In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to create a reflection in Photoshop. This is more of a graphic design trick that has been used a lot lately for things like logos, text and modern design. If you want to do a reflection on Photographs, check out this tutorial instead
Step 1
Start with a gradient. Tip: To constrain the gradient to 90 degrees hold down the shift key.
Step 2
Add your text or image
Step 3
Make a copy of the text by dragging to the new layer icon (or pressing Ctrl/Cmd+J)
On the copy go into free transform by pressing Ctr/Cmd+T.
Left click >Flip Vertical.
Drag the copy beneath the original, so that it looks reflected
Step 4
Add a layer mask to the reflected copy and drag with a black to white gradient. (See the Gradient masking technique here)
Experiment with different starting and end point on the gradient for different results.
Step 5
You should now have something that resembles this, for a sharp reflection.
Extra Credit, softer reflection
There are times when you want the reflection to be a bit softer, this simulated a different kind of surface that you are reflecting onto.
Choose Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur
You will have the option to convert to a Smart Object. Accept this option.
Apply a small amount of blur to the reflection to suit your tastes
Here is the softer result.
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