the Empire Dezign Learning Center

Plastic Menu

We'll begin this tutorial, by creating a new canvas with a size of 650 x 200 pixels for an easier workspace. Make sure the foreground is black, then go ahead and choose the "Rectangle Tool". Draw a bar about the same heigth as mine but make the width wider. Approximately 600 pixels.

		Now that you have your bar, you can now right click on the bar layer and select, "Blending Options...". Now click on "Color Overlay".
			use settings at left
		Do not click OK yet... still more to do

		Now click on the "Gradient Overlay".
			use settings at left
		download gradient here
		You may now click OK

You should now have the below image.

Now add annother rectangle and make sure it is tight up against the previous bar as I have done below. Both ends flush with the bar.

		Now that you have your rectangle drawn, you can now right click on the rectangle layer and select, "Blending Options...". Now click on "Inner Glow".
			use settings at left
		Do not click OK yet... still more to do

		Now click on "Bevel and Emboss".
			use settings at left
		Click OK and your done

		Now click on the "Gradient Overlay".
			use settings at left
		download gradient here
		You may now click OK

You should now have the below image.

Now duplicate the rectangle layer by right clicking on the layer and selecting "Duplicate" and drop it down flush to the bottom of the bar as illustrated below by holding in the "Shift" key and the "Down Arrow" on your keyboard. This will move the selected layer down 10 pixels.

Now grab the "Rounded Rectangle Tool" and draw a verticle in heigth pill-like shape as I have done below and give it the same layer styles as in steps 6, 7 and 8. Tip = you can copy the style by right clicking on the rectangle layer and selecting "Copy Layer Style". Then go to the layer you just created, and right-click on that, and select "Paste Layer Style".

Now for the tricky part. While holding in the "Ctrl" key, left click on the layer just below your present layer, which will put a selection around the top rectangle. Now, while still holding in the "Ctrl" key, hold in the "Shift" key as well, and left click on the layer two layers from where you are now, to add another selection, like illustratated below. Now hit the "Delete" key to rid the unused selection of your pill shape. Hit "Ctrl" + "D" now to deselect.

You should now have the below image.

Now you can add some text as I have already done using the "Verdana" font at 10 pixels with color = FFB400

Now grab the "Pencil Tool", create a new layer, and choose 1 pixel as the size and color black. Make a line as I have done and make a new layer and create another line this time with the color white. Change the black line opacity to "66" and the white layer opacity to "43" and your done.

The Results!!!

- click to see the entire project

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