I claim the copyright to this tutorial.  You are free to do whatever you please with what you make, but please do not take my tutorial.  Do not send the tutorial through email.  Only share my link.

This tutorial is intended for a beginner to learn about recording actions.  It is only a basic tutorial.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email  me.

To do this tutorial you will also need Photoshop CS.  You may download a free trial at Adobe.

Remember to save as a .psd file often!

This tutorial is in two parts.  The first part teaches you how to record an action that will create the text effect used on this name sig:

The second part, will show you how to use the action to place names on a pre-made sig tag.  Talk about saving some time when you make sig tags for an entire group!

1.  Open a new, transparent image, size = 500 x 500 pixels. 

2.  Choose the text tool.  Choose your font and size.  I used Bloody Omen at size = 72 pts.  Choose your foreground color and type your name.

Now we will start recording our actions in photoshop.  Actions are used to record the steps you take in Photoshop.  This recording is especially useful when you want to repeat those steps several times in a project, or make several copies of a project.  In one click, photoshop will perform the same steps that were recorded in an Action.  While you are recording, it doesn't matter how long you take.  It only records your steps, not the length of time.

3.  In the Right side of photoshop, click on the Actions Tab, usually located in the History Box.  If it's not there, click on the Windows menu at the top and select Actions box.

4.  Click on the folder at the bottom of the box to start a folder to keep your actions in.

5.  Give the folder a name.  I called mine My Set.

6.  Now click on the New Actions icon at the bottom of the Actions Box.   Another way to get here is to click on the arrow at the top right corner (underneath the red x), and choose New Action.

7.  Give the Action a name.  We are going to make the Shadowed Bevel Name.

8.  Press the Record Button.  Now whatever you do in Photoshop will be recorded.

9.  Go to Layer Palette, Right-click on name layer and choose Blending Options.

10.  Click on the words:  Bevel and Emboss.  Apply these settings:  Technique:  Smooth, depth = 100%, direction up, size = 5, soften = 0, angle = 93, attitude = 30, the rest is default settings.

11.  Click on the words Drop Shadow.  Apply these settings:  Then click on the words Drop Shadow.  Blend Mode = Normal, Opacity = 100, Angle = 93, CHECK Use Global Light, Distance = 1, Spread = 0, Size = 1.

12.  In the Actions Box, click the stop button.  Now you have stopped recording.

13.  Let's turn your name into a simple sig tag.  In the top menu, click Image > Trim.  Select Transparent area.  This puts a close  selection box around your name.

14.  In top menu, click Image > Crop.

15.  Now save your name as a GIF and you have a sig tag you can use in your emails.

Part Two:  Using an Action

You will need a blank sig tag.  If you do not have one, then click on the image below.  It will open in a new window and you can right-click and save it to your pc. 

1.  Open the image in photoshop.

2.  In top menu, click Layer > New > Layer.

3.  Choose your Text tool and type your name in any font and color and size.

4.  Locate the Actions Box in the History window on the right side of Photoshop.  Click on the My Set folder (or whatever folder you saved your action in) then click on the name of the action that you want to use. 

5.  In the bottom of the Action Box , click the arrow that will play the action.  (It is circled).

6.  And watch as Photoshop completes the action on your name!

 7.  Now save this image as a jpeg to use as a sig tag later.

 Please do not remove this tutorial from my site.  Share my url.