Just a little tutorial explaining the basics of how to make a brushed metal effect using nothing but photoshop.
start with a 600x600 canvas, background doesnt matter. white transparent or black.
now, hit 'D' to reset your colors, and then go to Filter->Render->Clouds. If you do not like the original outcome, hit ctrl+F to redo it until you get something you like.
from there, go to Filter->Noise->Add Noise. and find a setting you are happy with, try for a good balance of black and white. make sure that is is monochromatic.
once you have your noise, go to Filter->Blur->Motion Blur, and set the radius to something high, so that the pic so mainly lines with some shading like so=
now, you may notice that there are some rough edges, hit ctrl+T to transform and fix this, just drag them out so that all you have is what looks good.
Now, you may like that, or you may not think it does not have a great color, so go to image->adjustments->Brightness/Contrast, and mess with the setting till you get something you like, typically i prefer to boost the contrast and make the image lighter.
now you have your brushed metal, you can apply this to pretty much anything, text, a sig bg. or if you just want to make something look metal.
hope you enjoyed this tutorial, if you have any questions, i will be glad to answer any.
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