How to make realistic glowing LED effect

[kingston_steele]

Hello! This is my first post! I'm pretty new to photoshop but not completely helpless. I'm trying to make a realistic LED display identical to this:

Here is what I've got:



Pretty bad. I've messed with the glow features but nothing looks realistic at all:



Still not there. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Here is the PSD:
View attachment Time Display.psd

 

[Hoogle]

JUst playing with layer style in blending modes and this is what I got Quickly using this FONT

You will have to play with the settings but this should get you started I supplied the saved layer style ( but I bet if you googled LED layer style you will get loads.)

View attachment LED.asl

 

[Rich54]

I like Hoogle's version, but I approached it another way.

1. On a new layer, create a circular selection using the elliptical marquee tool (hold the Shift key while dragging for a perfect circle). Fill that selection with your light blue color (or any LED color you want).
2. On a new layer above that, use the brush tool to apply a dot of white in the center of your blue LED. The dot should be perhaps 1/3 the size of the full LED circle.
3. Optional step: on a new layer below your blue dot layer, use the same selection to create a 1 pixel black stroke around the blue dot. Reduce opacity if desired.
4. Use gaussian blur to blur the blue dot layer until it gives the appearance that it's glowing. Then apply a similar gaussian blur to the white dot layer. You may want to use different amounts of gaussian blur on each of these two layers, which is why I kept them separate.
5. Once you've got everything looking ok, merge the stroke, blue and white layers. Use layer styles and apply an outer glow.
6. Duplicate this layer a million times and arrange all your dots in the grid pattern of your choice.

 

[agentmoeller]

I often fake the "outer glow" effect by duplicating my layer, placing the copy BELOW the original, perhaps making it a few shades lighter, and adding a Gaussian blur to it til it looks right.


Agent