You will now see the finder.

Navigate to your dmap.psd file and click ok

choose displacement map image

You will notice the log warps to match the contours on the bag. (Or whatever object you are working with).

the logo is placed. Let's make it look worn and weathered

Make the logo look worn

Let’s add some milage to the logo, so it doesn’t look brand new.

In the Layers Panel, click on the fx button and choose Blending Options

Choose the left black slider on Underlying Layer

Hold Alt/Option to split the triangle and drag to the right.

This will fade the logo in the shadow and midtone areas.

Use Blend If to blend the logo into the object

If you drag the left part of the triangle it will break up the type and make it look distressed.

Advanced Blending enables the overlay to blend into the image in photoshop

Here is the final result.

the leather bag that now has a logo added in Photoshop

Its a few steps, but look how realistic it looks compared to just dropping the logo and changing a blend mode.

Thanks for checking this out. Drop a comment and let me know what tutorials you would like me to create in the future.

Thanks

Colin

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