Sparkle Your Text and Graphics
Programs Used: Photoshop 5+
Skill Level: Basic
You can use this simple technique with any text or shape.
Primarily this technique looks better with a monochrome image. However,
you can easily apply this to other kinds of graphics though.
1. Open a new 400x400 canvas in Photoshop.
2. Press <D> on your keyboard to reset the colors to
black and white.
3. Select the Line Tool
and make sure that in the Tool's Info window the thickness is set to 10
pixels and "Anti-aliasing" is turned on.
4. We are going to create an "X" with two diagonal
lines. The easiest way to do this is to create a new layer then hold down
the <SHIFT> key and drag from the top right down to the bottom left
and then drag from the top left down to the bottom right. Holding down the
<SHIFT> key will constrain the Line tool to only creating Horizontal,
Vertical or Diagonal lines. Don't worry about getting them perfect because
we'll be changing them slightly anyway.
6. Select the Elipse Marquee Tool
and then while holding down <SHIFT> create a perfect circle around
your "X".
7. Go to SELECT >> FEATHER and enter a value of 80 pixels,
then go to SELECT >> INVERSE to inverse the selection.
8. Delete the selection with your <DEL> key.
9. This has now given you your star shape but it's a little big.
10. Go to IMAGE >> IMAGE SIZE and change the width to
100 pixels or even lower. I used a setting of 50 pixels.
11. Hit <CTRL> + <A> to select the whole canvas
(or go to SELECT >> ALL)
12. Go to the EDIT menu and choose DEFINE BRUSH. Give it a
name (I called mine SMALL STAR).
13. Choose your paintbrush tool
and from the Brush palette choose your new star shape.
14. You will now be able to use this to create sparkles on
your text or objects to great effect!!!
Shiny Blue Gems
For a Sparkly Chrome effect
For a shiny Golden effect.
If you'd like to try your hand at creating these two effects
(ie the gold and chrome looks) stay tuned here @ Porn Resource because
I will be writing one very soon.
and make sure that in the Tool's Info window the thickness is set to 10
pixels and "Anti-aliasing" is turned on.
and then while holding down <SHIFT> create a perfect circle around
your "X". 
and from the Brush palette choose your new star shape.
