Creating Colorful Disco Lines Effect

This simple tutorial will show how we can create professional-looking colored lines with the usage of Photoshop Brushes and Blend Modes. It’s an interesting find for me when I was doing random experiments with Photoshop.

Create a document of 800×600 pixels. With Pencil tool of 1 pixel size, draw a vertical straight line. Using the Eraser tool of size 150px, erase the two ends of vertical line. Something like the one I have below.

Create a selection around the vertical line. Go to Edit > Define Brush Preset. Give the new brush a name of your preference.
Select the Brush tool and open up the Brush Palette. Check on Shape Dynamics and key in the following settings.

Check on Scattering and key in the following settings.

Fill the Background layer of the document with #000000. Select the Brush tool, set the foreground color to #FFFFFF and pick the brush you created earlier. Hold down your left mouse and move around the document. You will get the nice vertical lines like I’ve got here.

Create a Gradient Fill adjustment layer below the vertical lines layer. Set the gradient similar to the one shown in the screenshot.

Create a new layer and repeat the steps of brushing more vertical lines. Set the Blend Mode of these two layers of vertical lines to Overlay.

Create a new layer above the vertical lines. This time set the foreground color to #000000. Brush some black vertical lines around the document. Set the Blend Mode of this layer to Soft Light.

Create a new layer and make a thick black bar. Rename this layer to Faded Black Bar.

Click on to Quick Mask Mode. Select the Gradient tool and set the gradient from black to white. Pull the gradient from top to bottom. You will get a red highlight like the one shown below.

Exit Quick Mask Mode and hit Delete. There you have a nice faded black bar.

Repeat the earlier steps to make a few more faded black bars around the document.

Create a new layer and rename it as floor. Make a black horizontal bar. Using the Eraser tool of size around 150px, fade the left, right and bottom of the horizontal bar.

Type in your preferred word with a favorite font. I am using Helvetica below. Rasterize the text, go to Edit > Transform > Perspective. Adjust the text so that it is shorter on the left.

Right-click on the Text layer and select Blending Options. Check on Gradient and key in the settings shown below.

Duplicate the text layer. Move the lower copy 1 pixel to the right. Repeat this for 6 times and all the 6 layers together. Rename this new merged layer and Extrude.

Right-click on the Extrude layer and select Blending Options. Check on Outer Glow and Gradient. Key in the settings stated below.

Download one of the glow brushes here. Create a new layer below the texts and name it as Abstract Glow. Set the foreground color to #FFFFFF and paint some abstract glowing strokes. Set the Blend Mode of this layer to Overlay.

Duplicate and merge all the vertical lines and gradient. Rename this new merged layer as Reflection. Rearrange this new merged layer to be above the texts layer. Go to Edit > Transform > Perspective and adjust it to be shorter on the left.

Ctrl + left-click on the text layer to load a selection around it. Select the Reflection layer and click on Create a New Layer Mask.

Create a new layer and name it as Outlines. Ctrl + left-click on the text layer to load a selection around it. Go to Select > Modify > Contract. Set the contraction to 1 pixel and hit Delete. Go to Filter > Blur > Blur. Shift the outline away from its original position.

Repeat the steps for a few more outlines.

Create a Levels Adjustment Layer and set the values to 4, 0.83, 255. And we are done! Hope this tutorial is helpful to you. Cheers!