The image editor, Adobe Photoshop does an excellent job at recreating authentic surfaces such as metals, stones and glass. These replicas can be used by designers in texture maps for 3D programs or buttons on web pages. In this article, you will learn how to make glass in Photoshop by mimicking its most important properties such as refraction, reflection, sharp highlights and transparency.

• Remember that glass has a reflective surface as well. So, if you have another item close to it, add its reflection to the glass.

• Depending on the size and style of the font you use, you may need to adjust the size and depth of the bevel settings.

• If you're working with a round shape, it's a perfect opportunity to use spherize on your refract layer to boost the realism. To use spherize, you need to have your selection active then go to Filter -> Distort -> Spherize and use 100%.

This easy to follow tutorial is appropriate for all skill levels. You should have no problem finishing it in 6 to 10 minutes. Although this how to was created for Photoshop, the vast majority of the methods described can be easily transferred to different image editors such as Paint Shop Pro or Gimp.

Choose shapes or fonts that have a relatively uniform shape and no extremely narrow areas. The point size used in this example is 150 points.

1. Create a new document by typing Ctrl+N.
2. Set the width and height to 500 pixels and give the file a transparent background.
3. Name the transparent layer textGlass.
4. Push T to activate the text tool.
5. Under the main menu, you will see the text bar. Change the text size to 150 points or a size of your choice.
6. Change the color to white.
7. Add your shape or text.

This step will give the text its rounded appearance while adding highlights as well.

1. Click your layer named textGlass then push the layer style icon at the bottom of the layer window. It looks like a lowercase f in a circle. (Hit the F7 button if your layer window is closed.)
2. Choose Bevel and Emboss. You'll notice that there is a check mark next to the name. That means it is applied to your text with default values.
3. Use the pictures in the following steps to fill in the custom settings for ''Drop Shadow, Bevel and Emboss and Inner Shadow.
4. Once you're done, enter 25% in the fill input box in the top right corner of the layer window.
5. Change the layer blend mode of textGlass to Overlay. Blend modes are located in the top left corner of the layer window.

Now, you will really see the glass take shape by creating the illusion of refraction behind it. You will need to have a background image such as a photo to truly observe the effect.

1. Open your background image then copy the area you want to place behind the glass.
2. Paste it into your original document. Name it refract. Drag it under your shape layer.
3. Duplicate refract by using Layer -> Duplicate Layer or drag it onto the layer icon in the bottom right corner of the layer window.
4. Name it background. Drag it under your refract layer.
5. Click refract to make it active.
6. Activate the move tool with its shortcut V. Then, nudge the image up by holding Shift and tapping the up arrow twice on your keyboard. (This offset will give the appearance of light bending through the glass.)
7. Now, Ctrl click textGlass. This will make a selection of that shape.
8. Make sure refract is still active.
9. Push the mask icon. (It's at the bottom of the layer interface and looks like a square with a circle in the middle).