This effect can be created entirely using layer styles on a single layer, but because it uses a vertical gradient, it must be applied to only a single line of text at once. If you want to apply this effect to multiple lines of text, you must break them into separate layers first (which can be done using clone layers and transparency masks, for example).
To create the metal text effect on a single line of text, follow the following steps:
1: right click on the layer you want to apply the effect to to open its context menu, and click on Layer Style.... We are going to add 3 different layer style effects to it.
2: add a Gradient Overlay effect. Set its Opacity to 100%, blend mode to Normal, angle to vertical (90 degrees).
3: when you click on the Gradient field's dropdown list button to select a gradient, you should click on the Add button to create a new gradient for this metal effect.
Edit the newly added gradient until it looks metallic enough. It's a good idea to use a bit of color like blueish grey instead of pure grey to make it look better. You can add stops on the gradient by clicking on it, and edit the color of a stop by selecting it and then clicking on the color button.
Observation: unfortunately, Krita doesn't automatically the layer style while we edit the gradient. Only after we click OK, which makes editing this gradient a bit difficult.
4: add a Stroke layer effect. Set it 100% Opacity, Normal blend mode, and Position to Inside. The Size will depend on how large your text is.
Tip: size depends on the thickeness of the text. If your text is very small, the whole thing may become stroked, in which case setting Position to Outside may be a better choice instead.
5: change the fill of the stroke from a flat Color to Gradient. You have two options: either simply select the first metal gradient and check the Reverse checkbox to make it upside-down, to create a second gradient for the stroke.
Tip: it's a good idea to make the bottom part of first gradient white or a light color and the bottom part of the stroke gradient a dark color so it looks more tridimensional.
6: optional: add a drop shadow effect and/or stroke effect to add weight.
Workaround for Presets
As of version 5.2.9, Krita will automatically reload your gradients set in layer styles from a global preset, which can lead to data loss: if you modify the preset in the future, your old files won't look the way you saved them anymore(I've filled a bug about this).
It's possible to work around this by using clipping masks instead. In this case, the set up is a bit more complex.
You will need a clone layer of your effect target that has a inner stroke effect with 0% opacity. This will make the edges of the text transparent, allowing you to have a separate clipping mask for the inner fill and inner stroke.
Then, you must create two separate gradients using other layers, which you will clip to the original graphic and its inner fill clone, respectively.
The first method is to use a fill layer with a gradient. Unlike layer styles, gradients in fill layers aren't automatically reloaded from the preset, so it doesn't risk data loss. A fill layer can be used to fill the entire canvas with a gradient, in which case you'll probably want to use a repeating gradient as it's very tricky to position it otherwise.
The second method is to use a rectangle in a vector layer; simply draw over the text, select the rectangle, and in tool options change the fill to a gradient. This gradient is also not automatically reloaded, so you won't risk data loss.
Credits
This tutorial was inspired by a similar tutorial for GIMP by Kuru-man [https://www.gimpbrasil.org/2012/02/efeito-de-metal-com-degrade.html (accessed 2025-06-21)]. Unfortunately Krita doesn't have a displace filter like GIMP, so it isn't exactly the same thing, but it's pretty close.