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In this tutorial we will try to make round button in one of Windows Vista styles.

Text is accompaned by screenshots on which are shown what is should be created on the left, and tunings of effects are shown on the right. The values in this article are for special objects, and if your object is bigger or smaller, you should set other values. And so we advise you to do everything like our examples (including sizes of objects).

Making button

It contains:

• Body of button (it will be named "body")
• Scattered inner light (it will be named "inner diffuse")
• Sharp bottom specular (it will be named "bottom specular")
• Scattered outer light (it will be named "outer diffuse")
• Sharp top specular (it will be named "top specular")

1. Body of button

1. So, create new layer, it will be named "body"
2. Draw circle on it (Ellipse tool) with color #001767 (this color, like all in next, taken for maximum similarity with Vista buttons)
3. Apply Inner Glow effect (color #001767):

2. Making scattered outer light

1. Select "Ellipse Tool"
2. Set "Paths" mode
3. And draw cirlce like this:

3. Now is very important moment — we need to make shape of specular more concavity

1. Pick out "Direct Selection Tool"
2. And transform path until it's will be like on the picture below. It's very important make this shape accurate
3. After that we need make layer by this path. So create new layer
4. Go to Paths window (in menu Windows -> Paths)
5. Pick out our path, click right mouse button. Choose Make Selection, and press "OK". Selection is ready
6. Create new layer (it will be named "outer diffuse")
7. Fill it with color #ddf8ff:

4. Add transparent to center of specular. There are few methods: you can make it by "Eraser" (with "Brush" mode) — just erase center. Or making mask and clear in center with Brush Tool:

1.5. Draw scattered inner light

1. Create new layer (it will be named "inner diffuse")
2. Draw simple circle with colour #42d6fb:

1.6. Apply Gaussian blur filter:

1.7. Move it to bottom of button. Parts, which be situated outside the button, can be cut:

1.8. Draw new circle for sharp specular

1. Create new layer (it will be named "bottom specular")
2. Draw white circle bigger than "body" layer

1.9. Now we need clear inner part of circle and make mask

1. Make sekection by layer "body" (ctrl + click mouse on layer "body")
2. Pick out layer "bottom specular", clear (Del) selected region
3. Now we need create mask by our button: make selection by layer "body" (ctrl + click mouse on layer "body")
4. Pick out layer "bottom specular" and press on button "Add layer Mask":

1.10. Drag layer "bottom specular" to top

1. Little bit (4-6 pixels) dicrease layer relatively to center
2. After that broke link between mask and layer (click on "Link" icon)
3. Pick out layer (not mask, just layer) and move up for this result:

1.11. Make duplicate (Duplicate) of our layer "bottom specular"

1. Rename it to "top specular" and hide this layer for future
2. Pick out current layer "bottom specular" with ring and degrade it with filter Motion Blur:

1.12. Still just a little...

1. Show layer "top specular" which we create by duplicate in step 1.11
2. Make vertical reflection (Edit -> Transform -> Flip Vertical):

1.13. Shorten mask of layer "top specular" to size of outer specular

1. Make selection by path which was created in step 1.3 (go to Paths window (in menu Windows -> Paths), pick out our path, click right mouse button. Choose Make Selection, and press "OK". Selection is ready
2. Inverse selection (Shift+Ctrl+I)
3. Pick out mask of layer "top specular"
4. And fill it with black color:

1.14. Check, is where picked out layer "top specular" (no mask, just layer)

1. Apply filter Motion blur (Filter -> blur -> Motion Blur)
2. And drag ring just a bit for result like on picture:

1.15. Wow! It's done! Now, if you want (for absolutely conformity with Windows Vista buttons) we can add a little shadows (for layer "body"):

1.16. If on result button impose any symbol, we will have something like this (and you can experiment with colors and effects for make your own style):

You can download ready button (with layers) in PSD (free for use)

www.icojoy.com | Zhebrakov Andrew (Andy-S)

You can also buy our icons in Vista style