How to Create a Neon Text Effect

Text Effects•Intermediate•15 min read

Create glowing neon signs using Layer Styles, Outer Glow, and a dark brick background.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1:Set up a dark background

Create a new document (File > New) at 1920x1080 pixels. Fill the background with dark gray or black (#1a1a1a). For a more authentic neon sign look, you can add a brick wall texture as the background — search for 'brick wall texture' on stock image sites. Crop and place it to fill the canvas, then darken it with a Levels adjustment.

Step 2:Type your text in bright white

Select the Horizontal Type Tool (T) and type your text. Choose a thick, bold font — neon effects work best with script fonts like Pacifico or Great Vibes, or sans-serif fonts like Montserrat Bold. Set the text color to pure white (#FFFFFF) and increase the font size to 150-200pt so it fills the canvas nicely.

Step 3:Add Outer Glow layer style

Double-click the text layer to open Layer Style. Check 'Outer Glow'. Set the Blend Mode to 'Screen', the color to your chosen neon color (cyan #00FFFF, pink #FF00FF, or neon green #39FF14 work best). Increase Size to 15-25px, Range to 50-70%. This creates the soft ambient glow that makes it look like real neon.

Step 4:Add Inner Glow for the tube effect

Still in Layer Style, check 'Inner Glow'. Set Blend Mode to 'Screen', color to a slightly lighter version of your neon color. Set Technique to 'Precise', Source to 'Center', Size to 5-10px. This creates the bright core of the neon tube, adding realism. The combination of inner and outer glow is what gives neon its distinctive look.

Step 5:Duplicate and blur for extra glow depth

Right-click the text layer and select 'Duplicate Layer', then right-click the duplicate and select 'Rasterize Layer Style'. Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and apply a blur of 3-5 pixels. Place this blurred layer below your original text layer. This adds an extra halo of glow that makes the neon feel more luminous and realistic against a dark background.