20 Free Photoshop Layer Styles for Creating Beautiful Text Effects

Photoshop Layer Styles are pre-configured commands that will take basic text and quickly create typographical works of art for you.

With just a single click of a button, you can apply unique layer styles to any text in Photoshop, and not only do they speed up the design process, applying these effects is just a simple case of clicking a single button, so you don’t have to be a Photoshop professional to use them.

There are many Photoshop text effect tutorials freely available, but the quickest method for creating beautiful text effects is to download one of the free Photoshop Layer Styles below.

Watercolour Text Effect Smart PSD (Free)

Edit the text or paste in your own design to instantly generate watercolour effects for your artwork from SpoonGraphics.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Watercolour Text Effect Smart

80’s Style Text (Envato Elements)

Thanks to this pack of Photoshop layer styles, you can instantly transform any text into an 80’s style text. The pack contains 18 different styles and is available as a part of your Envato Elements subscription.

80s-Style-Text

Photoshop Video-Game Text Style (Free)

Use this layer style to give any text a video game-style appearance. The article will walk you through the exact steps necessary to reproduce this effect, and you can even download the Photoshop file to follow along.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Photoshop Video Game Text Style

14 Vintage Retro Text Effects (Envato Elements)

With this layer styles pack, you’ll be able to go back in time and make any text appear vintage. The pack contains 18 layer styles and is available as a part of your Envato Elements subscription.

14-Vintage-Retro-Text-Effects

Chalkboard Text Effect PSD (Free)

This free PSD template is a realistic chalk lettering text effect that will transform your text into stunning hand-written typography on a chalkboard.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Chalkboard Text Effect

Cloud Raides (Envato Elements)

Give your text a more playful appearance resembling video game titles with this layer styles pack. The pack is available as a part of your Envato Elements subscription.

Cloud-Raides

Strips 3D Shadow Text Effect (Free)

With this free PSD you can add depth and a colorful effect to your plain text. All you need to do is type your text in the smart layer and save the changes.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Strips 3D Shadow Text Effect

Smoke Effect (Envato Elements)

Use this layer styles pack to make your text more smokey. The pack contains 11 different smoke effects, and you can get this pack as part of your Envato Elements subscription.

Smoke-effect

Fancy Text Effect PSD (Free)

With this free PSD template you can convert regular text into a modern, colorful and stunning typographical style, giving you a unique and fun effect.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Fancy Text Effect

Free Stranger Things Photoshop Text Style (Free)

Following the original aesthetics of the hugely popular TV show, this free Photoshop text style captures the ambiance and the mood of Stranger Things perfectly.

Free Stranger Things Photoshop Text Style Layer PSD

Retro Vintage Text Styles (Envato Elements)

Add a touch of retro style to your text with this retro vintage styles pack for Photoshop. The pack includes 10 different styles.

Retro-Vintage-Text-Styles-

American Vintage PSD Text Effect (Free)

These free Photoshop text styles perfectly embody old Hollowood movies, retro ad posters and those vintage street signs from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles American Vintage PSD Text Effect

Neon Text Photoshop Layer Styles (Free)

Make your text glow in the dark with the help of this layer styles pack. The tutorial will walk you through the steps necessary to achieve this effect, and you can download the Photoshop file to follow along.

Free Photoshop Layer Neon Text Photoshop Layer Styles PSD

Free Hometown Vintage Text Effects (Free)

This free PSD template is bundled with three vintage text effects (and photo effects) that are the embodiment of good taste and simplicity.

Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Free Hometown Vintage Text Effects

Photoshop Chocolate Text Effect (Free)

Have fun with free PSD text layer template and give your text a tasty chocolate effect.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Chocolate Text Effect

Sandwich 3D Text Effect (Free)

With this free 3D Photoshop text effect you can add depth, as well as a sandwich texture, to your plain text. Type your text in the smart layer and save the changes.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Sandwich 3D Text Effect

Photoshop Letterpress Text Effect Template (Free)

To apply this letterpress effect, type your text and then apply the style from the styles palette. Super-simple.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Photoshop Letterpress Text Effect Template

Easy Casino Style Sign in Photoshop (Free)

Use this tutorial to learn how to create casino-style text in Photoshop. As usual, the tutorial includes the Photoshop file so you can easily follow along.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Easy Casino Style Sign

Wood Chunks Free Text Style PSD (Free)

Open the smart object, type in your text, apply the changes and you will quickly have a fun wood text style typographical effect.

Free Photoshop Layer Wood Chunks Free Text Style PSD

Yoyo Photoshop Text Effect Template (Free)

A simple, colorful and free 3D text effect, You just need to replace the preview text using the smart object.

Free Yoyo Photoshop Text Effect Template Layer Styles PSD

99 Text Effect Free PSD (Free)

Double click the smart-object layer and add your own text or graphic. You can also change the background color, text color and the 3D depth color.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD 99 Text Effect

Metal Text Text Layer PSD (Free)

With the help of this layer styles pack, you will instantly give your text a metallic look and feel.

Free Photoshop Layer Styles PSD Metal Text Text