Yes i know that chrome text has been cover in Gimp.... I know of two other tutorials out there for the effect.
This is the method i have developed messing around with other methods. I do not clam to have created the method i just clam to writting what i have learned and sharing it with all of you.
Creating A Chrome Style Text
by Jacob C Dillon
A Gimp Tutorial
OK lets get started
Step one Create an new image with a Black Background. The image can be any size but for this tutorial I will be using 300pix
by 250pix
Step Two: Select your text too (press T)l. Here is the some what tricky part you need to select a Wide font. For the tutorial i will be using Aerial Black. Set the size to 62 and the color to white. Now add your text.
Step three: Select Edit>Copy Visible than create a new layer above your text layer. . Name this new layer "Bump Map". Now select Edit>Paste Into and anchor the selection into the Bump Map layer.
Step Four: Select Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Set the blur amount to 6 and press OK. Now press shift+ctrl+f (Filter>Reshow"Gaussian blur") and set the blur amount to 3 and press OK. Than Gaussian Blur the bump map layer one more but use a blur setting of 1.
Step Five: Create a new layer Name the layer Lighting. Select your bucket fill tool (shift+b) and set your forground color to #888888 this is a medium gray. Fill the Lighting layer with the gray color.
Step Six: Select Filter>Light & Shadow> Lighting effects*
Setting up the light effects.
Options Tab: Set the distance to .300
Light Tab: Change the type of light one to Directional. Turn the intensity up to 1.05 and set X: 0.00 Y: -1.25 Z:0.85
Material tab: Skip it for right now we will be coming back
Bump Map Tab: Check the enable bump map. Select your Bump Map layer in the Bump map Image drop down. Set the curve to Linear and Max Height to 0.02.
Enviro Tab: No need to do any thing here.
Ok now that you have the bump map set go back to the material tab. Unchecked the metallic check box if it is checked. For this tutorial I used these settings feel free to tweak them as much as you want.
Glowing: 0.30
Bright: 0.60
Shiny: 0.60
Polished: 32.00
Than click ok.
Step Seven: Select Filter> Enhance> Sharpen (do not use unsharpened mask) set it to 20 - 30. Once you are done with sharpening duplicate the lighting layer.
Step eight: Now we are going to add a nice metallic chrome feel to the letters. There are a few different ways we can do this I will cover the one i prefer, but all means it is not the absolute. Select you duplicated lighting layer and click Color>Curve.
Step Nine: Create a new layer name it gradient 1. Select your blend tool (press L) scroll through the gradient you want to use or create your own either way fill the layer with a gradient.
Step Ten: Select Filter>Map>Displacement. Unchecked the X displacement. In the Y drop down select your Light layer. From here you can adjust the Y displacement as to your taste. For the tutorial i left it at 20.00
Step 11: Finishing it all up Select your original Text layer than right click and select Alpha to select. Now grow the selection by 3 than invert the selection. Select your gradient 1 layer and press delete, ctrl+K or Edit>Clear. Set the layer mode to color. Do not deselect yet.
Now move your original Lighting layer above the gradient layer and clear. Set the layer mode to soft light.
Do not deselect yet
Select your chromified lighting layer and clear the background. You can deselect now.
From his point forward you are done. You can go in and tweak the color layer using the Color tools such has Hue, Contrast get creative and experiment.
