Gel Button Tutorial

Step 1: Add a new layer.

Step 2: Set your foreground color to light blue.

Step 3: Select the rectangle tool. In your options bar set your radius to 40 pixels.

Step 4: In the options bar, click on the third icon from the left ( fill pixels)

Step 5: Draw your shape on your stage.

Step 6:Apple +click on your shape layer.

Step 7:  add a new layer 

Step 8: go under the select, under modify, and choose contract. Enter 20 pixels, click Ok.

Step 9: Press the letter "d" then the letter "x" to set your foreground to white.

Step 10: Press option+delete

Step 11: Press apple+D

Step 12: Go under the filter menu, under blur, choose gaussian blur. when dialog box appears, enter 10. Click Ok

Step 13: Select the move tool.

Step 14: using the arrows on the keyboard, move your blurry white layer down to the bottom of the pill shape.

Step 15: Hold down the apple key and click the pill layer in your layers palette.

Step 16: Press shift + apple + I to inverse your selection.

Step 17: Press the delete Key.

 Step 18: Press shift +apple +I

Step 19: Create a new layer.

Step 20: Set your foreground color to a darker blue the your original blue. 

Step 21: fill your selection by pressing option +delete.

Step 22: deselect by pressing apple + deselect. 

Step 23: Hold down the apple key and click once on the blurry layer in your layers palette.  ( be sure not to change layers. you should still be on the dark blue pill layer).

Step 24: Press delete to knock a soft hole out of  the blue pill layer. 

Step 25:  select the rectangular marquee tool.

Step 26: Place your mouse n the selected area and drag you selection upwards a little bit. Tap the delete key.

Step 27: repeat step 26 , one or two more times until the top of the pill. (make you stop short at the top).

Step 28: deselect by pressing apple +d

Step 29: apple +0 click on your pill layer to put a selection around it. 

Step 30: create a new layer.

Step 31: go under select menu, under modify choose contract, enter 20 pixels, choose Ok.

Step 32:  Press the letter d then x to set your foreground color to white.

Step 33: select the gradient tool. in the options bar, click on the facing down arrow next to the gradient thumbnail. Choose the second  gradient. ( foreground to transparent.) 

Step 34: Drag this gradient from the top to the bottom of your selection.

Step 35: deselect

Step 36: select the moving tool, using the arrows on the keyboard, move your white gradient upwards to where its almost at the top, but leave a gap of dark blue between your white gradient and the top of the pill. ( This create the highlight area of the pill) 

Step 37: press apple+ t

Step 38: go under  the edit menu, under transform, choose perspective. 

Step 39: grab the left bottom corner and click and drag outward just a bit to add a perspective effect. 

Step 40: Press enter to et photoshop know your finished. 

Step 41: hide your background layer. merge visible.

Step 42: choose drop shadow 

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