Photoshop Users "SOS"

[pagedown]

To any users whom are Photoshop Guru's are Pro's. I'm trying to create a sunken Pane on a page, and running up against a a wall. It may be classified as Frames. Protocol posted some templates and on the brushed metal the template was outlined in a raised/sunken frame and i'd like to create frames on a light yellow template. Any ideas or shortcuts would be welcomed....

[eric_darling]

Try playing around with Layer Effects (Layer Style in v. 7.0). You probably want to start with Bevel and Emboss, pick Down instead of Up. These only work on layers, not on backgrounds, just so you know.

[pagedown]

Eric,

Thanks, I'll play around with that when i get home. V.7.0 is Awesome. Hopefully soon i can master it.

[TJ_Tigger]

I can't afford Photoshop so I use PaintShop Pro. for PSP there are tutorials on line and the same for Photoshop. I know in PSP there is an effect called Cutout or Dropshadow that can be used to do this type of frame using layers masks. I would search online for Photoshop Tutorials to see what you could find.

Here is a tut on a top border

Here is a cool cutout effect.

I like this guys site. cool effects on building an interface.

and another curved border tut

[Corey]

Great help Tig. Photoshop obviously is a much better choice (if you can get your employer to buy it) since effects stay editable even after they are applied but PSP is a great tool too and as I always say, "Use whatever works." Thank you for posting those tutes Tig, I know for a fact there are many here using PSP who will probaly find them very helpful.

As to the main question, it matters not what version you're using as long as it's 5.0+. Inner shadow works best for creating a sunken look, i.e. see the Photoshop Manual - "Inner Shadow to add a shadow that falls just inside the edges of the layer contents, giving the layer a recessed appearance."

Break it down. Think about it, what happens when something sinks? It gets a thin shadow just inside on whatever side has the light source since the light gets blocked out by the edge, etc.

You get the point, check out the attached simple visual. It makes it clear. As you can see it's only an issue of where the shadows drop. Flip the attached pic and you'll see it still retains it's depth, that's a product of where the shadows fall. Don't get fancy, keep it simple and you'll get better results. I used drop shadow for the raised example and inner shadow for the recessed one. Super simple. And remember the eyes key mainly off the shadows when identifying depth so make sure you aren't ambiguous about them. To keep your shadows consistent from object to object on the page check the "Use Global Direction" option in your layer effects dialog, that way when you tweak one it affects all the others equally.

Bevel and emboss are actually fundamentally different than shadow effects as they add a highlight also, not particularly relevant when recessing something usually. But sometimes can simulate the same types of depth illusions. That being said use whatever works.

So experiment away and remember, keep it simple.

13008-ex.jpg

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[pagedown]

Corey,

Thanks for the Tight info. I agree with everything. I'm going to jump on it here now.

[Protocol]

Hey there Page,

Just saw your post. it may be too late, but since you mentioned that you have PS7, here's the template in .PSD format. Good luck on your project!



Protocol

13478-Brushed Metal.zip

[pagedown]

Protocol,

Thanks, i'll review when i get home. Thanks for the info, have you made any other stuff? I wish i had Photoshop on the system here at work, I use to but the Web Guys got upset that the System Admins had toys which really belong to them... We just kindly lock them out everynow and then....