Create a Business Web Page Layout

First i want to thank you for visiting this tutorial. In this tutorial i will create a business layout. If you come regularly to my blog you will see how easy is to create great looking designs or websites.
In this blog you will find mainly layout tutorials.

Are you curious why ?
I am working with photoshop from a long time, and since then i have earned a lot of money creating websites for my clients. I want to teach you how to create websites because you will earn more money creating websites then creating a simple photoshop effect
If you want to start earning money on internet, then it is time to create websites for your future clients

I will give you an example. How much do you think you can charge for a logo, or for a simple photo effect ? Maybe 50 - 100 $ ?
In my entire life i have created a few thousand logos, and a few hundreds big websites, and my earnings are bigger for my layouts, that’s why i think you should start creating websites

I will try to be as simple as possible, and i am sure you can create great looking layouts with my methods

So let’s start creating or first layout. In this tutorial i will create a business layout

You can download the layout from the following link : ...

Login/Register to download/read further.

Please create a new document

Please use the following settings:

Set the foreground color to : #2b2724

Select The Paint Bucket Tool, and press on time on your canvas.
Select The background layer

Press on CTRL+J ( this shortcut will duplicate the selected layer )

Select ” layer 1 ” and go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise

Then use the following settings:

Select Rounded Rectangle Tool, and on the top of your screen, set the following settings

On your layout create two shapes for our navigation. I will change my foreground color to #e84502 , then i will use Rounded Rectangle Tool

Duplicate these 2 orange shapes. To duplicate the layer, first you need to select it, then press on CTRL+J
After you will duplicate the orange shapes, change the colors to white. To change the color you need to double click on the layer thumbnail, then you can chose the white color

this is what i have so far

Now i will select the Move Tool ( V ) , and i will move the white shapes to the top of the layout

I will place some stock images on my layout

With Type tool, i will add some text

With the same tool, add another text on the navigation bar

Select Line tool, and be sure you set the line Weight to 1 px

Create a vertical line between the navigation buttons

Now it is very important to rasterize the layer. to do this you need to right click the layer in your layer palette

Select Eraser tool, and change your brush to 60 Soft Mechanical 60 pixels

And try to delete the top and the bottom part of the line

Duplicate this layer ( to duplicate you need to have the layer selected, then press on CTRL+J )
Select Move tool, and place the duplicated line on the right side between the other text buttons

On the top of our layout, i will create a simple text logo. in my future tutorials i will show you how to create great looking logos

Create a new layer right above the layer 1

Select Brush tool ( change the brush to Soft Mechanical 60 pixels ), and with white color make a simple dot, under the text logo

To create a nice effect, please reduce the opacity for this layer to 25 %

This is my result

I hope you like my end result. This Layered PSD file is available only for VIP members

Thursday, May 21, 2009 | posted in Web Design | 0 comments [ More ]

Create Blue Black Navigation Bar

Design a beautiful navigation bar in Photoshop. This tutorial will teach you how to combine several layer styles to create a beautiful yet simple navigation bar.

Preview of Final Results

Blue on Black Navigation Bar Photoshop Tutorial

Step 1

Firstly, create a new document - the size I've used is 540 by 220 pixels. Now for the background I've filled it with a black colour. To do this go Edit > Fill with the colour #0d0d0d.

Step 2

Secondly, we'll be making the background for the navigation buttons to go inside. Create a new layer (Layer > New > Layer) and select the rounded rectangle tool. Make fixed size selection of 480 by 50 pixels with a radius of 5 pixels in the middle of the document.

Fill this selection with a linear gradient from the colour #151515 to #050505 using the gradient tool. Deselect - Ctrl + D. Set the fill of the layer to 60% (the setting underneath the opacity in the layers window). The difference between opacity and fill is simply opacity changes the opacity of the entire layer and fill changes the opacity of everything except the layer styles.

Step 3

Now we'll be adding a couple of layer styles to this navigation background.

Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow

Layer > Layer Style > Stroke

Now your document should be looking something like this.

Step 4

Next up we'll be adding in the buttons. Create a new layer and using the rounded rectangle tool again make a selection of 150 by 40 pixels (with a radius of 5 pixels again) on the left side of the navigation bar.

Fill this selection with a linear gradient from #323232 to #161616 using the gradient tool. Set the fill for this layer to 50%.

Step 5

I've applied three layer styles to this button to give it some depth and make it look cooler.

Layer > Layer Styles > Inner Glow

Layer > Layer Styles > Gradient Overlay

Layer > Layer Styles > Stroke

Your navigation bar should now look something like this.

Step 6

Select the text tool and add in some text - the font styles that I have used for the text are Bell Gothic Std, Bold, 20 pt, Crisp, #ffffff.

Step 7

Now repeat the button steps so you have two new buttons - I've decided that I'd make the middle one a different colour to stand out (this can be like a mouse over effect or something if you decided to code this navigation bar for a web layout). The blue colours I used for that are #14b9ef and #054573.

Step 8

Because we have set the fill of the layers to 50-60% we can adjust the background and it can be half see through - below I've put a radial gradient with colours used in the vista theme.

| posted in Web Design | 0 comments [ More ]

Create a Stunning Vista Inspired Menu

This tutorial will show you how to make a semi-transparent Vista-inspired menu using gradients, shadows, and blurring to produce a stunning modern effect.

Step 1

Open a new canvas that is 600x335px. Begin by showing rulers (View>Rulers), then create two guides similar to the image below. Create one at 285px and the other at 310px.

Step 2

Create a Rectangle (U) that fills the lower ruled area and label the layer "lower bar." Open up the Effects Menu for the layer. Navigate to the Gradient Overlay property and apply a gradient between #000000 and #0c0c0c at 90 degrees.

Now create another rectangle in the upper rules area and name the layer "upper bar." Again open up the effects menu and apply a Gradient Overlay between #35393d and #787b7d at 90 degrees. Select the two rectangles created so far and change the Opacity to 90%. When a background is added later, this will provide a nice effect, as it allows the background to slightly show through.

Step 3

The next step is to add a highlight to the menu using the Line Tool (U). Select the Line Tool and change the weight to 2px. Draw a line across the bar and change the color to #9fa2a4. Rename this layer to "lower highlight." Now draw another line directly above the previous and change the color to #484b4d and change the name to "upper highlight." Group these layers with bar layers in a group called "bar." This stage completes the basis of the menu.

Step 4

Now that the menu bar is complete, we can create a set of dividers to go between the text. Select the Line Tool again and leave the weight at 2px. Draw a vertical line from the center ruler mark that stops a few pixels before the highlight. This does not need to be exact and can easily be adjusted later. Open the effects menu and apply a Gradient Overlay at 90 degrees between #676a6d and #4d6672. Label this layer "upper divider."

Draw another vertical line from the center ruler going down and stopping the same distance from the edge as above. This section does not have a gradient, so change the color to #43474b. Rename this layer to "lower divider." Group the two sections of the divider and name the group "divider."

Step 5

Select the Type Tool (T) and change the color to white (#FFFFFF). The font I chose to use for the menu is called Segoe UI because it is the font used in the Vista user interface. However not everyone has this font, so as a replacement Arial will do. Set the size to 11pt and type your links out, spacing them evenly. Group them together and name the group "links."

Now copy your dividers and space them in between the links. You should end up with something similar to this.

Step 6

Now the menu bar is basically completed, so you can add a background of your choice. The background I chose is a photograph of grass. Anything colorful or scenic will do.

Copy your background into the menu and rename the layer Background. Make sure this layer is at the back in your layers palette. Note the transparency in the menu allows the background to show through without overpowering.

Step 7

This step will create the blurred rounded rectangle that is behind the text. This effect is quite common in Vista and is a good technique. It takes the focus of the background and places it on the text, but still shows the beautiful scene behind.

First of all, duplicate the background. This layer is not permanent, but we will be cutting a selection out of it. Then using the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U), draw a shape that starts past the left edge of the canvas. This means that the shape only has two rounded edges.

Rasterize the layer and then using the Magic Wand Tool (W), select the rectangle and delete the color while keeping the outline. Now select the background copy and cut from that layer. Delete the background copy layer and add another new layer called "blur."

Paste the shape in the layer called "blur" and then apply a Gaussian Blur of 5px (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur). Then apply a Drop Shadow as shown below.

Step 8

Now add your text inside the blur. Using the same typeface as the links (Segoe UI) type your name and tagline. Select some of the text and make it bold and keep some normal, apply a Drop Shadow, and a Gradient. This produces a modern-looking text that has a striking look.

Step 9

This step is optional, as it will produce the blue highlighted glow that will become our hover effect. Draw a large Ellipse (U) that fills the area between the dividers. Change the color of the ellipse to #5c94c5 and apply a Gaussian blur of 10px. The shape has now become a raster layer, and you can clean up the excess blur by using the Marquee Tool (M).

| posted in Web Design | 0 comments [ More ]

Protect Your Computer

A lot of people look to try to spend a lot of money when they buy a computer. Their frame of thought is that they have to buy a "name brand" computer so that it will last. But I'm here to tell you that all of that isn't necessary. If you take care of your computer... it will take care of you.

You are better off taking the time and trouble to look after your computer on a regular basis, than to have it crash or freeze up on you. If that happens, it would be quite possible that you could loose everything that's on you computer, Then you'll end up spending a great deal of money just to TRY to get it repaired. That's right, I said TRY. I don't mean to scare you... but sometimes not taking small ans simple precautions can result in long term headaches.

So let's take a look at some tips that can help you avoid some disasters:

1. Scan your computer daily when you finish working on it.


2. If on a certain day you happen to download many pages, software, programs, zipped files, exe files, etc., immediately after downloading everything, scan your computer. This way, just in case a virus existed in anything you downloaded, you will catch it in time before it infects your entire Hard Drive.


3. Use your online scanner to scan your computer once a week


4. A virus can duplicate itself to everyone on your address book and send itself out by email, without you even knowing that this has been done


5. Use your adware/spyware checker once a week


6. Set your virus checker to update itself automatically. This way, it is always updated with the latest protection.


7. Do not open any attachments in emails from people you do not know.


8. Do not open any attachments even from people you do know, if you are not expecting anything from them.


9. Do not download free music on the Internet – these free sites are always infected. ( Your kids will hate me for that tip)


10. Do not download any free games from the Internet ( They will hate me for that one too)


11. Back up all your data on a daily basis. Use floppy disks, flash drives, memory sticks, zip disks, CD-Roms, etc.


12. Adult sites are particularly prone to viruses.


13. Print out contracts, payment forms, agreements and all legal documents and file them away in a ring-binder. Try not to keep anything to do with your finances, payment details, payment processor passwords, credit card details, etc. on your computer. A hacker could easily access all these details, if they are anywhere on your computer. And with today's online WiFi technology, it becomes possible for hackers to at least attempt to get at you.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | posted in Security | 0 comments [ More ]

Increase Photoshop Speed

As every knows that Application softwares like photoshop takes a bit long time to load as well as to work during multi processing. So here i came out with an solution for working smoothly with adobe Photoshop. Initially open the Adobe Photoshop by clicking the Photoshop icon in your desktop, now click the Edit option from the menu bar. Then select the preference option at the bottom of the edit menu, a new window open, so that you can see some preferences related to photoshop such as File handling and Performance preferences. Now open memory handling option from the list and increase the availability of RAM to your wish. Now apply the settings.

Photoshop

Interface

File Handling and Performance Preferences

This set of preferences determines basic aspects of file saving and performance.

Note: Performance preferences not available prior to Photoshop CS3.

File Handling

Image Previews

To save previews or thumbnails with your images select Always Save in the Image Previews drop-down menu. You will see these thumbnails when you open and single-click images stored in a directory using Photoshop's Open command and in other applications that support it. To save disk space, select Never Save. Select Ask When Saving if you want Photoshop to ask if you desire a thumbnail or not whenever you save an image. You may also select saving the preview as a Macintosh and Windows thumbnail.

File Extension

Select Use Lower Case to force Photoshop to save files with lower case file type extensions. Lower case extensions have become the de-facto standard and are recommended. Unix servers are case sensitive, so consistent character case (upper or lower) is important to maintain when using your images for the Web.

File Compatibility

These options allow for you to select the level of backwards compatibility in the .psd file format or enabling advanced file saving alternatives in the TIFF file format like ZIP and JPEG compression.

Recent Files List

You can set how many recent files you would like Photoshop to remember.

Performance (Photoshop CS3 only)

Photoshop CS3 includes a new and improved Performance preferences dialogue, which allows for better control over how Photoshop handles things like memory usage and image cache.

Memory Usage (this setting is found under Memory and Image Cache in earlier Photoshop versions)

This allows you to either manually set a number for the maximum amount of your computer's RAM you'd like to allow Photoshop to use, or to drag the slider to adjust this value percentage wise. The default is usually 55 percent.

Scratch Disks (this setting is found under Plug-Ins and Scratch Disks in earlier Photoshop versions)

Scratch disks are different hard drives or partitions on your computer that Photoshop uses for memory when physical memory (your RAM) is full. An image in Photoshop can take approximately 3-5 times its file size. For instance, if your file takes up 10 MB of your hard drive, Photoshop could require 40 MB or more of RAM when working with it. As you work on multiple images or lots of changes and multiple layers, RAM requirements increase and Photoshop will begin to use your hard drive for virtual (rather than physical) RAM. It is recommended that free space on your hard drive for the scratch disk equals at least the amount of physical RAM in your system. If you have 128 MB of RAM, you should have at least 128 MB on your hard drive for the scratch disk. The greater the RAM and free space, the better Photoshop performs. Photoshop can have up to 4 scratch disks. By default, Photoshop will use your Startup hard drive. If you plan on using Photoshop for a large files (ie: print), or many smaller files at once, it might be a good idea to get a second (more more) hard drive for your computer.

Cache Settings (this setting is found under Memory and Image Cache in earlier Photoshop versions)

The cache is an area of memory Photoshop uses to store low-resolution versions of your images to help with screen updates or refreshes. A higher value will update the screen faster, but the image, as far as display is concerned, may be of lower quality. Note that this does not affect the file in any way.

History States (this setting is found under General preferences in earlier Photoshop versions)

Allows you to choose the keystroke that invokes the Undo or Redo command. You also set the number of History states that Photoshop will record for one single image.

File Handling and Performance Preferences Summary

• File Handling Preferences set options for saving files.
• Image Previews lets you decide if you'd like to save thumbnails of saved images.
• The File Extension option determines whether file name extensions are upper or lower case.
• File Compatibility determines the backwards compatibility of a .psd file as well as certain .tiff file compression options.
• The Recent Files List option lets you set how many recently opened documents you would like displayed in the Recent Files list.
• Memory Usage allows you to allocate how much RAM Photoshop will use.
• Scratch disks are areas of your hard drive Photoshop uses for memory when physical memory (your RAM) is full.
• The cache is an area of memory Photoshop uses to store low-resolution versions of your images.
• History states are the number of states that Photoshop records for a single image.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 | posted in Adobe Photoshop | 0 comments [ More ]

Digital Curves

Welcome To Digital Curves!!!

Digital Curves is an blog which is an environment for the W3 Graphix to promote our works to all over the Internet.

Friday, May 15, 2009 | posted in Digital curves | 0 comments [ More ]

How to Save Orkut Images

As the orkut images are blocked with an specials java scipts we were not able to save the orkut images. But a simple technique which i was using was printscreen to capture the images. That was not so much satisfied because proper images size cannot be gained through this method. So i came out with an alternate method which is very simple as well as we can get the original image from the orkut profiles with out using the print screen button.

Requirements

• Mozilla firefox

Now when you come across the profile images in orkut. Select the image which you need to download. Then right click on the image or outside the image. Select Page Info, now a new window occurs named as Page info. There are different tabs like General, media,permission..etc. Select the media option, Now you can seen that menu occurs below media option mentioned Address. Check the different addresses by pointing it with your mouse pointer now you can see the image you need to download in one of the address. Then click he save as button at the bottom right of the address menu. Now your image is downloaded form the orkut profiles.

Thursday, April 23, 2009 | posted in orkut | 0 comments [ More ]