How to Create a Simple Glass Button in Photoshop

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: The button you are going to create is going to look like this.

   Click "OK". , Change "Format:" to Photoshop (*.PSD, *.PDD).
   
   Set "File Name:" to GlassButton.psd.
   
   Click "OK". , Type CTRL-N to create a new document.
   
   Enter 1 for "Width:"
   
   10 for "Height"
   
   72 for "Resolution:"
   
   and White for "Background Contents:".
   
   Click "OK". , Click the pinstripe document until its at least %1600 bigger.
   
   Type SHIFT+CTRL+N to create a new layer.
   
   When the new layer dialog window opens, just click "OK". , If for some reason the Circle Marquee tool opens, you can change to the square tool by holding down the left mouse button over the Marquee tool in the toolbox.
   
   A small window will open up next to the toolbox and you can select the square tool. ,, Set "Use:" to Black.
   
   Click "OK".
   
   Now type CTRL+A to select the entire document. , A window will pop up.
   
   Set "Name:" to Pinstripe. , We don't need it anymore, and there is no reason to save it. ,, Change "Use:" to Pattern.
   
   Change "Custom Pattern" to the Pinstripe pattern we created.
   
   Then click "OK".
   
   Your document should now look like this: , When the small window opens up beside it, scroll to the Elliptical Marquee Tool. , We want the circle to be a little smaller than the document.
   
   Click SHIFT+CTRL+N to create a new layer.
   
   When the New Layer window opens, change "Name:" to Button Shape. , Click the Foreground Color swatch on the toolbar. ,,, Set "Use:" for Foreground Color.
   
   Click "OK".
   
   Type CTRL+A to select the entire document.
   
   Type CTRL+X to cut out the circle, and then CTRL+V to paste it back.
   
   The cutting and pasting centers the circle in your document.
   
   In the Layers Palette, change the "Blending Mode" to Linear Burn. ,, With our button, the background pinstripes are showing through, so we need to distort the lines a little bit. , This draws a selection around our button shape.
   
   Now click on the Background layer in the Layers Palette.
   
   Click on "Filters">"Distort">"Spherize".
   
   Set "Amount" to 66%. , Your document should now look like this: , Type SHIFT+CTRL+N to create a new layer.
   
   When the New Layer window opens, change "Name:" to Reflection.
   
   Click "OK".
   
   A new layer named Reflection should have been created in between the Background and Button Shape layers, when looking at the layers in the Layers Palette.
   
   We need to move the Reflection layer to the top of the palette.
   
   Click and hold down the left mouse button on the Reflection layer, and drag it to the top of the palette. , This changes the foreground and background colors to White and Black.
   
   Type G to change to the Gradient tool.
   
   Set the gradient to Foreground to Transparent. , Hold down the SHIFT key while you are doing this to ensure you get a perfectly straight line.
   
   When the line has reached the bottom of the circle, let go of the mouse button.
   
   Now type CTRL+D to deselect the circle.
   
   Your document should now look like this: , Type CTRL+T so we can Free Transform the Reflections layer.
   
   Grab the "square" that runs along the right side line.
   
   While holding down the ALT key, drag the square inwards until the Reflection layer is about 4/5ths the size it used to be.
   
   Now grab the "square" that runs along the bottom line.
   
   While holding down ALT, drag the square upwards until the Reflection layer is about 3/5ths the size it used to be.
   
   Hit ENTER to confirm the transformation.
   
   Your document should now look like this: , Now click the reflection and drag it up until its nearly at the top of the circle.
   
   In the Layers Palette, change the Opacity to 85%. ,, But lets add a LifeGuide Hub style check mark in the middle of the button. , Now type SHIFT+CTRL+N to create a new layer above the Button Shape Layer.
   
   When the New Layer window opens, change "Name:" to Check Mark.
   
   Now we need to open the Custom Shape tool.
   
   In the toolbox, click and hold down on the Rectangle Tool until a window opens up next to it.
   
   Select Custom Shape from the list. ,, When the Color Picker window opens, change "#" to
   932200.
   
   Click "OK". , You do this by clicking near the bottom of the circle, and dragging out a shape. , Now change the opacity of the Check Mark layer to 80%.
   
   Your document should now look like this: ,, Type V to change to the Move tool.
   
   Now hold down the ALT key, and hit the keyboards down arrow 8 times.
   
   Now change the foreground color to A72903.
   
   Type SHIFT+F5 to open the Fill window.
   
   Make sure "Use:" is set to Foreground Color.
   
   Click "OK".
   
   Type CTRL+D to deselect the layer. , The Layer Style window will open.
   
   Click on Dropshadow.
   
   Change "Angle:" to 90, and "Distance:" to
   15. ,, When the Layer Style window opens, click on Inner Shadow.
   
   Change "Blend Mode:" to Multiply, "Opacity:" to 75%, "Angle:" to 90, "Distance:" to 5, "Choke:" to 0, and "Size:" to
   75.
   
   Click on Drop Shadow.
   
   Leave all the settings to what they are.
   
   Click "OK". , Your final image should look like this:
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   Step 2: Start Photoshop and type CTRL+N (Command-N on Mac) to create a new image.

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   Step 3: Enter 250 for "Width:"

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   Step 4: 250 for "Height:"

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   Step 5: 72 for "Resolution:"

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   Step 6: and White for "Background Contents:".

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   Step 7: Click "File">"Save AS".

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   Step 8: Create a temporary document for the pinstripe background.

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   Step 9: Type Z to open the Magnifying Glass.

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    Step 10: Type M to open the Square Marquee tool.

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    Step 11: On the pinstripe document

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    Step 12: draw a Marquee around the bottom 1 pixel.Make sure that feather is set to 0.

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    Step 13: Type SHIFT-F5 to open the Fill window.

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    Step 14: Click "Edit">"Define Pattern".

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    Step 15: Close the pinstripe document.

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    Step 16: Click on the title bar of your GlassButton document to activate it.

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    Step 17: Type SHIFT+F5 to open the Fill window.

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    Step 18: Click and hold down the left mouse button over the Marquee tool in the toolbox.

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    Step 19: While holding down the SHIFT button

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    Step 20: click the upper left hand side of the document

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    Step 21: and drag out an elliptical marquee until the mouse pointer is nearly at the bottom right hand corner of the document.

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    Step 22: Change the foreground color to a nice deep blue.

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    Step 23: When the Color Picker window opens

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    Step 24: change "#" to 000066 (those are zeros).

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    Step 25: Click "OK".

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    Step 26: Back at the GlassButton document

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    Step 27: type SHIFT+F5 to open the Fill window.

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    Step 28: Your document should now look like this: If it doesn't

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    Step 29: go back and check each step of the instructions.

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    Step 30: If you have ever looked through a glass of water

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    Step 31: you'll notice that the image coming through is slightly distorted.

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    Step 32: Hold down the CTRL key

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    Step 33: and click the Button Shape layer in the Layers Palette.

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    Step 34: Click "OK".

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    Step 35: Make sure there is still a selection around the circle.

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    Step 36: Type D and then X.

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    Step 37: Making sure your Reflection layer is selected

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    Step 38: start drawing a gradient line from the top of the circle to the bottom of the circle.

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    Step 39: Change the size and shape of the Reflection layer.

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    Step 40: We don't want the Reflection to be right in the center of the button like that

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    Step 41: so type V to change to the Move Tool.

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    Step 42: Now your document should look like this:

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    Step 43: You could stop here if you wanted to.

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    Step 44: Click on the Button Shape layer in the Layers Palette.

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    Step 45: From the top toolbar

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    Step 46: change the shape to the check mark shape.

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    Step 47: Click on the Foreground Color swatch in the toolbox.

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    Step 48: On the Check Mark layer

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    Step 49: draw a large check mark that is a little smaller than the button.

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    Step 50: Click on "Layer">"Rasterize">"Shape".

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    Step 51: While holding down the CTRL button

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    Step 52: click the Check Mark layer in the layers palette.

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    Step 53: In the Layers Palette

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    Step 54: right click the Check Mark layer

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    Step 55: and select Blending Options.

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    Step 56: Click "OK".

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    Step 57: Right click on the Button Shape layer

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    Step 58: and pick Blending Options.

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    Step 59: And that's it

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    Step 60: you're done!

Detailed Guide

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