Post pobrano z: Create a Three-Color Illustration for Screen Printing

This tutorial was originally published in February 2009 as a Tuts+ Premium
tutorial. It is now available free to view. Although this tutorial does
not use the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, its techniques and
process are still relevant.

This tutorial shows step by step how to create separated artwork for a screen-printed T-shirt. Screen printing is regarded as the best method of printing onto apparel because of the quality it produces. It should not be confused with the inferior four-color heat transfer printing, which does not look as good or last as long.

The tutorial also demystifies how to manage special or spot colors using Photoshop’s channels.

To start off, you’ll assemble a CMYK illustration, and then create a convincing mockup on a T-shirt. You’ll then make full use of Photoshop’s selection tools to create the necessary channels for screen printing, and you’ll discover how certain colors will maintain their vivacity by under-printing with white. Finally, you’ll apply the often misunderstood concept of trapping to your artwork to counteract any slight misalignment that may occur on press.

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1. How to Edit the Initial Image

Step 1

Note: The images included with this tutorial are no longer available, so feel free to use your own stocks.

Open a girl image. You’ll be isolating the figure next, so trim the excess background with the Crop Tool (C) as shown.

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Step 2

Choose the Pen Tool (P) with it set to the Paths option to carefully plot your paths around the girl—don’t sweat over the hair because you’ll fix that later. I’ve stroked the path with red for clarity in the screengrab. Now select the Subtract From Path Area option to create the inner path on her right arm.

Remember to use the Alt, Command and Shift modifier keys as you work. You can also fine-tune your path by holding the Command key to access the Direct Selection Tool to adjust the direction/anchor points.

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Step 3

Now we’ll make a density mask for the hair. Switch to the Channels palette and cycle through each one in turn to determine which holds the most contrast for the hair—in this instance it’s the „Blue” one. Duplicate it by dragging its thumbnail onto the Create New Channel icon, and then hit Command-L to access the Levels dialogue box. Increase the contrast by setting the Midpoint to 0.25 and the Whitepoint to 235.

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Step 4

Switch to the Paths palette and Command-click your path thumbnail to generate a selection. Now, back in your Channels palette, target the „Blue copy.” Ensure white is set as your Foreground Color, and hit Delete to fill the selection with black. Don’t deselect just yet.

It’s worth remembering that you can fill channel selections with white by switching the foreground color to black (press X) and hitting Delete.

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Step 5

The mask is looking good apart from the right-hand shadow. Hit Shift-Command-I to Inverse the selection, and then enable the visibility of the top composite channel (you can also Double-click the channel thumbnail to adjust its opacity to suit). Use a large, white Hard Brush to Erase the right-hand shadow and hair.

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Step 6

Zoom in and continue Erasing the hair using a smaller brush to create a clean edge. Remember to toggle the visibility of the composite channel as you work.

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Step 7

Now go to Image > Adjustments > Black and White and use the drop-down menu to select the High Contrast Red Filter preset.

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2. How to Create the Background

Switch to the Channels palette and Command-click the „Blue copy” thumbnail to generate a selection. Inverse, and then target the top composite channel and Copy it to the clipboard. Now use the Color Picker to select 63C, 76M, 38Y, and 22K as your background color. Create a New Document 7.5″ wide x 12″ high, with a Resolution of 300 dpi (print resolution). Set the Color Mode to CMYK and the Background Contents to Background Color.

Now Paste your selection as a New Layer, and go to Layer > Matting > Defringe by 2 px to erase the white halo and Transform as shown. This purple background is only a visual representation of the T-shirt color.

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3. How to Create the Halftone Effect

Step 1

Generate a Selection from the layer by Command-clicking its thumbnail, and then switch to the Channels palette. Click on the Create New Channel icon and then Fill the selection with white, labeling it „Girl Alpha.” It’s always a good idea to store commonly used selections as alpha channels, as you’ll see later.

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Step 2

Screen inks tend to spread a little—this is one of the reasons why screen printing doesn’t do a very good job of printing fine halftones, at least compared to other printing methods. When dots increase in size, they cause the tints in the image to grow darker, which is technically known as dot gain.

To combat this, we’ll integrate a coarse line halftone to the girl as part of the design, but first we need to bump the contrast by adding a Levels Adjustment, setting the Blackpoint to 64, the Midpoint to 0.88, and the Whitepoint to 216.

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Step 3

Add a white filled New Layer below the girl, highlight both layers, and hit Command-E to Merge them. We now need to make a bitmap halftone of the girl—the best way to achieve this is in a new document, so Select All and Copy to the clipboard.

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Step 4

Create the New Document using the clipboard as the preset and setting the Color Mode to Greyscale. Paste your selection and Merge Down. Now go to Image > Mode > Bitmap, and under Method choose Halftone Screen. In the next dialogue box, use the following settings: Frequency: 22, Angle: 45, and Shape: Line.

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4. How to Create the Line Art

Step 1

Select All and Copy > Paste into your working document and label it „Girl lineart.” Next, set the Blending Mode to Multiply and Delete the original girl layer.

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Step 2

Make a Selection from the „Girl Alpha” channel, add a New Layer beneath the girl, and Fill the selection with white. Label the layer „White fill.” Now place the „Girl lineart” and „White fill” layers into a Group folder labelled „GIRL.”

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Step 3

We’re now going to Fill the girl’s shirt and shoes with pink; first draw some closed paths (indicated in red on the screengrab) that extend outside the figure as shown—you’ll be using the extra channel to fix these areas next.

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5. How to Add Color

Click on your Foreground Color to access the Color Picker, and select Color Libraries. In the next dialogue box, select PANTONE solid uncoated, then PANTONE 238—rather than using the slider, you can access it by typing 238 swiftly. We’ll be using this four-color equivalent to create the CMYK illustration before using the spot color channels in the final steps.

Generate a path-based Selection, add a New Layer above the „White fill”, and label it „Pink clothes.” Now Fill the selection with the Foreground Color. Next, make a Selection from the „Girl Alpha” channel, ensure the new layer is targeted, Inverse and hit Delete to trim away the excess.

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6. How to Add Graphics

Step 1

Note: The images included with this tutorial are no longer available, so feel free to use your own stocks.

Open a brushstroke image and choose the Magic Wand Tool (W), setting the Tolerance to 44 and Unchecking the Contiguous option. Now click within the black area to generate a Selection, fill with white, and Copy to the clipboard. Close, but don’t save the file as you’ll be needing it later.

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Add a New Group folder within your working document below the Girl and label it „WHITE GRAPHICS.” Paste the selection within the folder, label it „Paint 1”, and Transform as shown. Follow the same procedure using another brushstroke image, and then feel free to Duplicate/Transform and label accordingly.

You’ll be Pasting a lot of elements throughout this tutorial, so remember to use the Defringe command. A setting of 1-2 pixels is usually enough to remove any white halo.

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Step 2

Add a New Group folder below the Girl and label it „PINK GRAPHICS.” Open a line-based graphic and convert to CMYK mode, and then use the same selection techniques to Fill with PANTONE 238.

Now Copy > Paste into the new group folder, Transform as shown and label it „Squiggle 1.”

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Step 3

Paste the same graphic using the same method. Feel free to Duplicate and Transform as required. Next, open a spray image and use the same technique again, positioning it behind the figure. Remember to name your layers—this will make things much easier later.

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Step 4

With PANTONE 238 as your Foreground Color, use the Custom Shape Tool (U) with the Ellipse and Fill Pixels options selected to add some circles behind the girl. When using the Fill Pixels option, you need to add a New Layer beforehand, so the shapes will be drawn on independent layers. This way they can be positioned and resized as required.

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Step 5

Create a new 600 px by 600 px sized CMYK Document, with a Resolution of 300 dpi and the Background Contents set to Transparent. We now need to add some central guides; a quick way to do this is to work in Full Screen Mode, and then snap the Crop Tool (C) to the document bounds. Now drag in your guides, which will snap to the crop tool’s centre points, and then cancel the crop prompt.

Next, make sure PANTONE 238 is set as the Foreground Color. Select the Custom Shape Tool using the same Ellipse and Fill Pixels options as before. Use the drop-down menu to select Fixed Size and type 550 px in the Width and Height fields, and then check the From Center option. Now click in the centre of your canvas to create the shape.

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Step 6

Switch your Foreground Color to white and add another circle set to 500 px by 500 px on the same layer. Continue adding alternating color circles, each one Decreasing in size by 50 px. When you’ve completed the last white circle, use the Magic Wand Tool (set to Contiguous) to select it and hit Delete.

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Step 7

Drag and Drop the graphic at the top of the layer stack within the „PINK GRAPHICS” folder. Next, Duplicate, Resize and Position as required. Feel free to add variations of the circles (I created a version with a pink fill). When you’re happy, highlight their layer thumbnails and Merge. You can now label the resulting layer „Bullseyes.”

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Step 8

Open the second brushstroke image again and Convert it to CMYK mode. Fill with PANTONE 238 and Copy > Paste at the top of the layer stack within the „PINK GRAPHICS” folder.

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Step 9

Follow the same techniques with flower images and position as shown.

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Step 10

Now open the line files again and use the same selection techniques to Copy > Paste into a New Group folder labelled „BLACK GRAPHICS.” Ensure this folder is positioned above the „PINK GRAPHICS” folder.

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Step 11

Open the spray file again, make a Selection and Copy > Paste at the top of the stack within the „BLACK GRAPHICS” folder, and position it behind the girl as shown.

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Step 12

Use the same method to add the remaining hand-drawn elements; they’ll include additional clouds and stars.

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Step 13

Download and open the birds image, select the birds with the Magic Wand Tool (with Contiguous Unchecked), and Copy > Paste at the top of the layer stack within the „BLACK GRAPHICS” folder. Now resize and position to the left—also feel free to delete individual birds with the Eraser Tool (E).

Next, generate a Selection from the „Bullseyes” layer and, with the „BLACK GRAPHICS” folder targeted, go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide Selection.

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Step 14

Add a New Layer at the top in the „BLACK GRAPHICS” folder, and draw a black circle as shown with the Elliptical Custom Shape Tool (using Fill Pixels). Next, open a splash image and use the Magic Wand Tool (with Contiguous Unchecked) to select, Copy > Paste above the circle later, and then Transform and Merge Down.

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7. How to Add Lettering

Create your own lettering and Drag/Drop above the circle. Then add a PANTONE 238 heart on a New Layer using the Custom Shape Tool (set to Fill pixels). Now’s the time to scrutinize your image and carry out any amendments: I added some small white circles on a new layer within the „WHITE GRAPHICS” folder. Once you’re happy, Save but don’t close it.

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8. How to Create a T-Shirt Mockup

Step 1

Now we’ll mock the finished design onto a T-shirt. I drew inspiration from this Go Media tutorial.

Download and open the wood image, and then go to Image > Rotate Canvas > 90 Degrees CW. Next, create a new 300 dpi, RGB document 10 cm by 10 cm, and then Drag/Drop the wood as a New Layer, Transform and Merge Down.

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Step 2

Download and open the T-shirt image, and Crop it. Make a Selection and Copy > Paste as a new layer in your working document. Give it some depth by adding a Drop Shadow. I used the following settings: Blending Mode: Multiply, Opacity: 75, Angle: 50, Distance 6, and Size: 21.

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Step 3

To alter the T-shirt color; click Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer and use the drop-down menu to select Color Fill, and then pick the same purple used in your CMYK illustration (63C, 76M, 38Y and 22K). Don’t worry about this altering the color of the wood—we’ll fix that later.

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Step 4

Back in your CMYK illustration, access the History palette (Window > History) and use the pull-out menu to create a New Snapshot. Delete the purple background layer and target the „Girl lineart” layer.

Next, use the Magic Wand Tool (set to Contiguous) to select the white background (it’s there, just not visible because the layer’s Blending Mode is set to Multiply) and hit Delete. Finally, press Shift-Command-E to Merge Visible.

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Step 5

Drag/Drop the resulting layer into your T-shirt document above the Color Fill, and label it „Illustration.” Resize to fit the T-shirt—this is best done in stages, adding small amounts of Smart Blur each time to retain the sharpness. Now switch to your CMYK illustration and click on the Snapshot you created in the previous step to restore its saved state.

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Step 6

To make the print look realistic, Duplicate the T-shirt layer and position it at the top of the layer stack, and label it „T-shirt multiply.” Now set the Blending Mode to Multiply and drop the Opacity to 70%.

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Step 7

Target the T-shirt multiply layer and Alt-click between the Illustration, Color fill and the original T-shirt layer icons to create a clipping group. This has now made the non-transparent areas of the uppermost layer serve as a Mask for the clipped layers. Because clipping groups use one mask, there is no edge interference from underlying layers.

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Step 8

As a finishing touch, drop in the original illustration at full size above the „Wood” layer. Duplicate and position either edge of the canvas. Now set both layers’ Blending Mode to Soft Light so as not to overpower the illustration.

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Step 9

That’s the T-shirt mockup complete. Remember it’s also very quick to visualize how your design will look on different colored material by simply adding Color Fill Adjustment Layers and toggling their Visibility. Your screen printer will also be able to supply various material swatches, so it’s just a case of matching them on-screen.

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9. How to Set Up Your Art for Screen Printing

Step 1

In the final part of this tutorial you’ll be creating the artwork for screen printing. Revisit your CMYK illustration and hit Shift-Command-S to Save As, giving it a memorable name such as „Spot_col_artwork.”

The white ink will be printed first, followed by the pink and then the black. To optimize the pink ink, it’s best to add white beneath it. Sometimes your printer will add a double pass of white ink, depending on the darkness of the material being printed. 

The thing to bear in mind is that you need to build in a certain amount of trapping to these white areas. This means contracting (choking) or expanding (spreading) areas to compensate for any slight shift which may occur when the T-shirt is printed. The diagram bottom left shows what may happen with no trapping—as you can see, the T-shirt material is showing through. You’ll learn more about this later.

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Step 2

Disable the Visibility of all folders except for the „WHITE GRAPHICS” folder and the colored „Background” layer. With the „WHITE GRAPHICS” folder targeted, hit Command-E to Merge Group.

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Step 3

Generate a Selection from the resulting layer and switch to the Channels palette. Use the fly-out menu to select New Spot Channel, label it „White”, and then click the Color Swatch to access the Color Picker. Now set the CMYK values to 0 and click OK—the active selection will now appear as black on the new channel.

You’ll notice that by toggling the visibility of the „CMYK” composite channel, the „White” channel appears either black or white, which is correct—all artwork on spot channels is represented in black, regardless of its actual printing color.

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Step 4

Move the „Bullseyes” layer out of the „PINK GRAPHICS” folder so it sits beneath the „BLACK GRAPHICS” folder, and then Merge the „PINK GRAPHICS” folder. We now need to add this layer content to the „White” channel, but first we need to choke or shrink it. Most printers work in points, and I was given a trap value of half a point (0.5 pt), but different printers’ trap requirements will vary, so it’s vital to check beforehand.

Here’s a little equation to convert points into pixels: There are 72 points to an inch, so to find out how many half points there are to the inch, divide 72 by 0.5, which equals 144. Now divide the document resolution, (which is 300) by 144, which makes a trap value of 2.

Generate a Selection from the merged pink layer and go to Select > Modify > Contract by 2 px. Now target the „White” channel and Fill the selection with black.

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Step 5

Generate a Selection from the „Bullseyes” layer, Contract by 2 px, and then Fill the active selection with black on the „White” channel. Next, generate a Selection from the „Girl Alpha” channel and Fill with black on the „White” channel also.

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Step 6

Make a Selection from the „Pink clothes” layer, Contract by 2 px, and then Inverse. Now pick a small, white Hard Brush and carefully paint out the outer shoe edges on the „White” channel.

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Step 7

Generate a Selection from the „Lettering” layer and Expand by 2 px. Now fill this with black on the „White” channel. Do the same using an Expanded selection from the „Heart” layer. These areas are now spread, to run fractionally behind the black circle.

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Step 8

Make a Selection from the merged „Pink graphics” layer, and then add another spot channel. Select PANTONE 238 as you did before and label it „PANTONE 238.” The active selection will now appear as black on the new channel—you can check this by disabling the visibility of the „White” channel.

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Step 9

Generate a Selection from the „Bullseyes” layer and Fill with white on the „PANTONE 238” channel.

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Step 10

Zoom in and use the Magic Wand Tool (with Contiguous Unchecked) to select just the pink areas from the „Bullseyes” layer. You’ll need to have the Visibility of the „Bullseyes” layer as well as the composite „CMYK” channel targeted to do this. Now Fill this selection with black on the „PANTONE 238” channel.

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Step 11

Fill a Selection from the „Girl Alpha” channel with white on the „PANTONE 238” channel.

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Step 12

Now Fill a Selection from the „Pink clothes” layer with black on the „PANTONE 238” channel.

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Step 13

Generate a Selection from the „Heart” layer. This area needs spreading behind the black circle, so Expand by 2 px and Fill with black on the „PANTONE 238” channel.

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Step 14

Merge the „BLACK GRAPHICS” folder and generate a Selection. Add another Spot Channel, label it „Black,” and click the Color Swatch to access the Color Picker. Set the CMYK values to 70c, 70m, 100k. Using a CMYK setting for spot black ink will not affect the ink color—it’s only an on-screen representation. As long as your channels are clearly labelled, that’s all that matters.

The active selection should now be filled with black on the new channel. Next, Fill the „Black” channel with white using a selection from the „Bullseyes” layer.

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Step 15

Now Fill the „Black” channel with white using a selection from the „Girl Alpha” channel. As the black ink overprints print last, there’s no need to apply any trapping.

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Step 16

Fill a Selection from the „Circle” layer with black on the „Black” channel. Now make a selection from the „Lettering” layer and fill with white. Repeat using a Selection from the „Heart” layer.

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Step 17

Generate a Selection from the „Girl Alpha” channel, and then target the „Black” channel. Now use a white Hard Brush and paint within the selection to reveal her left leg.

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Step 18

Now use the Magic Wand Tool (with Contiguous Unchecked) to make a Selection of the black areas on the „Girl lineart” layer. Now Fill with black on your „Black” channel.

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Step 19

You can check the trapping by Enabling the Visibility of the three spot channels, and then Zooming in to 200%. Now generate Selections from your „White” and „PANTONE 238” channels in turn. The screengrab below shows a selection from the „White” channel—the white lettering and the base white (under the pink heart) have both been spread under the black.

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Step 20

All you need to do now is Enable the „CMYK” composite channel and Delete all your layers apart from the background, which you can rename „T-shirt color.” Finally, Save, ensuring that you check the Spot Color option. That’s it—your PSD file is good to go.

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Conclusion

I hope this tutorial has cleared up some common misconceptions a lot of designers have about using spot colors for screen printing, as well as how and when to apply trapping to your artwork. I would like to credit my daughter Chloe for drawing the doodles, as well as a big thanks to Steve at Advertees who always offers great technical support, and for casting his expert eye over my final artwork to ensure it was error-free!

If this has inspired you to make your own T-shirt designs, remember it’s good practice to involve your printer at the initial design stage to see what’s achievable. Have fun!

The final image is below. Or you can view the large version.

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Post pobrano z: Popular Design Trends of 2017

Vibrant patterns and gorgeous colors are in full bloom for 2017. Check out a few of our favorite design trends below.

Popular Design Trends of 2017

2017 looks to be the year of bold color! It all began with Pantone announcing its Color of the Year as:

„Greenery, a symbol of new beginning.”

The zesty, green-yellow shade is fun and inviting, and has been received well by many designers. With a shift in focus towards healthier foods, and growing concerns over the environment, the vibrant green lends itself as a refreshing symbol of rebirth and new beginnings.

So what else is in store for this year? Let’s dive into some of the hottest trends currently hitting the industry.

Looking for more trendy resources? Browse Envato Market and Envato Elements for more high-quality templates.

1. Rose Gold With Marble

Who knew there could be a more winning combination of color and texture than rose gold and marble? The simplicity of this light stone texture against the elegance of rose gold makes for one sublime team.

Back in its day, marble was the quintessential material used by sculptors during the Age of Enlightenment. Greco-Roman artists continued to use this luxurious stone as a cultural symbol of refined taste.

And of course, you can’t have luxury without a little gold! Going back several centuries, the value of gold remains a distinct reflection of extraordinary taste and style.

Not sure how to work with texture? Instructor Grace Fussell shows you how to apply lovely gold foiling to your print designs in the tutorial below.

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One way to utilize this trend is for a modern set of business cards. This template, for example, showcases a stunning combination of marble and gold elements for a chic, minimalist vibe.

You can also create classy designs for your restaurant menu. The clean aesthetic of marble provides a great background accent for any project. Sprinkle in a few rose gold titles as a lovely accessory like this delightful menu design.

Or elevate your logos with a stunning rose gold text effect instead. With layer styles, you can achieve professional quality graphics in only a fraction of the time. This package, for instance, includes eight fully layered Photoshop files to transform any text or smart object.

Pair the rose gold text above with this set of marble textures for a brilliant result! Featuring six high-resolution images at 3000 x 2000 pixels, this pack contains several common marble textures for more variety.

Or why not just combine the two together? Go for bold design with this jaw-dropping texture pack featuring 12 gold marble textures. Perfect for labels, packaging, and brand identities, this awesome pack is one we’re sure you’ll love.

2. Tropical Leaves

Kick off your summer design essentials by incorporating some tropical leaves into your work. This trend has recently popped up in many unique poster designs, highlighting the beauty of tropical plants.

The types of plant most commonly seen are birds of paradise, areca palms, or lovely philodendrons. These healthy plants provide exceptional, inspiring colors that add life to your creative projects.

Our very own Grace Fussell took this challenge on by creating a stunning Wedding Invitation using a few leafy stocks.

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Nature-based design always has a refreshing quality to it, and this tropical pattern is no different! Just imagine the lovely breeze as it shuffles through the vibrant green leaves. Need some project inspiration? This pattern works great for posters, websites, and more.

If you’d prefer to have the leaves as separate design elements instead, then check out this awesome pack! This pack includes a mix of watercolor tropical leaves to beautify any design. Designed in Adobe Illustrator, this file is already print ready for fast results.

Learn how to create a tropical pattern yourself in this tutorial by Yulia Sokolova.

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Make a bold statement by mixing stunning typography with tropical elements. This exotic poster design features a tropical aesthetic that is definitely on trend, with two high-resolution Photoshop files for easy editing.

In this awesome bundle, you’ll get access to 30 seamless tropical patterns. Ideal for stationery and design projects, these patterns will help bring paradise to you!

Become the hero of summer! Throw a luau party your guests won’t forget! This sweet party invitation features a few tropical leaves alongside colorful fruit. Just switch out the text by clicking on the fully editable text holders.

3. Unicorns & Mermaids

Some of your favorite mythical creatures are also in full effect for 2017. Unicorns and mermaids are legendary creatures commonly known from ancient folklore. Even today, they captivate the imagination of designers around the world.

Unicorns symbolize purity and innocence. Try pairing them with a rainbow to show off their whimsical humor and overall bright energy.

Mermaids are seductive and charming. They help you create enticing designs with the help of allure and mystery.

Love mermaids too? Monika Zagrobelna shows you how to magically change any vacation selfie into a beautiful mermaid in this detailed Photoshop tutorial.

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Launch your brand with an adorable mermaid character reminiscent of a delightful Disney movie. This design features a fully editable vector mermaid with several flat ocean elements in the background. It’s super trendy and insanely pretty!

Or add realistic scale textures to your work. With 100% vector files, you can resize these scales without any loss of quality. Use them as a great accessory to a mermaid-inspired design or feature them alone for a fantastic piece.

Show the strength of the unicorn symbol with a powerful logo. This exemplary design features bold lines and solid details. It’s great for any service-based business or official organization.

Unicorns plus rainbows equals awesome design, always. And you can satisfy all your whimsical needs with this delightful pack of seamless patterns. Follow this trend to create pretty designs that please your followers.

Or learn how to create a unicorn illustration in this tutorial by Nataliya Dolotko.

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Make 2017 a memorable year with a fabulous unicorn celebration! This party invitation is great for many ages and features a fantastical rainbow design.

4. 90s Revival

It was a time of funky colors and loud patterns, but the 90s will never die. Twenty years later, designers still find ways to honor this fun time with nostalgic designs.

So what are a few of the key characteristics of 90s revival design?

• Chunky Text
• Neon Colors
• Abstract Shapes
• Seamless Patterns

Minimalists love this style for its simple, clean lines and pleasing abstract shapes. Beginners to design can learn a lot by studying the simplicity of retro poster templates.

Feeling a little nostalgic? Test out your Photoshop skills with a 90s-inspired text effect!

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Throw a rocking music festival this summer with an epic 90s poster template. This design features bold black and white lines with early MTV-esque colors. Create a real throwback Thursday with this awesome and fun design.

Make a bold statement. Download a funky 3D neon text effect for logos, headlines, and more.

Another huge trend is this retro but chic 90s poster design. This template features lively pastel colors and a bold 3D text effect.

Creating individual abstract shapes can take a long time. Cut the time in half by opting for this abstract shape generator. This generator creates an infinite number of random shapes to apply to your designs. Try it out today!

Nothing says the 90s more than an awesome retro font. This Thunderstorm Typeface screams the style of an epic 1990s sitcom everyone loves. Throw back to a truly epic era with this wonderful typeface.

5. Galaxy

From beautiful posters to elegant digital paintings, everyone is obsessed with the galaxy lately.

Space is represented by many symbols in design. And there’s no wonder that it’s super inspirational with its beautiful cosmos and mystifying galaxies.

Love space elements too? Instructor Rose shows you how to create an awesome galaxy text effect with this detailed tutorial.

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Keep in mind that some space graphics are often more conceptual than literal. This space flyer, for instance, has bursting 3D abstract shapes with stunning deep colors.

Add a few stars to your sky manipulations with this awesome star brush pack. This pack features 45 star brushes with varying shapes and flares.

Or set a beautiful nebula background as your website or social media banner. This nebula bundle includes three HD backgrounds available in two sizes.

Love spacey designs? Create a cool Sci-Fi outer space scene in this tutorial from Jenny Le.

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Need an effect fast? Try a Photoshop action to add a beautiful space effect to your photos.

Create a compelling design with a galaxy background. This extraordinary bundle features beautiful bokeh effects and light flares. Use it to elevate any website or poster design.

6. Gradients

Whenever a large brand makes a major change, the design industry usually follows suit. And with the boom of gradient colors across major platforms like Instagram and more, designers have fallen back in love with this vibrant transition.

When designing with gradients, consider the symbolic qualities of the colors you choose. Mix and match color arrangements and even experiment with different types of gradient styles (radial, linear, etc.).

Want to create a gradient icon similar to Instagram’s official logo? Then check out this awesome tutorial by Mary Winkler.

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  How to Create a Gradient Icon Inspired by Instagram in Adobe Illustrator
  Mary Winkler

Match your social media across several networks with a set of flat gradient icons. Flat graphics are hugely popular because of their clean aesthetics and simplistic design.

Also on trend is the duotone look for Instagram filter-like aesthetics.

Gorgeous gradients are applied to your photos with the help of an amazing Photoshop action. This duotone action includes 50 total gradients with amazing combinations.

Love this effect? Learn how to create a pride rainbow overlay in this tutorial by Sharon Milne.

• 
  Gradients
  How to Create a Pride Rainbow Gradient Overlay in Adobe Illustrator
  Sharon Milne

Sometimes you only need a little color to pack a punch. So try out a gradient magazine template to launch your new brand. Know when to incorporate bold colors for an elegant layout.

For the ultimate modern logo, consider adding a bold gradient. This diamond template, for example, features lovely purple hues that transition well into text. Create a smart logo that will stand out from the crowd.

This last resource includes 500 colorful gradients for your desktop backgrounds, websites, and more. Inspire yourself with the gorgeous color schemes that translate to inspiring, happy colors.

Share Your Favorite Trends!

From gold textures to vibrant tropical leaves, 2017 has a lot to offer in the realm of design.

So which of the following trends are your favorite?

1. Rose Gold With Marble
2. Tropical Leaves
3. Unicorns and Mermaids
4. 90s Revival
5. Galaxy
6. Gradients

Let us know in the comments and share your trendy designs with us!

Post pobrano z: How to Create an Aquaman-Inspired Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

This tutorial will show you how to use layer styles, textures, brushes, with a bunch of tools and adjustments to create a text effect inspired by the Aquaman movie poster. Let’s get started!

This text effect was inspired by the many Layer Styles available on GraphicRiver.

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial:

• Lato Heavy font
• Under water texture by dadrian
• Light Rays by spiritsighs-stock
• Phineas F. Texture Stock by redwolf518stock
• Metal seamless textures by jojo-ojoj
• out of the blue by darkwood67
• Grunge-Backgrounds by Chrisdesign
• Ur gravel by DivsM-stock
• 30 Awsome Lens Flare by mbarekamsoftgfx
• Free Water Splash Photoshop Brushes by Brusheezy.com
• Water Splash Brushes by Serkenil
• Concrete Rough 5 by artboy2007

1. How to Create a Background

Step 1

Create a new 3000 x 2071 px document, click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel, and choose Gradient.

Create the gradient fill using the Colors #297f82 to the left, #1a3344 in the middle, and #0d1018 to the right.

Change the Style to Radial, and click-drag the center of the gradient to place it at the top of the document.

Increase the Scale value to 200, and check the Dither box.

Step 2

Go to File > Place Linked, open the Under water texture image, and go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation to change the Saturation value to -100.

Step 3

Change the texture layer’s Blend Mode to Color Dodge.

Step 4

Go to Edit > Transform > Warp, choose Arc from the Warp menu in the Options bar, and click-drag the control point to get a result you like.

Step 5

Hit the Return key to commit the changes, and click the Add layer mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.

Step 6

Pick the Gradient Tool, set the Foreground and Background Colors to White and Black, choose the Foreground to Background gradient fill, and click the Radial Gradient icon in the Options bar.

Select the mask’s thumbnail, and click-drag from the document’s top to its bottom to create a gradient mask.

2. How to Add a Light Rays Brush

Step 1

Pick the Brush Tool, and create a new layer and name it Light Rays.

Change the layer’s Blend Mode to Overlay and its Opacity to 50%.

Step 2

Hold the Option key, and click-drag the texture layer mask’s thumbnail to the Light Rays layer to duplicate it.

Step 3

Unlink the mask by clicking the link icon between the layer and mask thumbnails.

Select the layer’s thumbnail, and add a light rays brush from the Light Rays pack. You can then press Command-T to enter Free Transform Mode and rotate, resize, and warp the rays.

3. How to Add a Fizz Texture

Step 1

Open the Phineas F. Texture Stock image, and go to Image > Calculations.

Change both Channel values to Red, the Blending to Overlay, and the Result to Selection. Click OK, and go to Edit > Copy.

Step 2

Back to the original document, go to Edit > Paste, rename the layer to Top Fizz, and change its Fill value to 0%.

Place the texture at the top of the document and resize it as needed.

Double-click the Top Fizz layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 3

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Size: 2
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: 122
• Altitude: 42
• Gloss Contour: Ring
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode: Linear Light
• Shadow Mode:
  • Opacity: 35%

Step 4

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Ring – Double
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 5

Lower the Opacity to 50%.

Step 6

Put all the layers except for the Background layer in a group and name it Background.

4. How to Create a Smart Object Text Layer

Step 1

Create the text in All Caps using the font Lato Heavy. Set the Size to 250 pt and the Tracking to 645.

Step 2

Rename the text layer to Text, right-click it, and choose Convert to Smart Object.

5. How to Record a Simple Extrusion Action

Step 1

Open the Actions panel, click the Create new set icon at the bottom of the panel, type Extrusion in the Name field, and click OK.

Step 2

Click the Create new action icon at the bottom of the panel, type Action in the Name field, and click Record.

Step 3

Press Command-J to duplicate the Text layer.

Step 4

Press Command-T to enter Free Transform Mode.

In the Options bar, click the Maintain aspect ratio icon between the W and H fields, and set their values to 99.9%.

Hit the Return key to commit the changes. You should see all the steps recorded and added to the action you’ve created.

Step 5

Click the Stop recording icon at the bottom of the Actions panel.

6. How to Create an Extrusion

Step 1

Click the Play selection icon at the bottom of the Actions panel ten times to create ten more copies with the transformation.

Step 2

Select all the Text layers, and go to Layer > Arrange > Reverse. This will place the last copy layer at the bottom and bring the original to the top.

Step 3

Deselect the first and last Text layers, and place the rest in a group and name it Center.

Step 4

Rename the top Text layer to Front and the last to Back.

Step 5

Duplicate the Front layer twice.

Step 6

Drag the Front layer on top of all layers inside the Center group.

7. How to Style the Front Text Layers

Double-click the Front copy 2 layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Style: Stroke Emboss
• Depth: 300
• Size: 5
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: -176
• Altitude: 21
• Gloss Contour: Gaussian
• Check the Anti-aliased box

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Cone – Asymmetrical
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

Add a Stroke with these settings:

• Size: 3
• Position: Inside
• Fill Type: Gradient
• Style: Reflected
• Create the Gradient using the Colors #7e662e to the left, and #cfb765 with a Location value around 86%.

Step 4

Change the Fill value to 0%.

Step 5

Convert the layer to a Smart Object.

Step 6

Double-click the Front copy layer to apply a Pattern Overlay effect with these settings:

• Pattern: 1.jpg (Open the image from the Metal seamless textures pack, and go to Edit > Define Pattern to add it to the preset)
• Scale: 50%

This will style the front part of the text.

8. How to Style the Extrusion

Double-click the Front layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Style: Stroke Emboss
• Depth: 230
• Size: 5
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: -90
• Altitude: 50
• Gloss Contour: Cove – Deep
• Check the Anti-aliased box

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Rolling Slope – Descending
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

Add a Stroke with these settings:

• Size: 3
• Position: Center
• Fill Type: Gradient
• Style: Linear
• Create the Gradient using the Colors #7e662e to the left and right, and #d4c591 in the middle.

Step 4

Change the Front layer’s Fill value to 0%, right-click it, and choose Copy Layer Style.

Step 5

Select the other layers inside the Center group, right-click any of them, and choose Paste Layer Style.

9. How to Style the Back Text Layer

Double-click the Back text layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 1

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Style: Stroke Emboss
• Size: 4
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: -164
• Altitude: 53
• Gloss Contour: Gaussian
• Check the Anti-aliased box

Step 2

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Cone – Asymmetrical
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 3

Add a Stroke with these settings:

• Size: 2
• Position: Outside
• Fill Type: Gradient
• Style: Reflected
• Create the Gradient using the Colors #7e662e to the left and right, and #fdcb1c in the middle.

Step 4

Change the Back layer’s Fill value to 0%.

Step 5

Double-click the Center group to apply a Gradient Overlay effect with these settings:

• Check the Dither box
• Blend Mode: Color Burn
• Style: Reflected
• Use the Silver 30 gradient fill

This will finish styling the text.

10. How to Create a Simple Texture Using Filters

Step 1

Create a new layer on top of all layers, fill it with Black, name it Extrusion Texture, and convert it to a Smart Object.

Step 2

Set the Foreground and Background Colors to Black and White, and go to Filter > Render > Fibers.

Change the Vibrance to 20 and the Strength to 5.

Step 3

Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur, and change the Angle to 90 and the Distance to 25.

Step 4

Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to select a random small area of the texture.

Step 5

Press Command-J to duplicate the selected area in a new layer, and hide the Extrusion Texture layer.

11. How to Add the Extrusion Texture

Step 1

Move the duplicated texture layer on top of the Center group, right-click it, and choose Create Clipping Mask.

Step 2

Place the clipped texture on top of the letter you want to apply it to, and press the Command-T keys to transform the texture so that it matches the part you want it to cover.

Step 3

You can add a mask and use a round brush tip to remove any areas you don’t like.

Step 4

Once you’re done, change the texture layer’s Blend Mode to Soft Light.

Step 5

For rounded letter parts, you can use the Warp mode to adjust the texture.

Step 6

Show the Extrusion Texture layer, select a new area, and repeat the steps to add the texture to all the letters you have.

Once you’re done, put the Center group and its texture layers in another group with the name Center + Textures.

12. How to Add Highlights and a Color Texture

Step 1

Create a new layer on top of all the layers inside the Center + Textures group, name it Highlights, and clip it to the Center group.

Change the Highlights layer’s Blend Mode to Linear Light, and its Opacity to 30%.

Set the Foreground Color to #b5aa98, and use a soft round brush tip to paint some highlights over the bright areas of the extrusion.

Step 2

Create a new layer on top of the Front copy 2 layer, name it Stroke Highlights, and change its Blend Mode to Vivid Light.

Clip the Stroke Highlights layer to the Front copy 2 layer, and add some highlights to the stroke.

Step 3

Place the out of the blue image on top of the Front copy layer, resize it as needed, rename its layer to Color Texture, and change its Blend Mode to Color.

Command-click the Front copy layer to create a selection.

Step 4

Click the Add layer mask icon.

Step 5

Put all the front layers in a group and name it Front.

13. How to Add Texture Overlays

Step 1

Place the grunge-background8 image from the Grunge-Backgrounds pack on top of the Front group, clip it to it, change its layer’s Blend Mode to Soft Light, and resize it as needed.

Step 2

Go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, and change the Saturation value to -100.

Step 3

If you like a smaller texture overlay, you can create copies to cover the whole text instead of scaling the texture up.

Step 4

Add the Ur gravel texture on top of the grunge-background8 layers, and go to Image > Adjustments > Levels.

Change the Input Levels Shadows’ value to 50 and the Output Levels Highlights’ value to 150.

Step 5

Clip the layer to the Front group, change its Blend Mode to Soft Light, and resize the texture to cover the first letter.

Step 6

Duplicate to add the texture to each of the remaining letters, and then put the Front group and its texture layers in another group and name it Front + Texture.

14. How to Add a Lens Flare

Step 1

Place the Lens Flare 02 image from the 30 Awsome Lens Flare pack on top of all layers, and go to Edit > Transform > Rotate 90° Clockwise.

Step 2

Double-click the lens flare layer’s thumbnail to open its original file. Create a new layer under the flare’s layer and fill it with Black.

Step 3

Select both layers and press Command-E to merge them, and save and close the file.

Step 4

Change the flare layer’s Blend Mode to Screen and its Opacity to 70%. Place the flare on top of one of the letters in the center of the text, and resize it as needed.

Step 5

Go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, check the Colorize box, and change the Hue to 180 and the Saturation to 50.

Step 6

Go to Image > Adjustments > Levels, and change the Gamma value to 0.61.

15. How to Add Water Splashes

Step 1

Create a new layer on top of the flare layer and name it Water Splash 01, and change its Fill value to 0%.

Double-click the Water Splash 01 layer to apply the following layer style:

Step 2

Add a Bevel and Emboss with these settings:

• Size: 3
• Uncheck the Use Global Light box
• Angle: -48
• Altitude: 21
• Gloss Contour: Ring
• Check the Anti-aliased box
• Highlight Mode: Linear Light
  • Opacity: 35%
• Shadow Mode:
  • Opacity: 20%

Step 3

Add a Contour with these settings:

• Contour: Ring – Double
• Check the Anti-aliased box.

Step 4

Use the Free Water Splash Photoshop Brushes and Water Splash Brushes packs’ brush tips to add water splashes to the letter with the flare.

For better results, add each splash in a separate layer, and copy and paste the layer style to each copy.

Step 5

You can also add some splashes to the background behind the text.

16. How to Make Global Adjustments

Step 1

Place the Concrete Rough 5 texture on top of all layers, rename its layer to Texture Overlay, and change its Blend Mode to Soft Light and its Opacity to 10%.

Step 2

Add a Photo Filter adjustment layer on top of all layers, and use the default values.

Step 3

Save the file as an image, open the image, and go to Image > Image Size to change the size to 1500 x 1063 px.

Step 4

You can also use the Crop Tool to control the final size even more.

Congratulations! You’re Done!

In this tutorial, we created a simple background and a text smart object layer. After that, we recorded an action to create the extrusion, and styled all parts of the text.

Then, we created and added a bunch of different texture overlays, flare, and adjustment layers to the text. Finally, we added some water splash brushes to finish off the effect.

Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, and outcomes below.