Archive for 'Adobe CS3'
50 Hot New Tutorials (Part2)
Posted on 14. Mar, 2010 by Tony.
Tutorials can often be your greatest source of inspiration when trying to design that project you have been putting off. In this post, I have rounded up a collection of very useful tutorials from around the web from the month of February. You’ll find everything from a super easy neon style in photoshop, to creating [...]
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Cheap Wordpress Themes: 5 Semi-Premium Designs for Business Websites
Posted on 12. Mar, 2010 by Barbara Holbrook.
We’ve talked about Premium Wordpress Themes ad infinitum on TutorialBlog. But, sometimes you need a cheap WordPress theme that you can get online and looking good in less than an hour. What do you when you (or your client) want it all … and your budget is under $25?
You call in reinforcements!
Take the pain out of working under an impossible budget by making it easy. Your “client” will be pleased as punch with any of these semi-premium WordPress themes and you’ll still have money left to buy a fancy coffee from your favorite java dealer.
What is a semi-premium theme you ask? These themes may not have everything as the expensive, bells-and-whistles-included brand of premium themes. That could mean fewer choices on the theme options screen or only a single page template or fewer plugins pre-built into the site. However, in most areas a good semi-premium theme has everything you need to build a quality website, quick and easy.
Elegant Themes is a WordPress theme club that specializes in semi-premium themes. (...)
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5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Photography and Take Better Photos
Posted on 12. Mar, 2010 by Mathew.
Digital photography is a huge and varied discipline, with millions of photographers worldwide meeting on services like Flickr and Picasa to share their shots, improve their work, and develop their career. Whether hobbyists or would-be professionals, these photographers share one thing in common – a burning desire to improve their photography and take cleaner, more balanced, and overall better photos.
Doing the same for yourself isn’t as difficult as you may think. Almost all digital cameras, even the inexpensive and old, are capable of taking great photos in the right hands. These five tips, tricks, and tactics for taking better pictures can help you improve your photography, build a portfolio of high quality images, and boost your visual artistic ability.
1. Understand Aperture.
Beyond focus, aperture is one of the most important factors in creating great photos. Described simply, the aperture setting of your camera will determine the focal depth (also known as “depth of field” of the shot. A shallow aperture results in a very thin range of focus, which is perfect for framing portrait photos and separating foreground from background. A deep aperture brings almost the entire frame into focus, giving you the ability to photograph large landscapes and environments without risk of blurring or poor focus.
Balancing the two is essential for good photos. Photos with a defined point of focus – photos of people, moving events, or specific objects – benefit from a shallow depth of field, while landscape photos and scenic photography is best done with a large range of focus.
2. Take More Photos.
To an extent, photography is a numbers game. Professional photographers don’t just go out to take a couple of photos and call it a day – they capture everything they can find from every possible angle. Just like design gets better with experience, photography gets better with quantity. More photos means more choice during editing, and a greater range of captures gives you more room to crop photos to your preferences, edit them for use in designs, and apply filters and effects.
3. Always have a camera ready.
For all the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs that are out there, millions of utterly amazing photos have gone unpublished. Why? Because the could-be photographers with an opportunity to take them didn’t have a camera with them.
Whether it’s your cellphone, a point-and-shoot style camera, or a bulky dSLR, always keep a camera on you. The most interesting and exciting events tend to happen at the most unexpected times, and without a camera somewhere in your bag it’s unlikely you’ll ever be able to capture them. A simple phone camera or small $100 point-and-shoot is more than enough for ensuring you’re ready to shoot wherever you are.
4. Use a camera with manual focus, zoom, and aperture controls.
That ultra-cheap digital camera is only going to last you so long. After years of taking pictures with a point-and-shoot camera, it’s very likely that you’ll outgrow your equipment, or at least hit a plateau with regards to the quality and composition of your photos. Cheap cameras give poor results, both in image size, scale, and clarity. Just like great designers reward themselves with ultra-flash working set-ups, great photographers should reward and enable themselves with better gear.
Stepping up from a point-and-shoot, the best thing to look for is a mid-level dSLR camera. They’re not particularly aesthetically pleasing or compact, but they’re virtually unbeatable when it comes to image quality and clarity. If you’re worried about having to carry a large camera with you everywhere, a digital rangefinder or 4/3 camera could be a better pick. Both offer full manual controls and a range of other photographer-friendly options.
5. Edit every photo you take.
Editing isn’t about applying tacky effects and pushing every filter you can find on top of your photos. While Photoshop may have enabled thousands of wannabe photographers to make ugly HDR shots and terrible filtered landscapes, it’s also given professional photographers the ability to vastly improve their photographs before publishing.
The first edit that any photographer should start with is the levels of their image. Adjust the levels so that exposure is relatively constant and the image is neither too light nor too dark. Then, using the sliding options in Photoshop, feel free to adjust color intensity and saturation, definition and image highlights, and the entire image’s light and gradient profile.
Other creative editing ideas can add interest and life to a picture. Most editing programs offer a range of black and white features, each slightly different from the other. Over-saturation, creative cropping, and different framing options and image sizes can all change photographs drastically. Being too liberal with effects can result in some Photoshop disasters, but a subtle touch can bring life and flair to an otherwise boring photo.
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Projecting Professionalism: 5 Ways to Make Your Business Seem Bigger Than it Is
Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by admin.
Big is good. Despite the common assumption that small companies are the best when it comes to customer and client service, many businesses look the other way when selecting a service provider or contractor. Rather than selecting based on individual attention and customer care, they look for other signals of approval – the ability to work with large clients, a proven track record, and the structure to support large assignments and long-term contracts.
For a small boutique provider, it can seem nearly impossible to get a foot in the door. The big guns are looking for companies like them – large, powerful, and very experienced – but in order to become one and gain access to their contracts, you need to become one yourself. For some small businesses, that means acquiring additional overheads and growing in size, even if its just perceived size for some of your clients and customers.
These five tips can help you transform your business’s image from small and micro-focused to large and powerful. With a few small additions, new strategies, and client interaction changes, these tips could land you ultra-valuable clients and customer contacts, long-term contracts, and the experience required to market yourself to the biggest companies in the world. Apply one, two, or all five, and watch your business’s value grow in front of you.
1. Use a virtual assistant for emails and task management.
When you run a business that operates entirely online, in-person employees for administrative tasks just result in higher overheads and greater workloads. A virtual assistant and remote employees can save your business money – virtual assistants are typically paid per-task or on contract – and at the same time dramatically increase productivity.
On the image side, employing a virtual assistant can be a major asset for your business. Clients are wowed by size, and having a personal assistant or extra employee can result in some real authority when searching for large clients. Want to make your business seem bigger and more powerful for client acquisition? Have your virtual assistant handle an individual email address (sales@company or support@company are good choices) and demonstrate your business’s size to prospective clients.
2. If you list a phone number, add an auto-directory.
Almost all phone companies offer navigation and directory systems for a small fee. For those that don’t know, that’s the “press one for…” system that pops up whenever you call a major company or well-known business. While some consumers hate dealing with automated calling directories on the phone, most businesses see them as a sign of authority and competence.
If you’re not a fan of your own voice, most phone providers will be able to provide a simple recording for your phone system. Even if you’re only routing callers to sales, technical support, or your independent phone line, a simple split-option phone system can make your business appear more professional and valuable than it otherwise would.
3. Tell your clients that you’re working with other employees.
The smartest thing any business can do is tell you that they don’t work to promote you, their team does. Large clients value the type of organization that’s present in their companies – teams, interlinked divisions, and groups of people working towards a relatively common goal. By telling your clients that you’re working with a team on their projects, you increase support and boost trust levels.
Better yet, build a team that gives your clients amazing service. Whether it’s a simple team of contractors for micro-orders and small overflow work, or a large team for corporate clients and top-ranked business in your area, building a valuable team can boost your per-project income and help you gain more big clients in the future.
4. Expand your web presence.
Say you’re a web design company that’s also offering basic SEO services and internet marketing strategies for clients. Seems smart to list them through the same website, right? While it might be best for your rankings and client acquisition goals to list them all through one website, it can actually be a poor strategy for hooking major clients and long-term corporate partners.
Why? Because with one website, you’re limited to marketing as a small business. However, with a small network of business websites, each one offering a slightly different service and promoting a different aspect of your service business, you’ll be able to market yourself to companies and prospective clients as a major provider, not just a small fish.
5. Become an expert in your niche.
Posting on blogs, business publications, and local newsletters gives you one of the most important things in business: authority. When looking for large clients and long-term partners, authority is one of the most important things available to your business. It fuels negotiation, allows you to command high prices, and makes it possible to get your foot – or in this case, your email – in the door with major companies.
So get out there and write, be interviewed, and provide content. There’s no way to become an expert but to put in the time and effort, promote yourself, and become one on your own. Contact bloggers in your niche, get in touch with major websites and offer your services, and make yourself known. Become an expert and your business becomes a brand, your clients become more valuable, and your total business income skyrockets.
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Desktop Wallpaper: 80+ Most Breathtaking Places on Earth
Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by Tony.
There are many sources of inspiration that designers look to when trying to get their creative juices flowing. I think there is none better than the breathtaking landscapes that nature has to offer. In this post you will see some of the most beautiful places on earth. You will see everything from the mountains of [...]Article source: Designrfix
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50 Hot New Tutorials (Part1)
Posted on 09. Mar, 2010 by Tony.
Tutorials can often be your greatest source of inspiration when trying to design that project you have been putting off. In this post, I have rounded up a collection of very useful tutorials from around the web from the month of February. You’ll find everything from a stunning retro futuristic typography, to designing a brilliant [...]Article source: Designrfix
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Top 6 Mistakes that Newbie Designers and Online Entrepreneurs Make
Posted on 08. Mar, 2010 by Mathew.
It’s not uncommon to hear stories of large-scale online business failures. From major companies – anyone remember Webvan? – to small design firms and marketing agencies, failure is a part of doing business. With the low costs of starting and operating a business online, many businesses that would fail under other circumstances end up getting started. Sometimes they grow into leading enterprises, but more often than not, they don’t.
We’ve identified the six most common mistakes that newbie designers, entrepreneurs, and online businesspeople make when they start their own online businesses. If you’re just starting out online yourself, use this article as a template of what not to do in your business. The best business lessons are often learned from other people’s failures, and these six should give you a good foundation for creating a long-term online business.
1. Expanding Too Fast.
You started a business, saw a relatively large amount of success, and thought that the bigger you grew, the bigger the money would get. Unfortunately, the infinite growth model rarely works for online businesses, particularly service businesses which require a lot of manual upkeep and client-based attention.
Whenever your business has the potential to expand, think through the situation as a whole. Boosting your client count or product’s reach could bring in new income, but it could also create new expenses and a lot of new headaches. Business success is about weighing the ups and downs – sometimes expansion brings in more of one than the other. Plan accordingly.
2. Overestimating Their Influence.
Control is an important factor in business. Meetings tend to move according to the most influential person – the guiding presence in the meeting and the most important factor in negotiation. As a new entrepreneur it’s easy to overestimate your influence amongst clients, business partners, and potential collaborators.
It’s not so much ego as it is a misunderstanding. Business requires a certain degree of pushiness, but too much ends up poisoning negotiations and potentially alienating clients and customers. Whenever you’re reaching out to another businessperson, client, or prospective customer, treat them like a guest and remember that you’re asking them for something, not the other way around.
3. Taking on Too Much Work at Once.
This error is most common amongst designers, but results-based business of all forms are susceptible to it. In an effort to boost revenue and increase per-client profits, many service businesses simply bite off more than they can chew. Employees are pushed to the limit, deadlines are stretched, and many clients end up unhappy.
It’s hard to suggest anything other than this behaviour, as risk like this is important for a successful company. However, whenever possible it’s best to be in control of your risk. Rather than giving hundreds of clients or customers second-class treatment, aim for top-level treatment with a smaller sample of people. Position yourself as a premium provider and you’ll end up with a more fluid, controllable, and well-rounded business.
4. Pricing Themselves Too Low, or Too High.
Charge people too much and you’ll fail to gain clients. Charge too little and you’ll end up overwhelmed with low-paying work and unable to cope with the quantity. Setting prices as a service business is a balancing act, and it’s one that can take quite a lot of time to adjust to. Whenever possible, look at your business as a premium product. Price yourself above competitors to ensure that your work is profitable and worthwhile, but don’t price yourself in a range where you’re unable to gain valuable client referrals and long-term projects.
5. Ignoring Professionalism.
Online businesses are great in that they allow entrepreneurs to work from their living rooms, and limiting in that they insulate people from the corporate world. As a designer, service provider, or B2B business, you’re bound to work with some major companies and multinational corporations. Pitching, contacting, and keeping in touch with clients requires a fine touch, and a level of professionalism that’s often lacking amongst online businesses.
Invest in what’s required to get your foot in the door. If that’s nice clothes for a business meeting, it could be worth it. If it’s a customer and client support employee for providing the impression of a big company, take it. If there’s a way for you to appear more professional and experienced, do almost anything possible to achieve it.
6. Worrying Too Much.
Let’s face it, as a newbie designer or businessperson, the natural reaction is to respond to things with caution and temperance. Sometimes business opportunities come in, and rather than reacting to them with potential planning and long-term thinking, newbie designers think that all which could go wrong because of them.
This type of thinking is good for running a low-risk business, but ineffective for running an ultra-successful business. Risk is a very important part of business, and letting it control your thinking leaves you stuck at a standstill. Sometimes it’s best to apologize for mistakes – whether to clients, customers, or business partners – than to beg for the opportunity to do something.
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Web Design: 40 Fantastic Examples
Posted on 03. Mar, 2010 by Tony.
In many of my previous posts on website design I have always categorized the style of websites that I was showcasing. In this post, I have decided to compile some of the most visually appealing websites from all sorts of different design styles that are out there today. From retro inspired designs to the very creative. So if you [...]Article source: Designrfix
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10 Useful and Time-Saving CSS Grid-Layout Generators
Posted on 02. Mar, 2010 by Joel.
CSS is considered the “back-bone” of a website. It structures, helps embed, and styles elements. Now, if we were to code a CSS layout by hand, it would take us an unneeded amount of time that we could be putting towards other areas of our designs.
With somewhat similar concepts to the all-famous button, background, and favicon generators, today we present you with 10 Useful and Time-Saving CSS Grid-Layout Generators that will save you mass amounts of time and help you eliminate some repetitive coding.
Blueprint Grid CSS Generator
This tool will help you generate more flexible versions of Blueprint’s grid.css and compressed.css and grid.png files. Whether you prefer 8, 10,16 or 24 columns in your design, this generator now enables you that flexibility with Blueprint.
Grid Layout Generator by netProtozo
The Grid Layout Generator by netProtozo is very easy to use. You can use the form to build a grid, then be able to grab the generated CSS to use in building your layout. Also, use a snap shot of the grid in photoshop to help you tighten up your design. By doing so, you’ll find that you’ll be able to pretty much match your design using the CSS provided.
Grid System Generator
The grid system generator will create fixed grid systems in valid CSS/XHMTL form for rapid prototyping, development, and production environments. It also creates a background file that you can use in Frameworks, Illustrator, Photoshop, and more to aid in prototyping and design.
YUI: CSS Grid Builder
Yahoo’s grid builder is one of the easiest to interact with. The side panel to the left lets you edit the width of the grid, create columns, rows, and set fixed sizes. The changes you make take place in HTML format and you can hit the Show Code button and copy/paste it wherever you’d like.
Variable Grid System
The variable grid system is a quick way to generate an underlying CSS grid for your site. The CSS generated file is based on the 960 Grid System.
YAML Builder
The YAML Builder is a tool for visually creating YAML-based CSS layouts. It allows for the setting of basic layout characteristics like the number and positioning of the content columns, as well as the dynamic creation of grid-based layouts by dragging and dropping subtemplates. Not quite WYSIWYG, but close!
Grid Designer
You can get started generating grids by Filling in the number of columns, total width, gutters and margin widths, all specified in pixels – then press the design button. You can even use the Typography tab to adjust and calculate basic typographic settings for your design. Finally, on the Export tab, you can generate copy-and-paste ready CSS, and a sample XHTML template.
CSS Layout Generator by CSSPortal
This generator will create a fluid or fixed width column layout, with up to 3 columns and with header, footer and menu. Values can be specified in either pixels or percentages.
Firdamatic
Firdamatic™ is an online tableless layout generator that allows you to create and customise layouts easily only by completing forms, making creating skins for your Firdamatic-based layout a breeze. This tool is available for free for personal/non-commercial use only and comes with no technical support.
CSSCreator.com
This generator will create a fluid or fixed width floated column layout, with up to 3 columns and with header and footer. Values can be specified in either pixels, ems or percentages. To create your layout select the structural elements your site requires (header, footer, columns). Then specify a size in the field provided and choose a background color from the color chooser below.
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Logo design for the Deep House Cat show
Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by veerle@duoh.com.
It doesn’t always happen that you get the chance to work on something that you personally use a lot. This time we had the opportunity to create a new logo for The Deep House Cat show.
What is The Deep House Cat show?
The Deep House Cat is an internationally streamed radio show created by "philE" from Chicago. You can listen to the Deep House Cat show on such radio stations as SSRadio, DI.fm, Housebox, Gabz FM and many more FM/AM and online outlets. Another way is by subscribing in iTunes like we do. This way you are sure you don't miss an episode.
Thinking process
The previous Deep House Cat logo was in use for almost 3 years and the client felt it had become a bit bland. When talking about this in more detail we discovered a bit of a roadblock. The client explained:
When we started the radio show we only played Deep House. This has changed over the years and we now play other sub-genres as well. The brand "Deep House Cat" however is widely being recognized and I would hate to see it go, because I do not want to start building a brand from scratch again. A new logo should incorporate the idea of toning down the "Deep" in "Deep House Cat", BUT not losing it completely.
The client did give us a few suggestions of what he thought the logo should look like. He suggested a stylized big cat (e.g. tiger, lion, jaguar, or panther). This was a good sign because we were already thinking along those lines as well. Other remarks were that it should also be recognizable in a smaller version such as an avatar or a social network user image.
Proposal 1
In the first version I tried to create a stylized cat using mostly straight lines. I ended up with a very male look which was my intention. The shape of the head and pointy ears made me also think a bit of a bat, which I also liked in a way. As for the typeface, I tried to reflect the same straight lines but added some personality to it by altering the 'H', 'E' and' A'. The word 'Deep' is treated as a separate element. This way 'House Cat' can stand on its own and 'Deep' can be removed when the time is right.
PROPOSAL 1:
Using mostly straight lines, which gives a very stylized male look
Proposal 2
For the second proposal I've drawn a classic cat, using round shapes which is also reflected in the typeface. I ended up with a logo that is way more female than I wanted it to be, but I liked its pose and elegant gracious look. So I decided to add this proposal, even though I expected the logo to be too feminine.
PROPOSAL 2:
Working with round shapes, which shows the more an elegant, feminine and gracious look of a cat.
Proposal 3
For the third proposal I wanted to try a tiger, or more preferably a panther so I would end up with a male looking logo. After looking at a lot of photos of panthers and tigers, I decided the face of a panther would fit best. When experimenting on how I would incorporate the 'Deep' part, I ended up with a circle surrounding the cat's face, which also makes it a perfect fit for an avatar or small icon. It could remind you of a record, or even the seventies Afro wigs disco style :) Somehow I felt this link with music, because I know that a lot of deep house music has disco influences into it.
As for the name, I was thinking of using a heavy sans serif typeface as it feels more male and gives the right balance to the logo. Gotham Ultra felt like the perfect choice in combination with the narrow Neon Extra Condensed for the 'Deep' part which adds this nice typographical contrast. Playing around with the letters 'C' and 'A' in combination with a different color, resulted in a different separation of the 2 words instead of using a space in between.
PROPOSAL 3:
Trying to find a balance between the female elegance, while making sure the cat looks male, which ended up in the face of a panther.
Feedback
The client liked proposal 2 and 3, but requested some changes before he could make a definite choice between one of them. As I kind of expected, I had to try to make proposal 2 a bit more male like. As for for proposal 3, the client suggested to show the panther's teeth as he looked a bit too friendly. For proposal 2, I did tried to make the cat more male looking by changing the eyes and the way he looks, smart and gracious. I've also added some subtle gradient effects. It was hard not to loose the charm of this logo and still make it look male, while changing proposal 3 was way more doable. The friendly looking cat was turned into roaring panther exactly what the client suggested and it did the trick. The last change I did was squinting the eyes a bit so the roaring looks more natural.
FINALIZING the logo:
Turning the friendly cat into a roaring panther by showing its teeth and squinting the eyes.
Final & approved design proposal
The roaring panther makes it more interesting, plus judged by geometrics, also better balanced. The tough edge makes it a more appealing logo.
Article source: Veerle's blog: full articles
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15 Free And Useful Typography Tools For Web Designers
Posted on 28. Feb, 2010 by Joel.
Typography is one of the most important components that make a design complete. This aspect of your design can effectively engage users when used properly. It can also help you enhance the visual appearance of your website, print/graphic designs, and more.
Here we have 15 Free and Useful Typography Tools for Web Designers that’ll help you in a variety of ways. Alright, now lets begin exploring these tools.
FontStructor
FontStuctor is an easy to use free web-based typography tool that allows you to create your own fonts. It has a beautiful interface that is simple to interact with.
CSS Type Set
CSS Type Set is a wonderful tool that lets you visually and actively style your text that it can generate efficient CSS.
WhatTheFont
WhatTheFont lets you interactively scan a URL or upload an image that has a font(s) and it will then tell you what the font is. It’s a great way to find out what fonts other designers are using to create amazing designs.
Font Burner
Font Burner allows you a simple and efficient block of code so that you can embed in your webpages giving the option to convert your headlines to whatever possible font you choose.
PXtoEM
PXtoEM is a calculator that does conversions of pixels, em’s, points, and percentages.
Typetester
Typetester is an online application for comparison of the fonts for the screen. Its primary role is to make web designer’s life easier. As the new fonts are bundled into operating systems, the list of the common fonts will be updated.
Font Tester
Font Tester is a free online font comparison tool. It allows you to easily preview and compare different fonts side by side with various CSS font styles applied to them. It is very useful for web developers who are looking for just the right font/style/color to use in their pages.
TypeNavigator
TypeNavigator is the world’s first interactive visual font search system.
Typechart
Typechart allows you to navigate through, preview and compare web typography and then grab the CSS and embed it into your web designs.
Flipping Typical
Flipping Typical is a smart way to explore the popular typefaces you have on your computer.
CSS-Typoset Matrix
CSS-Typoset Matrix actively displays font sizes, line-heights, and margins for a variety of base font sizes. It can also output the CSS code depending on the data you insert.
Linotype Font Finder
Answer a few simple questions and the artificial intelligence of the FontIdentifier will help you find your font.
Identifont
The Identifont expert system enables you to identify a typeface from a sample by answering a series of questions about key characteristics.
Serif Font Identification Guide
Serif Font Identification Guide is an incredible visual font identification application that displays various images allowing you to choose from whichever match the font you’re trying to recognize the closest.
Font Picker
Font Picker lets you browse all the fonts available on your computer. You’re able to quickly view a font that you may want to use in a design, or a project. It’s quite useful.
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Digital Art: 80+ Most Beautiful CG Girls On The Web (Part 1)
Posted on 28. Feb, 2010 by Tony.
I have said it in the past and I will say it again, the talented artists and their outstanding works that I showcase on designrfix.com never cease to amaze me. Today I have assembled an amazing collection of beautiful CG girls in 2d, most of these great works are created in Photoshop and Painter. This [...]Article source: Designrfix
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How to create an elegant web layout in Photoshop
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by Ionut.
In this tutorial I will show you how to create an elegant web layout in Photoshop using thin lines, subtle gradients and beautiful typography.
Final Result
Have a look at the layout that we’ll be creating in this tutorial.
Step 1 – The 960 Grid System
First, download the 960 Grid System and unzip the archive. Then go to the “photoshop” folder (you will find it inside the “templates” folder) and open the “960_grid_24_col.psd” file in Photoshop. This .psd file has a grid of 24 columns.
The red bars that you see are located inside the “24 Col Grid” group. When you want to hide/show the grid, you can simply click on the eye icon of this group. We will create our layout between these red bars.
The file also contains guides that are very helpful when designing a web layout. To show/hide the guides, go to View > Show > Guides (Ctrl/Cmd + ; ).
Step 2 – Increasing the size of the canvas
Go to Image > Canvas Size and set the width to 1920px and the height to 1250px.
Now we will change the color of the background to a light yellow. Click on the “Background” layer to make it active. Then use the Paint Bucket Tool (G) to fill the background with the color #f6e8bc.
Step 3 – Creating the header
Create a new group (Layer > New > Group) and name it “header”. Then make sure that your Info panel is opened (Window > Info – F8). You will need it to see the exact size of the shapes that you will create in this tutorial.
Select the Rectangle Tool (U) and create a rectangle with the height 10px and the color #3c1927 at the top of your document. Name this layer “top bar”.
Step 4
Use the Rectangle Tool (U) again to create a rectangle with the height 120px and the color #542437 beneath the one from the previous step. Then double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image.
Step 5
Select the Line Tool (U), set the weight to 1px and the color to #2f141f. Then hold down the Shift key and drag a horizontal line from the right edge of your document to the left one. Move the line at the bottom of the first rectangle and name this layer “1px dark line”.
Duplicate the line layer (Ctrl/Cmd + J), select the Move Tool (V) and hit the up arrow once to move this new line one pixel up. Change the color of this line to #4e2133 and name the layer “1px light line”.
Step 6 – Writing the name of the layout
Select the Type Tool (T) and write the name of your web layout in the header. I used the font Garamond Premier Pro Bold with the color #ecd078. Then double-click on the text layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image.
Note: make sure the guides are visible (Ctrl/Cmd + ; ) and move the text to the left edge of the layout. Take a look at the next image for reference.
Step 7 – Adding a subtle gradient under the name of the layout
Now we will create a white to transparent gradient under the text. Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient and use the settings from the following image. To move the gradient, click on your image and move the cursor while the Gradient Fill window is opened. Set the blend mode of this layer to Overlay 25% and put it beneath the text layer.
Step 8 – Creating the navigation bar
Create a new group and name it “navigation bar”. Select the Rectangle Tool (U) and create a rectangle beneath the header with the height 40px and the color #c02942. Double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image for Gradient Overlay.
Step 9
Select the Line Tool (U) and set the weight to 1px. Then create two horizontal lines at the top of the navigation bar. For the dark line use the color #4e121c and name this layer “1px dark line top”. For the light line use the color #ed3453 and name this layer “1px light line top”.
Step 10
Create two more lines with the weight 1px at the bottom of the navigation bar. Use the color #972437 for the dark line and #e3314e for the light one.
Step 11
Select the Type Tool (T) and write the name for your navigation menu items. Use a bright yellow color (#f2e9cc) and a serif font (I used Garamond Premier Pro Semibold).
Step 12 – Creating separators for the navigation bar
Create a new group inside the “navigation bar” group, name it “separators” and set its opacity to 75%. Select the Line Tool (U) and drag a vertical line from the top of the navigation bar to the bottom using the color #8a1e30. Then create a new line next to the first one using the color #d72e4b.
Select these two lines, duplicate them (drag them over the ‘Create a new layer’ button from the Layers panel) and move them to the right, between the first two navigation menu items. Repeat this process until you have as many separators as you need.
Step 13
Now we will use a mask to make the separators fade away at the top and at the bottom. Add a mask to the “separators” group (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All) and set the foreground color to black. Then select the Gradient Tool (G), hold down the Shift key and drag a vertical black to transparent gradient at the top of the navigation bar. Repeat this for the bottom area of the navigation bar as well.
Step 14 – Adding a gradient beneath the navigation bar
Create a new layer. Then select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) and create a selection like the one you see in the following image. Select the Gradient Tool (G), hold down the Shift key and drag a #b6aa86 to transparent gradient from the top of the selection to the bottom. Hit Ctrl/Cmd+D to deselect. Use the Move Tool (V) to move this layer 1px beneath the navigation bar. Name this layer “gradient” and set its opacity to 25%.
Step 15
Write a text beneath the navigation bar using the Type Tool (T) and the color #542437.
Step 16 – Creating a content carousel
Create a new group and name it “featured”. Create another group inside the first one and name it “top separator”.
Use the Line Tool (U) to create two horizontal lines with the weight 1px. For the first one use the color #f7efd3 and for the second one use the color #c7bc98. Set the opacity of these two layers to 60%.
Create a new layer. Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) and create a rectangular selection right above the two lines. Then hold down the Shift key and drag a #b6aa86 to transparent gradient (G) from the bottom of the selection to the top. Set the opacity of this layer to 15% and name it “gradient”.
Step 17
Add a mask to the “top separator” group (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All). Then drag two horizontal black to transparent gradients (G) – one in the left side of the separator and another one in the right side. Take a look at the following image for reference. You can also activate the guides to help you drag these gradients.
Step 18
Duplicate the “top separator” group by dragging it over the ‘Create a new layer’ button from the bottom of the Layers panel. Then go to Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical. Move this new separator down at a distance of about 240px from the first one. Change the name of this group to “bottom separator”.
Step 19 – Adding the featured images
Open three images in Photoshop and move them into your first document using the Move Tool (V). I used images of some of my previous works.
Activate the grid. Then crop the images and use Free Transform (Ctrl/Cmd + T) to change their size. I have chosen to make the middle image bigger than the other two ones. My middle image has the dimensions 360px by 200px and the other two ones have 280px by 166px. Take a look at the following image for reference.
Step 20
Now we will add a double stroke effect to the images. Double-click on the middle image layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image.
Step 21
For the other two images use the same Layer Style settings, but change the size of the Inner Glow to 5.
Step 22 – Creating a shadow beneath each image
Select the Ellipse Tool (U), hold down the Shift key and create a small circle in the middle of your big image using the color #847c63 (1). Go to Edit > Free Transform (Ctrl/Cmd + T) and stretch the circle as you see in the following image (2, 3).
Right-click on this layer and select Convert to Smart Object. Then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and add a 3px gaussian blur (4). Name this layer “shadow 1″, move it beneath the layer of the image (5) and set its opacity to 20% (6).
Step 23
Repeat the previous step for the other two images, but set the opacity of the shadow layers to 15%.
Step 24 – Creating the navigation arrows
Now we will create two navigation arrows for the content carousel – one in the right side and one in the left side.
Select the Ellipse Tool (U), hold down the Shift key and create a circle with the dimensions 50px by 50px and the color of the layout’s background (#f6e8bc). Move this circle in the right side of the third image, as you see below.
Double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image for Outer Glow and Stroke. Name this layer “right circle”.
Step 25
Convert the “right circle” layer into a smart object (right-click on it and select Convert to Smart Object). Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) to select the right half of this circle. Then erase the selected area by going to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide Selection.
Step 26
Duplicate the “right circle” layer (Ctrl/Cmd + J). Then go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal. Name this layer “left circle” and use the Move Tool (V) to move it in the left side of the content carousel.
Step 27 – Creating two navigation arrows for the content carousel
Copy this symbol “»”, select the Type Tool (T), click on your image and paste it. I used the font Garamond Premier Pro Bold with the size 48px and the color #542437. Depending on which font you will use, your arrows will look different. Move this arrow in the middle of your right circle and name the layer “right arrow”.
Duplicate the “right arrow” layer (Ctrl/Cmd + J). Use the Move Tool (V) to move it in the left side of the content carousel. Then replace the first symbol with this one “«”. Name this layer “left arrow”.
Step 28 – Creating a vertical separator
Create a new group and name it “vertical separator”. Select the Line Tool (U) and create a vertical line in the middle of your layout with the height 600px and the color #f7efd3. Name this layer “light line”. Duplicate this line layer (Ctrl/Cmd + J) and change its color to #c7bc98. Then select the Move Tool (V) and hit the right arrow once to move this new line 1px to the right. Name this layer “dark line”.
Step 29 – Creating the ‘Services’ area
Create a new group and name it “services”. Then select the Type Tool (T) and write the word “Services” with the size 32px and the color #542437 in the left side of the layout.
Step 30
Add three representative images beneath the word “Services”. Activate the guides to help you arrange the images. Then crop each image to have the size 140px by 180px. Add a double stroke effect to each image using the Layer Style window and the settings below.
Step 31
Use the Rectangle Tool (U) to create a rectangle with the dimensions 138px by 30px and the color #94516b. Double-click on this layer to open the Layer Style window and use the settings from the following image. Duplicate this layer two times (Ctrl/Cmd + J) and put a rectangle beneath each image. Then select the Type Tool (T) and write three names of design services on your buttons using the color #fbf9f4.
Step 32 – Creating the ‘About us’ area
Create a new group and name it “about”. Then select the Type Tool (T) and write the words “About us” with the same font, color and size that you used for the word “Services”.
Add an image beneath the words “About us” with the dimensions 455px by120px. To add a double-stroke effect to this image, copy the layer style from a previous image (right-click on its layer and select Copy Layer Style), and then paste it to this layer (right-click on the layer and select Paste Layer Style). Then change the size of the Inner Glow to 6.
Select the Type Tool (T) and add a text beneath the image using the font Georgia, the size 14px and the color #673046.
Step 33 – Creating the ‘Blog’ area
Now we will create an area for recent blog posts. Create a new group and name it “blog”. Select the Type Tool (T) and write the word “Blog” beneath the ’services’ area with the same font, color and size that you used for the words “About us”.
Add two images with the dimensions 220px by 100px. Then copy the layer style of the image from the ‘about us’ area and paste it to these two layers to get the same double stroke effect.
Use the Type Tool (T), the font Georgia and the color #683147 to write a text next to each of these two images.
Step 34 – Creating a contact form
Create a new group and name it “contact”. Then select the Type Tool (T) and write the words “Contact us”.
Select the Rectangle Tool (U) and create a contact form like the one you see in the following image using the color #fcf8ec. Add a 1px stroke to each rectangle using the color #ddd0a4. Then select the Type Tool (T) and write the name of each field of the contact form using the font Georgia and the color #ddd0a4.
Use the Rectangle Tool (T) to create a send button beneath the contact form. Use the same settings which you used at step 31 for the buttons from the ’services’ area.
Step 35 – Adding a copyright statement in the footer
Select the Type Tool (T) and write a copyright statement in the footer of your layout using the font Georgia and the color #c8bfa4.
Final Result
Well, we’re finished! In the following images you can see the final web layout (with and without the grid). I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and you learned something new.
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Inspiration: 27 Great Logo Design Galleries
Posted on 25. Feb, 2010 by Tony.
There are many sources of inspiration that designers utilize when trying to get their creative juices flowing. If you are working on a logo design for a client or just for fun, this is a must see article. In this post I have assembled a great list of logo design galleries that will definitely inspire [...]Article source: Designrfix
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Fresh Examples of Beautiful Typography in Web Design
Posted on 23. Feb, 2010 by admin.
Typography play an important role in web design and using it creative and unique manner can really help to come up with an extra ordinary design. We have several useful design tools for beautiful web typography and a lot of Inspirational stuff to help while working on any design project but fresh Ideas are always in need. Today we are here with a small showcase of Fresh examples of beautiful Typography in web design, so take a look through these beautiful examples to help inspire you when it comes to producing your own typography based designs for the web.
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Beautiful Olympic Inspired Designs
Posted on 23. Feb, 2010 by Tony.
With the Olympics in full swing many of us are glued to the TV cheering our country on to win those Gold medals. Keeping with the Olympic spirit, I have decided to compile a beautiful collection of Olympic inspired designs from various artists from around the globe. I hope that these works will inspire you [...]Article source: Designrfix
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Winners – 1000 Business Cards Giveaway
Posted on 22. Feb, 2010 by Tony.
AllBusinessCards.com gave away 1000 full color, double sided business cards to each of 4 lucky readers of Designrfix. Thanks again to AllBusinessCards.com for this great giveaway. Visit AllBusinessCards.com for all of your business card printing needs!Our 4 lucky winners are: @ryanjohnson_me – (http://twitrand.com/v5k89p) @designcoyote – (http://twitrand.com/p5rksc) @MikeFinazzo – (http://twitrand.com/2t3az6) @ReynieLane – (http://twitrand.com/cd3qy5) Congratulations! Want more? Follow @designrfix to get [...]Article source: Designrfix
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Google Olympic Logos from Past To Present
Posted on 19. Feb, 2010 by Tony.
Google has for many years doodled on their homepage. These doodles are decorative changes that Google makes to their cooperate logo to celebrate certain holidays and other world events. In keeping with the decade long tradition, Google has doodled Olympic events on their website to commemorate this special global event. As you will see in [...]Article source: Designrfix
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Social Networking Software: 12 Ways to Build the Next, Best Social Network
Posted on 16. Feb, 2010 by Barbara Holbrook.
Do you want to be the next YouTube, Flickr, Match.com or Facebook? Then, you need to find the right social networking software. Dating sites, friend networks, video sharing portals are all built on networking platforms that give members control over their personal profile and encourage user-generated content.
If you can get it right, Social Networking is the key to the kingdom. You will never have to worry about your next blog post, because users will post and manage their own content. You will be free to focus on the important stuff like marketing, partnerships and monetization.
Of course, great social networks need great software. No one wants to play on a slow network and users won’t create profiles if they think your software isn’t secure. When choosing a social networking platform, you need to make sure the software looks professional, is stable and will be around for the long haul.
Here are the programs and platforms you’ll encounter in your search for social networking software. (...)
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50 Awesome Website Design Galleries
Posted on 16. Feb, 2010 by Tony.
For the longest time, one of my best sources of inspiration has been web design galleries. My favourite being The FWA: Favourite Website Awards which was founded in 2000. The FWA showcases the most cutting edge website designs. Since then there have been many web design galleries that have been popping up. In this post [...]Article source: Designrfix
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