You can create thick 3D Text in Photoshop. Any version. For a poster. I will use a number of photos which can be downloaded from http://sxc.hu/ First let us create the Text. It is simple enough.
Step 1 : Open a new White Layer in Photoshop.
Step 2 : Click on the Type Tool and then the Horizontal Type Tool.
Step 3 : When you click the Type Tool. Look at the top bar. You can choose fonts by clicking where the arrow points to. It will reveal a dropdown of fonts available in Photoshop. Choose Impact. It is available in all versions.
Step 4 : Draw out the Type box.
Step 5 : Type in your Text. I have typed in mine. It is a quotation.
Step 6 : Click on the Tick mark in the top bar. The selection disappears and only the Text remains.
Step 7 : Press CTRL+T.
Step 8 : Click the right bottom corner and drag. The size of the Text will increase.
Step 9 : The size of the Text has increased proportionately.
Step 10 : Click onthe Tick mark on the top panel. This will apply the transformation.
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Step 11 : Dragthe Text roughly to the middle. You don't have to be exact. This is how the Text looks like.
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Step 12 : Look in the Layers pallette. Note that the Text layer is above the Background Layer. A Text layer is always on its own layer. Now CTRL+Click the Layer thumbnail.
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Step 13 : The entire Text will be selected by marching ants.
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Look in the Layers pallette. You will find the image sitting on the topmost layer.
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Step 15 : Go the image with the Text and press CTRL+V. The photo will be pasted on top of it. Here the image is hiding the Text.
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Step 26 : I have now opened this photo. You can download it here. Press CTRL+A, then CTR+C.
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Step 27 : Go to the image we are making and press CTRL+V. The photo has been pasted. But note it does not cover the entire White Layer.
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Step 28 : Click the Move Toool. Make sure that Show Transform Controls or Bounding box (in PS7) is checked.
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Step 29 : You will notice corner handles appear at the edge of the image.
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Step 30 : : Drag the bottom right corner outward. The image will increase proportionately till it covers the Text image. Now click the Tick Mark in the top panel.
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Step 31 : Press CTRL+SHIFT+[. The image immediately goes behind the Text layer.
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Step 32 : : This is how the Layers pallete looks like. Image 1 is the background of the Text layer. The White background layer is below Layer 1.
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Step 36 : Click the Tick mark.
Step 37 : Click on the Add Layer Style button.
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Step 38 : From the popup click on Drop Shadow.
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Step 39 : With dialogue box open and without touching any of its controls place you cursor on the image at the left.
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Step 40 : Now move the cursor anywhere in the image. The Drop Shadow will change position.
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Step 41 : I have placed the Drop Shadow where I want it. It should follow the direction of light in the image below.
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Step 42 : In the Layer Style dialgue box which is still open I have dragged the Opacity to 35 %. Do not click ok yet.
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Step 43 : Now click on Outer Glow. The controls change to Outer Glow. Click where the red arrow points to.
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Step 44 : The Color Picker opens when you click. Type ffffff (6 fs) in the box at the bottom.
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Step 45 : Note that the color has changed to White. Now drag the Spread then Size sliders suitably. How much will depend on the effect you want. Now click ok.
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Step 46 : Press CTRL+L. The Levels dialogue box opens. Drag the Black slider first to darken the Text, then the Gray slider for reducing the highlights. Click ok.
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Step 47 : Go to Filter>Texture>Craquelure.
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Step 48 : The Texture dialogue box opens. I am leaving the default settings and clicking ok.
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Step 49 : Now click on Layer 1.
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Step 50 : Click on FilterRender>Lighting effects.
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Step 51 : When the Lighting dialogue box opens, just change the Light Type to Omni and click ok.
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This is my finished image. I don't think it was difficult to follow. Try it out.
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This is a larger size of Text created in the same way.
Other tutorials are here.