Grungy-Modern Style Signature

Learn how to make a grungy-modern style signature with this tutorial, as shown below in our preview:

Start with a new document 400×175 px fill the canvas with black(#000000).

Brush with your grunge brushes in white on the black

Brush some black on top of the white if you want.

Select some similar colors from your render. Then use a circular gradient like you see. Then filter > render > lense flare, 105 prime and place it where your render will go.

Finally set this layer on overlay.

Make 2 duplicates of your render (ctrl + j)

Place your render on your lense flare and then go to filter > blur > gaussian blur with a setting of 6.

On your other render layer set the layer style to Soft Light

On your last render layer set it to Overlay and then go to image > mode > color balance adjust all the settings until you get yor render the colors of your background.

to add the border go to edit > stroke with black and 5px thick

then go to edit > stroke again with 4px white this time.

this is my final. Just add in your name and you are done.

Sleek Web Content Box

This tutorial will teach you how to create a sleek web content box from scratch in Adobe Photoshop. The final result can be seen below:

Start off with a New Document with the size of 200X250

Make a rectangle with rounded corners (size:5) then in blending options use the default setting on drop shadow but set the distance to 0

Make a smaller rectangle with rounded corners and apply the following styles this is where your content will go.

Make a selection like the one above, by using the polygon tool. to get the diagonal lines hold shift and drag in the direction you want the diagonal line. By holding shift you get a perfectly straight line.

Fill the selection with a gradient I chose a dark blue color.

On a new layer and keeping the same selection from before choose select>modify>contract this will make your selection smaller choose 2 in the contract box. Fill the selection with white and set the layer opacity to 30% then using the rectangle selection select the lower half of the white trapezoid and delete it.

Add a title in the blue trapezoid.

Here is my final result. I have added text links to make it look filled up.

Make an iPod Classic or the New Nano

You will be learning how to create an iPod classic but also you can use the same technique to make an iPod nano.

1. Start by opening a new file: 300*540 px.

2. Make a rectangle with the Rounded Rectangle Tool, using fixed size: 270*452 px and 25 px for Radius.

3. Right click over the shape and Rasterize it.

4. Add Inner Glow using #eceeed as color.

5. Gradient Overlay: #c2c3c7 to #e7e7e7

6. Stroke: #e3e5e4

7. And you should have something like this:

8. Now create a New Layer and make 2 selections like shown below.

9. We’re going to make a Linear Gradient for both, #b0b1b4 to transparent for the firts one and #767b7f to transparent for the second one, then change the Opacity to %70 and press Ctrl + D to deselect.

10. Now while pressing Ctrl, click over the thumb of the first layer then create a new layer and fill with #767b7f, deselect it and go to Filter/Artistic/Film Grain.

11. Change the mode to Soft Light.

12. Now you iPod should look like this:

13. After that we’ll make the Click Wheel, make a circle withe the Elliptical Marquee Tool using 165px as Fixed size.

14. Fill it with #f9fafc as color and deselect it.

15. Now select the first shape, as you did it in the Step 10 and Align the circle with the button Align Horizontal Centers (Be sure you have the Move Tool(M) selected).

16. Then move the circle while pressing Shift until place it as shown below.

17. Add a Stroke, #b2b6b9 as color.

18. Now we’re going to make a smaller circle using the same process we used in the Step 13 but now put 59px as Fixed size and fill it with any color. Deselect it and select the bigger circle (the same way as you did before) and Align it using Align vertical centers and Align horizontal centers.

19. Add it a Gradient Overlay: #e7ebee to #b9bec1

20. And a Stroke: #d5d5d5

21. So far your iPod should look like this:

22. Write Menu, using Segoe 11pt in #a8adb3 and select Strong as a/a (anti-aliasing).

23. Use Align top edges and Align vertical centers to align it then deselect it and while pressing Shift hit the Key Down on your keyboard.

24. Now using the Preset Shapes using 8*6px to Fixed size and #aab3ba as color, then Rasterize it and go to Edit/Transform/Rotate 90° CCW. Duplicate it and move it 6px to the left and press Ctrl + E to Merge Down.

25. Make rectangle 2*9 px and fill it with the same color and Merge it down.

26. Now align it using the same process you used to Align the text and duplicate the layer, align it and make the Play / Pause button using the same technique.

27. Create a New Layer then make a Rectangle using Fixed size 224*168 px and paint it White and align it: Align horizontal centers and move it down until get something like this:

28. Add a Stroke: #000000 4px.

29. Create a New Layer then make a rectangle: 111*14 px and use any color.

30. Add a Gradient Overlay using the following colors: #808789, #9a989b and #fdfdfd.

31. Now you have this:

32. Do the same but now use 111*17 px.

33. Colors: #0062bb, #006bcc, #53afff and #6bc4ff.

34. Now you your display looks like this:

35. Now add some text using Segoe 11pt #000000.

36. Finally add some details, I won’t explain how to do it because I’m pretty sure you already know how to do it but atleast I’ll give you some tips. For the Battery I used these colors: #67b249, #569635 and #bcf984 and for the Stroke #679454.

37. And for the Play icon. Inner Shadow.

38. Outer Glow.

39. Gradient Overlay: #0d589c, #179cdf, #0d589c

40. And that’s it, your New iPod Classic and actually you can make an iPod nano using the same process but others sizes, if you have any questions let me know below in the comments.

Top 10 Logo Design Tips

Top 10 Logo Design Tips

Over the years, LogoBee has been designing logos and accumulating articles and resources for its clients. Finally, they've released a concise set of logo design tips to help you along with your project, and ensure that you end up with a logo that will perfectly suit your needs. So without further ado, here are LogoBee's top ten tips!

1. Keep it Simple!

These are probably the best words of advice, and it ties into almost all of our upcoming tips. A complicated logo will not only make your logo difficult to reproduce and maintain, but you will also fail to engage your audience. The logo is the ultimate 'elevator' pitch to your potential clients and business partners. You don't have time to recite your entire business plan in an elevator pitch, and the same concept applies to corporate logo design.

Sometimes when a logo design isn't working out right, there will be an inclination to add elements and complexity. Often times, it's better to start over with a new concept or remove distracting elements rather than add them.

Simplicity isn't always an easy thing to achieve, as you don't want your logo to appear too boring or conservative. This is why at the end of the day it's best to leave it to the design professionals!

2. Engage your Audience

The logo design should above everything entertain and engage your audience. Your logo should not be so literal that the message is spelt out for them. They should be given the opportunity to discover the meaning and intention of your logo themselves. If people are able to discover the 'trick' of your logo within a reasonable amount of time, this will help to create a memorable and entertaining experience between you and your audience.

Too much abstraction will on the other hand work against you. If the logo is too obscure, the message that you are attempting to communicate will be lost, and so will your potential client. Remember, today's consumer culture is accustomed to very intense and stimulating media, and therefore you cannot be too demanding on your audience either.

3. Logo Longevity - Think Ahead!

The durability and longevity of a logo is worth considering. Although it's impossible to see into the future, it is useful to picture your company 10-15 years down the road, and think about what kind of products and services it will offer, if any at all! Even the strongest companies update their logo every 15 years or so, but often the changes will be subtle in nature. Very seldom will they take on a radical re-design.

There are many long-standing companies whose logos have stood the test of time. Type-based logos are good for this. The IBM logo is a great example. They offer a variety of products and services on an international level, and also provide research, design and consulting services. They've succeeded in communicating all of this through their logo, but we think they are due for an update very soon!

For small start-up companies, it may not be the end of the earth if you decide to change your logo after even a few years, depending on what transpires with your company. But it's always nice when a logo design is able to stand the test of time.

4. Vector is Better

Although it's tempting to use detailed illustrations and complex 3d effects in a logo, chances are that it will not serve you well. Clean, crisp lines with very limited colors are almost always more effective than an illustration or complex 3d rendering. A well-drawn vector-based logo will provide you with the contrast and balance that is so important in logo design. New capabilities in vector based programs can now give you the illusion of a 3d effect without losing contrast, using tricks such as the canter effect.

5. Adaptability - Be Ready for Change

Your logo should be flexible enough to adapt to every business situation. If a logo is too literal or specific, you may have a hard time using it when catering to different markets.

Generally speaking, the best thing for small business start-ups is to have an icon and logo-type designed at the same time. This will allow you to use the logo as a stand-alone image, or use it along with the type-font name as well. Often times, companies will use only the icon on its products and packaging materials. This is a common practice among software companies and book publishers.

6. Make it Memorable

A great logo design will imbed itself into ones sub-consciousness. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but for a logo to be memorable it needs to use simple lines and be very easy to recall from memory. A good test to ensure that your logo design is memorable is to show it to a friend and ask him/her to retrace it a week later. A good design should use a recognizable shape or element for it to be easily remembered.

7. Relevance - Keep your Products and Services in Mind

A memorable logo is great, but it should also get your customers to start thinking about the products or services that you offer. You should ensure that the logo relates to your business in some shape or form. Yes, the monkey can sell just about anything from cigarettes to cell phones, but there's a limit! Isn't there?


8. Choose your Colors Wisely

Colors can play a very important role in logo design as they can illicit different feelings and emotions from us. Interpretations of color may vary depending on age, gender, and cultural demographics, so your choices of color should be carefully considered depending on your target market. Also, colors tend to follow trends, just like in fashion. So a new, vibrant company may want to follow the current trends, whereas a bank may want to stay with a more conservative color set that will work well for them over a long period of time.

Try to keep your selection of colors down to two or three. Too many colors will increase your cost of production and make it more difficult to reproduce.

One interesting idea that we've seen used is to change the color of the logo on things like business cards and stationery depending on the market segmentations of the clientele.

9. Keep it Unique

This should be straightforward. You want to be sure that your company is easily identified among your industry and competitors. Be sure to carefully research your industry and target market before embarking on a logo design. You need to know and understand the common styles of your industry, but you also need to make sure that you don't infringe on anyone else's trademarked logo.

10. Versatility Pays Dividends

One of the most important attributes of a good logo design is versatility. You want to portray a consistent image across all of your marketing materials, including signs, letterhead, business cards, products lines, and web sites. Often times, a complicated logo design will work fine on a website or billboard, but when you shrink it down to fit on a pen or coffee cup, the illustration or lettering will become illegible. Your logo should also work well in black and white.

You may often find that start-up companies and even well-established law firms will not consistently brand their logo across all their marketing materials. For example, they may have their logo on the front door of their office, but will end up using something different (or nothing at all!) on their website. In order to build brand recognition you need to market your logo and image as consistently as possible. Be sure that when you're having your logo designed that you receive all the file formats necessary for use in your various marketing channels.