Keep in mind my colors, sizes, etc., are not carved in stone. I used Times New Roman Bold font because almost everyone has it. A prettier, fancier font would look nice. This is simply how I did mine and you may want to get more creative.

Note: After writing this tutorial, I discovered an easier and faster way to make checkered text. Look here.

1. Make a new image, 550 x 550 and fill with white.
   
2. Foreground color Black. Times New Roman Bold text, size 95. Write your text. Center it in the image, right-click the text layer and do Layer to Image size. Duplicate the text layer and move the duplicate down below the white Background layer. (It's a spare for just in case). Right-click the top text layer and do Alpha to Selection. Select > To path (Another safety measure).
   
3. For now, click the eye next to the black text to turn it off. Keep the selection.
   
4. Activate the white background layer by clicking it.
   
5. Make a new transparent layer and name it, red. Fill the selection with red (d90000). Keep the selection.
   
6. With the red layer still selected, make another new transparent layer and name it, green. Fill the selection with green(48c700).
   
7. Click the top black text layer to activate it and turn on the eye to the left of it. Select > Shrink 1. Press Delete. Rename the layer, hollowed text. You will see the green layer in the hollowed text. Keep the selection.
   
8. Now is a good time to save your image. File > Save As. Name it checkeredtext and browse to where you want to save it, click Save. Ctrl + D to duplicate the image and close checkeredtext.xcf. If you make a mistake you will still have your main text layers and paths intact for another try at it.
   
9. Make a new transparent layer and name it, hollowed checks.
   
10. Make the Foreground color Black and the Background color White. Render > Pattern > Checkerboard > Size 6px. OK
    
11. The text is black and white checks. Select > None.
    
12. Colors > Color to Alpha. The color box should be White (ffffff). OK. You will see black and green checked text.
    
13. Right-click the hollowed checks layer > Alpha to Selection. Select > Shrink 1. OK
    
14. Press the Delete key. You will have hollow checks. Keep the selection.
    
15. Activate the green layer, and press the Delete key. Select > None. Now you will see green and red checks within the black checks borders.
    
16. Turn off the eyes next to the white Background layer and the extra text layer at the bottom.
    
17. The image below shows the layer positions with the two bottom layers' eyes turned off.
    
    
    
    
18. Right click any one of the layers > Merge Visible Layers.
    
19. Turn the eye back on next to the white Background layer.
    
20. Click the top (checkered text) layer and make a new, transparent layer.
    
21. Decorate with the Holly4 brush or any other brush. I've attached my animated holly4.gih brush below.
    
22. Merge the holly down to the text. Add a drop shadow. Filters > Light & Shadow > Drop Shadow.
    Offsets X & Y = 4
    Blur Radius = 8
    Opacity = 50

Finished. I hope you liked my tutorial. I've attached the xcf file so you can see the layers it if you wish; I added a readme layer that has the measurement details in it.

I've also attached a pdf file of the tutorial and the holly brush.
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Thanks for the tutorial and the brush Oregonian.

Nice tutorial O!

Thank You Oregonian

You're welcome, Ana.

Thank you Rod. Cool results. Thanks for posting them.

Thank you Pirate! Your image is lovely. Thank you for posting it.


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lol,I tired to do a halloween checkered,but yellow and orange did not go too well together:)
Thank You for Your nice input Oregonian

Love the tut but i need to find much nicer font

Very nice Ana,
Here are some Christmas fonts, I have the Christmas Card one which is quite nice, I think it is 6 down from the top.
http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=804

Thanks Molly

I made an accidental discovery that makes the tutorial faster to do. The discovery: The checkerboard filter takes on the FG and BG colors.

1. Make a new image and fill the background with white.
   
2. Make a new transparent layer and name it, color.
   
3. Make the FG color black and the BG color white.
   
4. Write some text with a fairly thick font.
   
5. Center the text and name the text layer, #1.
   
6. 1.Right-click layer #1 and select, Layer to Image size. Right-click layer #1 again and select Alpha to Selection, then Select > To Path. Keep the selection.
   
7. Duplicate the text layer (you will have layer #2).
   
8. Click to select layer #1, Filters > Render > Pattern > Checkerboard. OK. Select > None.
   
9. Colors > Color to Alpha, be sure the color in the color box is white. OK
   
10. Alpha to selection on layer #1, Select > Shrink 1 > press the Delete key. Select > None.
    
11. Select layer #2. Select > From path. Select > Shrink 1. OK. Press the Delete key. Select > None.
    
12. There should be a text outline and check outlines within the text outline. Merge layer #2 down to layer #1. Turn the eye off next to the layer to hide that layer.
    
    
    
    
13. Make the FG color one of the colors of your checks and make the BG color the other check color. The BG color becomes the more dominant color in the checkered text.
    
14. Select the color layer. Select > From Path.
    
15. Filters > Render > Pattern > Checkerboard. Your checks are colored.
    
    
    
    
16. Turn the eye back on on layer #1. Merge layer #1 down to the color layer. Select > None.
    
    

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Big like ''O''. Thanks for the tut.

Thanks, Ana. I love what you've done. Thank you for posting your results.

Here's the results from the second tut:

Nice!
I grabbed the PDF for the quick version.

Thanks O.

Very cool, Ana. I wrote the second one in kind of a hurry and hoped there weren't any glitches in it. It looks like it worked well for you.

Yes....and they are very easy and simple...and i like both of them so...thank you ''O''

I did it and it turned out but I don't know what I did to get there thanks "O"

It looks great Molly

Thot I would try another one cuz its fun!

Great Molly,I like it