💡 Create a Sci-Fi Glow Effect in Photoshop

[Claire H.]

Celebrate May the 4th with a glowing effect that's out of this world!

In this quick tutorial, we’ll show you how to create a stunning glow effect in Photoshop using simple shapes, layer styles, and masks—perfect for sci-fi or fantasy-inspired visuals.

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Adobe Photoshop

Step-by-Step: How to Make a Glow Effect in Photoshop

1. Choose your image: Start a new project and select your image. Don't have one on hand? Visit stock.adobe.com to explore thousands of high-quality assets. You can use stock images to add a background to your scene, practice with certain subjects, or add elements such as interfaces to your Sci-Fi world.

2. Design your glow shapes: Use the Ellipse Tool (or any shape tool) to create the objects that will glow in your image. In our example, we used two orbit-style rings around the subject to represent glowing energy.

3. Mask your shape: Use Layer Masks and a soft brush to hide parts of the glow behind your subject—this helps integrate the effect naturally into the scene.

4. Apply the glow: Add a Color Overlay to set the base color. Use Inner Glow to simulate the hottest part of the light. Source set to Center. Add Outer Glow with your chosen color to create a halo effect. Set blending mode to Linear Dodge. For extra impact, add a Drop Shadow to simulate more spill. Set blending mode to Linear Dodge.

5. Add more colors: Duplicate the shape and repeat the steps with a different color for a multi-toned effect. Mask out where you want the two colors to overlap and spill over into the image. This is a great effect when you have multiple light sources in your scene. EXTRA! Add text:  Add a title or caption to your image and apply the same glow styles to keep a cohesive look.

Try it yourself! Fire up Photoshop and experiment with your own glow effects—whether it’s energy, starships, or futuristic portraits!

Created a glowing masterpiece? Post your glow effects in the comments below! Also, check out this HelpX article for more on creating neon glow effects and follow along with downloadable assets.

Need help or feedback? Drop your questions here in the community and we’ll be happy to help.

May the Force (and the glow) be with you.

We’d love to hear from you!

Try out the glow effect in Adobe Photoshop, and let us know your thoughts. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need more tips!

If this was helpful, please click the Upvote icon in the top left corner of this post. Your feedback helps us improve the experience. Thank you!

We’d love to see what you’ve created and hear about your experience or feedback! Click 'Reply' below.

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[fbeaume]

NeonWalkNeon Walk

[Claire H.]

Wow this looks great! Thanks for sharing your work 😁

[fbeaume]

Thanks @Claire H. !

[fbeaume]

THanks for your kind words @Isabel T. Thomas ! I appreciate!

[Giddy_Sunset5600]

Nice work!!!1

[fbeaume]

Thanks!

[mehmood_9597]

Loved this tutorial—it's quick, creative, and the glow effect looks amazing using Outer Glow with Linear Dodge. I also added a bit of noise and blur to give it a more realistic sci-fi feel. Great job, Adobe!

[Claire H.]

Thank you so much for the kind feedback! I'm so glad you enjoyed the tutorial. I love the idea of adding noise and blur for that extra sci-fi touch and would love to see your final image! It’s always great to see how users make these techniques their own. Is there anything you'd like to see covered next? We’re always looking for new ideas to explore with the community.

[Sude_Dogan7217]

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[Fatir sahi]

Thanks for this tutorial. I love this

[ethan john545]

Awesome tutorial super clear and fun to follow! The glow effect steps are really beginner-friendly, and the layer style tips make a huge difference. Can’t wait to try this on some sci-fi portraits. Thanks, Claire.

[ali_3193]

Nice one !!!!!

[Hamza_malik1643]

best info 

[eshaal K]

Wow this looks great! Thanks for sharing your work 😁

[roger_1419]

This tutorial is awesome the glow effect looks stunning! Excited to try it out and share some sci-fi inspired designs soon. Thanks for putting this together!

[Shopizo]

This tutorial is super helpful and easy to follow—thank you! The glow effect looks amazing and adds such a cool sci-fi vibe. Can’t wait to try it out in my own projects!

[sara t]

I just tried it out today and the glow layering with Inner and Outer Glow really makes the sci-fi vibe come alive! 

I especially liked the masking part to tuck the glow behind the subject — makes it feel way more integrated. I added some custom shapes too and layered different glow colors as suggested… looks amazing.

[joy_8282]

To create a sci-fi glow effect in Photoshop  use the Outer Glow layer style  set vibrant colors  and apply Gaussian Blur for a soft  glowing look.