Although the screenshots for this beginners' tutorial were done with Photoshop v.7, there are not many differences for users of earlier versions.

See my all NEW Pearly Button in Photoshop Tutorial!

There are a couple of things that you need to do differently if you are working with Elements. I'll tell you about them, when you get there!

My keyboard shortcuts are for PC. If you are using a Mac, you need to convert these. Essentially, Alt = Option and Ctrl = Command.

I know that there are other ways to make shapes, including the Shape tool. I cover that tool in some depth in my Shape tutorial, "Get into Shape." This tutorial will teach you many valuable Photoshop skills involving selections. 

• How to fill a selection with two different kinds of gradients.
• What it means to stroke a selection and how to do it.
• How to use multiple layers to create an effect.
• Using Layer Styles to create a bevel and a Drop Shadow.
• Using Brush Options to make an Airbrush.
• How to use the Dodge tool.

How to save a file in PSD format.
How to save a file in JPG format.
About quality levels in JPG's.
Keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl-S to save.
Ctrl-D to deselect
Ctrl-Z to undo

Ok, now we are going to fancy things up a bit and you are going to make something that you will think is cool enough to save. This project will combine all of what you did in Basic Shapes 1, and add a couple of other neat little tidbits as well. I will not go into a great deal of detail on the parts that you have already done. I want you to have to think about what you are doing. :P

1. File > New and make your canvas 300x300. 72 dpi is fine, and you should be in RGB mode.

Make a new layer, by clicking the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.

Double-click its name in the layers palette and name it "Square".

2.  Choose your Rectangular Marquee tool and be sure that your Feather in the Options bar is set to 0. Make a SQUARE selection in the middle of your canvas.

Now before you fling me an email saying that i didn't tell you HOW to make a square, reread the rectangle how-to in Basic Shapes 1, and answer these: 

• How is a square similar to a rectangle?  
• How is an ellipse similar to a circle?
• How is a square similar to a circle?
• Sample SAT question: Ellipse is to circle as rectangle is to ______.
• How did you get from an ellipse to a circle?

Now do your square. :)

File > Save As .. and think of a name for this. Leave the file type as PSD. Although PSD files tend to be large, this is because they will maintain your layers and keep the quality of your file intact.

Choose your favorite color for your foreground color. I chose a medium blue.

In the Gradient Options bar, be sure that you are using the Foreground to Background gradient, as i have to the right.

Choose the Diamond Gradient.

5. Edit > Stroke to outline the selection to make that border around the square. Choose your own pixel width for this. Ctrl-Z to undo if you don't like it, then redo it. When you get the outline as you like it, Ctrl-D to deselect.

Ctrl-S to save.

6. Now for the round button in the middle. We'll make this on a new layer, so click the Create a New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette.

We begin by making a circular selection centered in the middle of the square. Refer to the circle part of my Shapes 1 tutorial if you need help getting started on this.

7. From your gradient tool, choose the Radial Gradient Tool.  Switch your foreground and background colors by clicking on the arrow above and to the right of the color squares in your toolbox. 

8. Drag a gradient from about where i have the red dot in the circle along the red arrow to the far edge of the circle. If you don't get this the first time, just do it again. :) Ctrl-d to deselect. 

Ctrl-s to save.

10. See that shadow under the center circle? If you have Photoshop, you do that by clicking on the circle layer in the layers palette and then click the little f button at the bottom of the layers palette to bring up the Layer Style dialog box. Choose Drop Shadow by clicking the words Drop Shadow in the list.

Adjust the options there. My settings are just below.

11. The outer part in the finished example has a neat beveled effect. Again, layer effects to the rescue! Click the square layer before adding your layer styles to that layer. My settings for the Bevel appear below. The Size of the bevel will depend upon how large you made your stroke. You can get that nice hard "chiseled" edge by choosing Chiseled Hard for Technique.

(Also, you can play around with some of the other layer effects as well. You cannot hurt anything.) 

12. Now let's tackle that almost magical glow around the button. We will do that on a separate layer under the button. 

Make a new layer, name it "Glow"  and drag it beneath the circle layer in the layers palette. Choose a light yellow for your foreground color and the paintbrush tool. In the Brush options (see palette to the right), set up your brush. Begin with a round soft brush. Turn off shape dynamics and check the box to turn ON airbrush.

For Elements, you change your brush options in the Options bar at the top.

13. Using the ] and [ keys, adjust the size of your brush till it is almost the same width as your button. Then hold it in the center of the button and hold it till the ball glows! 

Ctrl-S to save.

• Background
• Square
• Glow around the circle button
• Circle button.You actually made these, beginning at the bottom, and building on, except for the glow layer, which you added after you had the button.

Ctrl-S to save your work in PSD form.

(Notice that i said "a copy". Do not get rid of your PSD files as you finish your work. The reason for this is that JPG files will degrade everytime you change something and save it again. Also, saving the PSD file will preserve your layers so that if you want to later change that yellow glow to purple, you can do that too!)

The catch here is that your file size increases dramatically as you go to better qualities. The size of this little file varies from 2K to 8K, 4x the size, depending on where I put the quality setting! You will have to compromise some quality in order to get reasonable load times on the web.

To save as a jpeg for printing, do this:

File > Save as... and choose .jpg from the format types in the dropdown box. Find a suitable place for it and then click save. 

It will ask you for a quality setting. If you have "preview" checked, you can watch your artwork degrade before your very eyes as you slide the slider down toward 0, and then get better as you move up toward 100!