imac-style widescreen screen

The imac series Exquisite's style is popular, this simple but elegant design allows us to get visual enjoyment in our work. The imac style has been incorporated into the web world, with transparent buttons and icons everywhere. Today, we're going to design an imac-style widescreen screen.

1. Open Photoshop, create a new 600x400 pixel document, RGB mode, white background.

Select the Rectangular marquee tool, select a rectangular selection in the canvas, roughly the size of the screen you want to build, and the aspect ratio of the selection is about 16:9. We make rounded rectangles with a smooth command, use the Select > Modify > Smoothing command, set the sampling radius to 5 pixels in the Smooth selection dialog box (the sampling radius can be determined based on the size of the selection) to make the corners slightly smoother.

You can also use the rounded Rectangle tool to draw, in the tool option to set the drawing way to the path, set the RADIUS value, convert the path to a selection.

Reset the color swatch, create a new layer, and fill the selection with white. Use the shrink command to shrink the selection by 5 pixels, set the foreground color to RGB (239,239,239), and fill the selection with this light gray. Shrink the selection again, this time with a shrinkage of 20 pixels, new Layer 2, set the foreground color to RGB (31,111,236), set the background color to RGB (25,96,182), select the linear Gradient tool, and make a vertical gradient from bottom to top, still keep the selection. (Figure 01)

Figure 01

You can also redefine the foreground and background colors on your own, with the principle of using the same hue and shade for two different colours.

2. Create a new layer 3, set the foreground color to white, and fill the selection. Use the smoothing command to set the sampling radius to 100 pixels and then use the transform Selection command to compress the selection height to 7%, save the selection as Channel 1, and deselect it. (Figure 02a)

Figure 02a

Load the transparent area channel of Layer 3 and save the selection as Channel 2. Go to the channel panel, select Channel 2, hold down CTRL and click Channel 1, and load the Channel 1 selection in Channel 2. Sets the foreground color to black, and the selection is deselected after the selection is filled. Select the Magic Wand tool in the toolbox, keep the tool's default options in the white area below, click Select, Reverse, fill the selection with black, and deselect. Channel 2 should now be shown in Figure 02b.

Figure 02b

3. Return to the RGB channel, load Channel 2 of the selection, delete the selection image in Layer 3, deselect, reduce Layer 3 layer opacity to 20%. (Figure 03)

Figure 03

4. Select Layer 2, we add a stereo effect to it through the layer style. Select the inner shadow style, blending mode and color remain unchanged, opacity to 65%, angle 90 degrees, use global light, distance of 2 pixels, blocking 50%, size of 5 pixels, quality also remain unchanged. (Figure 04)

Figure 04

5. Now we're starting to make reflective reflections on the top of the screen. Create a new Layer 4 on Layer 3, load the transparent area channel of Layer 2, select the radial Gradient tool, set the gradient to the previous color to transparent, note the transparent area in the selection tool options, and in Layer 4, the gradient from the top center of the rectangular marquee. Immediately, the free transform layer, the width is set to 99%, height set to the current 48%, cancel the selection. Reduce the opacity of the layer to 85%.

Make the reflection on the bottom half of the screen in the same way. Select Layer 2, create a new layer 5 on it, load the transparent area channel of Layer 2, select the radial gradient tool, and keep the tool options as you did just now, make the gradient from white to transparent from the bottom of the selection to the center of the selection. Change the current layer freely, set the width to 98.6%, set the height to 59%, and deselect. Move layer 5 up above layer 3 to reduce the opacity of the layer to 75%. (Figure 05)

Figure 05

6. Below we want to layer 1 processing. Because layer 1 and background layers are white fills, hide the background layer temporarily, select layer 1, use Stroke command, set stroke color to RGB (215,215,215), stroke width 1 pixels, center. Select the Magic Wand tool, set the tolerance value to 0 in the tool options, click on White on the Layer 1 edge, select the white pixel of the edge, and deselect to add the selection as a mask for layer 1.

Display background, select RGB channel, add style for current layer: Select the projection, blending mode and color unchanged, the opacity is set to 50%, the angle is 90, use the global light, shadow distance of 6 pixels, expand to 0, the size of 12 pixels, the quality is unchanged, so we added a simple stereo effect to the image. (Figure 06)

Figure 06

7. Select Layer 2, load the layer transparent area channel, create a new layer 6 on it, reset and swap the swatches, select the symmetrical gradient tool, make the gradient from the center of the selection, and the selection from left to right is black-white-black, as shown in Figure 07. Deselect to set the layer's blending mode to overlay and the opacity down to 35%. This gradient layer makes the image more stereoscopic. (Figure 08)

Figure 07

Figure 08

The imac style type of image is not difficult to make, in addition to color matching, the key is the effect of reflection is realistic. Specular highlights are mostly filled with white or gradient processing, sometimes with different layer blending modes. The processing of a constituency is relatively important. Many times how to get the right constituencies becomes a bottleneck in making such images. Here, there is a little secret experience: bold use of feather, most of the time this command will give you the right selection of inspiration.　Well, I hope this beautiful image will bring you more fun in the work! The imac series Exquisite's style is popular, this simple but elegant design allows us to get visual enjoyment in our work. The imac style has been incorporated into the web world, with transparent buttons and icons everywhere. Today, we're going to design an imac-style widescreen screen.

1. Open Photoshop, create a new 600x400 pixel document, RGB mode, white background.

Select the Rectangular marquee tool, select a rectangular selection in the canvas, roughly the size of the screen you want to build, and the aspect ratio of the selection is about 16:9. We make rounded rectangles with a smooth command, use the Select > Modify > Smoothing command, set the sampling radius to 5 pixels in the Smooth selection dialog box (the sampling radius can be determined based on the size of the selection) to make the corners slightly smoother.

You can also use the rounded Rectangle tool to draw, in the tool option to set the drawing way to the path, set the RADIUS value, convert the path to a selection.

Reset the color swatch, create a new layer, and fill the selection with white. Use the shrink command to shrink the selection by 5 pixels, set the foreground color to RGB (239,239,239), and fill the selection with this light gray. Shrink the selection again, this time with a shrinkage of 20 pixels, new Layer 2, set the foreground color to RGB (31,111,236), set the background color to RGB (25,96,182), select the linear Gradient tool, and make a vertical gradient from bottom to top, still keep the selection. (Figure 01)

Figure 01

You can also redefine the foreground and background colors on your own, with the principle of using the same hue and shade for two different colours.

2. Create a new layer 3, set the foreground color to white, and fill the selection. Use the smoothing command to set the sampling radius to 100 pixels and then use the transform Selection command to compress the selection height to 7%, save the selection as Channel 1, and deselect it. (Figure 02a)

Figure 02a

Load the transparent area channel of Layer 3 and save the selection as Channel 2. Go to the channel panel, select Channel 2, hold down CTRL and click Channel 1, and load the Channel 1 selection in Channel 2. Sets the foreground color to black, and the selection is deselected after the selection is filled. Select the Magic Wand tool in the toolbox, keep the tool's default options in the white area below, click Select, Reverse, fill the selection with black, and deselect. Channel 2 should now be shown in Figure 02b.

Figure 02b

3. Return to the RGB channel, load Channel 2 of the selection, delete the selection image in Layer 3, deselect, reduce Layer 3 layer opacity to 20%. (Figure 03)

Figure 03

4. Select Layer 2, we add a stereo effect to it through the layer style. Select the inner shadow style, blending mode and color remain unchanged, opacity to 65%, angle 90 degrees, use global light, distance of 2 pixels, blocking 50%, size of 5 pixels, quality also remain unchanged. (Figure 04)

Figure 04

5. Now we're starting to make reflective reflections on the top of the screen. Create a new Layer 4 on Layer 3, load the transparent area channel of Layer 2, select the radial Gradient tool, set the gradient to the previous color to transparent, note the transparent area in the selection tool options, and in Layer 4, the gradient from the top center of the rectangular marquee. Immediately, the free transform layer, the width is set to 99%, height set to the current 48%, cancel the selection. Reduce the opacity of the layer to 85%.

Make the reflection on the bottom half of the screen in the same way. Select Layer 2, create a new layer 5 on it, load the transparent area channel of Layer 2, select the radial gradient tool, and keep the tool options as you did just now, make the gradient from white to transparent from the bottom of the selection to the center of the selection. Change the current layer freely, set the width to 98.6%, set the height to 59%, and deselect. Move layer 5 up above layer 3 to reduce the opacity of the layer to 75%. (Figure 05)

Figure 05

6. Below we want to layer 1 processing. Because layer 1 and background layers are white fills, hide the background layer temporarily, select layer 1, use Stroke command, set stroke color to RGB (215,215,215), stroke width 1 pixels, center. Select the Magic Wand tool, set the tolerance value to 0 in the tool options, click on White on the Layer 1 edge, select the white pixel of the edge, and deselect to add the selection as a mask for layer 1.

Display background, select RGB channel, add style for current layer: Select the projection, blending mode and color unchanged, the opacity is set to 50%, the angle is 90, use the global light, shadow distance of 6 pixels, expand to 0, the size of 12 pixels, the quality is unchanged, so we added a simple stereo effect to the image. (Figure 06)

Figure 06

7. Select Layer 2, load the layer transparent area channel, create a new layer 6 on it, reset and swap the swatches, select the symmetrical gradient tool, make the gradient from the center of the selection, and the selection from left to right is black-white-black, as shown in Figure 07. Deselect to set the layer's blending mode to overlay and the opacity down to 35%. This gradient layer makes the image more stereoscopic. (Figure 08)

Figure 07

Figure 08

The imac style type of image is not difficult to make, in addition to color matching, the key is the effect of reflection is realistic. Specular highlights are mostly filled with white or gradient processing, sometimes with different layer blending modes. The processing of a constituency is relatively important. Many times how to get the right constituencies becomes a bottleneck in making such images. Here, there is a little secret experience: bold use of feather, most of the time this command will give you the right selection of inspiration. Well, I hope this beautiful image will bring you more fun in the work!