Photoshop tutorials, Tips, special effects and others

In this tutorial we will learn how to make a simple web 2.0 button. So, lets start.

1) Create a new document (File -> New), select size 250 X 250 px, Transparent background.

2) Select “Rounded Rectangle tool” from tool palette and set

• radius to 5 px.
• Color: white
• style: Default (none)

3) Draw a rounded rectangle shape.

4) Hold ctrl key and click on layer to select all region of this layer. Now create a new layer (New -> Layer)

5) Select “Gradient” tool from tool palette.

set any dark color as forecolor and little light color as background color.

6) Hold and drag mouse from lower selection to upper selection. Now our button looks like this:

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In this tutorial we will learn how to make a shiny web 2.0 type chat icon in photoshop.

1) Create a new decument (File -> New), size 400 X 400 px and transparent background.

2) To create chat icon, select following:

• Select text tool from tool palette.
• Font type Webdings
• Size 250 px
• color on your choise, I have taken red color.

And type  ^
We will get a chat icon like this:

3) Right Click on layer and select “Blending Options” and do following settings.

5) Hold Ctrl key and click on the layer in the layer pallet to select all contents of this layer.

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In this tutorial we will learn how to make a web 2.0 type rounded rectangular button in photoshop.

1) Create a new file (File -> New) , and select a size (300 X 300 px) and transparent background.

2) Select “Rectangular Marquee Tool”

3) Now go to Select -> Modify -> Smooth ->  Set to 5 px
Now your selection will have rounded corner.

4) Now fill up the selection with any color you want using the “Paint Bucket Tool”.

 I’ve used dark blur color, and it looks liks this.

5) Right click on layer and select “Blending Options”, and do following settings.

6) Create New Layer (layer ->New Layer)..

Now Contract the selection by 2 pixel.

Select -> Modify -> Contract

7) Select “rentangular marquee tool” and  Click and hold “Alt” button and draw a shape like this.

8 ) Select “Gradient” tool from tool palette.

and select a color little lighter than previous color. I had select dark blue color, so now I will select little light blue color.

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In this tutorial we will learn how to make a web 2.0 type badge / sticker type button

1) Create a new file (File -> New), lets take 300 X 300 px size and transparent background.

2) From tool palette select “Custom shape tool”

3) Now select seal shape.

4) Select a color, lets select white color and draw a shape on the new document.

5) Right click on the layer and select “blending options”

6) Now do following settings.

7) Now our button looks like this:

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1) Create a new document, File -> New

2) Select “Rounded Rectangle tool” from tool palette.

and draw a rectangle button share using mouse.

3) click and hold “ctrl” key on keyboard and click on layer. Thus button shape will be selected. Now create a new layer, Layer -> New

4) Now choose any dark color of your choice as foreground color, and similar light color in tool palette.

color selection is completely your choice.

5) Select “Gradient” tool from tool palette.

6) Select first option in “gradient picker”

7) Hold and drag mouse from top to bottom of button shape. We will have a image like this.

9) As we can see,  button shape is already selected. Create a new layer (Layer -> New)

Now Contract the selection of this shape by 3 pixel.

Select -> Modify -> Contract

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1) Create a new document in photoshop.

File -> New

2) Type some text. Here I am typing “ReflectioN” . You can also change font and color of the text.

3) Now we have to create dublicate layer of step 2. Right click on layer -> select “Dublicate Layer”

4) Select dublicate layer. And flip it vertically.

Edit -> Transform -> Flip Vertical

Drag the image downward. It should look like this.

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1) Create a new file using: File -> New

2) You will get a form to fill up name, size and background type of the image. Lets select size as 150 X 60 pixel, and Transparent background.

3) From tool palette select “Rounded Rectangle tool”

4) Punch these options at the top.

• Shape Layers
• Set Radius to 60
• Create New Shape Layer
• select color

5) Now drag your mouse and create a button shape, just like this

6) Right click on layer -> select “Blending Options”

7) Select “Gradient Overlay” from left options.

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Fluid Mask is a great tool for making super fine mask selections and is probably the best edge cutting tool. It’s easy, it’s fast and perfect for photographers, image editors, graphic designers and all those who take digital image editing seriously.

Using sampling and selecting tools of Fluid Mask, you can make super fine mask selections. You can even make fine selection of hair, leaves, fire etc. and don’t think it is slow. It works very smoothly on 512 MB RAM system. Its is avaible for both windows and Macintosh platform.

It is paid software, but you can enjoy a free 14 days trail. Download free trail Fluid Mask.

It is one of the best phoshop plugin. You may find little difficulty in learning and understanding its working, but the site offers video tutorials to make your work easy.
http://www.vertustech.com/fm_tutorials.htm

The site also offers free live training.
http://www.vertustech.com/fm_webcast.htm

Even if you don’t need this tool, I will suggest you to try its free trial version. I am sure you will enjoy playing with Fluid Mask.

A grid is a series of equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines that create a visual matrix.

To Display/ Cancel Grid:
View -> Show -> Grid

Guides are horizontal or vertital lines that can be placed or positioned anywhere on the image surface. To create guides, enable Rulers.

Vier -> Rulers

Place mouse cursor on the ruler, and drag down to required position.

How to delete a Guide:
Select the guide and drag it out of the image.

Lock Guide:
View -> lock Guides

Guide Preference:
You can change color and style of guides.
Edit -> Preferences -> Guides, Grids & Slica