Turn Text to Ice in Photoshop

Have you ever devoted hours to figuring out just the right combination of Photoshop effects for a headline, only to realize too late that the headline contains a big, fat typo? Smart objects can spare you that pain because you can always edit the text without undoing your cool effects.
The video tutorial below explains how to combine a background image, a filter, and layer effects to turn plain white letters into an icy typecicle:

Then to change the text, simply use Photoshop’s Text tool. Here’s proof:

For those in a hurry, here’s a free Photoshop action that will chill type on its own. Just download and load the action, type in your text, and apply the action to the type.*
But it’s best to watch the video and understand the process so you can customize the effects. Click the screenshot below to view the video on YouTube:

*If the action pauses on the final step (“Set Layer Styles of the current layer”) go to the Layer Style dialog box, switch to Bevel and Emboss, change the Contour option to Ring, then click OK.