Simple 3D Pill Button – Photoshop Tutorial
Learn how to create a simple, modern, and 3D pill-shaped button using Layer Styles, Masks, and Shapes in Photoshop. This button is a breeze to edit after the fact and it’s a dream to create simple rollover states based on this button. Learn about creating web elements, Layers, Layer Styles, Masks, Vector Masks, and more by following this tutorial!
Step 1:
After creating a new Photoshop document using the settings in my screenshot go ahead and fill your “Background Layer” with #1a3135 and then go Filter>Noise>Add Noise and add 2% noise at “Uniform” with “Monochromatic checked on.
Step 2:
Grab the Lasso Tool (L) and drag a jagged selection in the center of the document. Go Select>Modify>Feather and feather this selection by 150px.
Step 3:
Go Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Levels. Name the Layer “Spotlight” and set the Blending Mode to “Screen”. Our selection automatically becomes the mask! Sweet!
Step 4:
Open the Info Panel by going Window>Info. We’re going to use this panel to watch the width and height of a path we are going to draw in just a moment. Look for the W: and H: in the panel.
Step 5:
Grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U). Look to the Tool Options Bar and set the “Radius” to 25px. Draw out a rounded rectangle 170 pixels wide and 50 pixels tall. TIP: Use the Info Panel to watch the width and height AS you draw the shape!
Step 6:
With that Path selected, go Layer>New Fill Layer>Solid Color, give this Layer the name “Button” and fill this Layer with #566a74.
Step 7:
Duplicate the “Button” Layer and rename it “Base” and drag it below the “Button” Layer. Double click the color thumbnail of this Layer and reduce the brightness of this color by 10% (see my screenshot) and then use the Move Tool (V) to nudge this shape 7 pixels straight down (use the down arrow-key).
Step 8:
Go Layer>Layer Style>Gradient Overlay and apply a gradient that runs from 50% brightness to 65% brightness just as I have in the screenshots.
Step 9:
Go Layer>Layer Style>Inner Shadow to apply the Inner Shadow that I have applied.
Step 10:
Set your foreground color to White by hitting the (D) key and then hitting the (X) key. Go Layer>Layer Style>Stroke and use the settings I have in the screenshot. TIP: I am using a “Foreground to Transparent” gradient.
Step 11:
Select the “Base” Layer and go Layer>Layer Style>Drop Shadow and apply the settings I have.
Step 12:
Go Layer>Layer Style>Inner Shadow and apply the settings I have.
Step 13:
Select the “Button” Layer and go Layer>Duplicate Layer. Go Layer>Layer Style>Clear Style. Fill this Layer with White and drag the layer below both of the other button Layers we have. I’ve given that Layer the name of “Stroke”.
Step 14:
Go Layer>Layer Style>Stroke and apply the setting I have. Then go Layer>Layer Style>Create Layer. This will separate the Stroke Style from the Shape Layer. We can now shut off the Shape Layer by clicking on the little eyeball to the left of the Shape Layer.
Step 15:
Go Layer>Layer Style>Color Overlay and fill this shape with #2f3a40. Also apply an Inner Shadow using the settings I have.
Step 16:
Apply a Stroke to this shape. Set the Stroke to a Gradient Stroke and choose a “Black to White” gradient. Click on the gradient bar and add an Opacity stop (top of the gradient bar) to the mid-way point of the gradient and set the opacity to 0% and then set the opacity of the white point to 30%. Check out my screenshot to see what it should look like in the Gradient Editor.
Step 17:
Using the Move Tool (V), nudge this “Stroke” Layer down a few pixels until it is aligned underneath our button properly.
Step 18:
Add some text to your button and set the color to White and the Blend Mode of the Layer to “Soft Light”.
Step 19:
Next, apply both a Drop Shadow and Inner Shadow using the settings I have.
Step 20:
Set your foreground color to White and apply a Color Overlay using the settings I have. Also drop a Gradient Overlay using “Foreground to Transparent” over this text using the settings I have.
Step 21:
That’s it! We’re done!
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