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In this tutorial, I will explain how to make a vinyl graphic. This tutorial will outline techniques to avoid choppy edges and create proper texturing and lighting.
Step 1.
Let’s start out by creating a new file. I used a 300×300 pixel canvas set at 72dpi (regular settings), and I filled my background with a soft gradient. You can fill it with whatever you want.
Create a layer set and call it “vinyl.” Create a new layer within the layer set, also called “vinyl,” and fill it with a dark grey (almost black) color like #111111. Fill this layer with noise by going to Filter > Noise > Add noise and use the settings shown below in the screenshot.
Step 2
The noise we just added will be used to create the circular texture that is typical for a vinyl record. Go to Filter > Blur > Radial blur, and use the settings shown below. After this, duplicate the layer and set the “vinyl copy” layer to Overlay. To bring out the texture a little more, I went ahead and navigated to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and applied the settings seen below to the “vinyl copy” layer.
Step 3
Time to cut out our circular shape. I will be using the Ellipse Tool (U) for this job.
Now I’ve set my Ellipse Tool to Shape Layers instead of Paths because this way I can easily center my shape once I draw it out. Place your crosshairs (cursor) more or less in the middle and while holding down Shift+Alt, draw a circle. Holding down Shift+Alt ensures that you make a perfect circle and that it is created from the middle outwards.
Switch to the Move tool (V) and hit Ctrl+A so that you select the entire canvas. Using the alignment controls at the top, press Align Vertical Centers and Align Horizontal Centers. This moves the circular shape to the center of the canvas.
Step 4
Next we will cut out our actual shape. Ctrl-click on the Shape 1 layer and hide it by clicking on the eye icon next to it. Now select the “vinyl” layer set and hit the Mask button. This masks out the selection.
Duplicate the “Shape 1″ layer and resize it to about 5% (hit Ctrl+T, and then enter 5% in the size boxes). Ctrl-click the new “Shape 1 copy” layer, and with a black brush, paint the selection black in the mask we made for our “vinyl” layer set. This will create a hole in the middle, which is typical for a vinyl. When I did this, I noticed that I had to nudge my “Shape 1 copy” layer a bit to the left and up so that it looked right.
Step 5
Now that we have our basic shape and texture done, it’s time to bring this baby to life. First we need to add some shine. We’re going to do this in two steps. In this step, we will apply subtle contrast lighting across the object and in Step 2, we are going to make it pop. Create a new layer above the (hidden) “Shape 1 copy” layer and name it “contrast.” Reset your colors to black and white by hitting D on your keyboard, and go to Filter > Render > Clouds. Next go to Filter > Render > Difference Clouds and hit Ctrl+F a few times (this re-applies the filter). Go to Filter > Blur > Radial Blur and use the settings shown below in the screenshot.
Then set the layer to Soft Light and experiment with Brightness/Contrast. In my case I moved the Contrast down to around -20 and raised the Brightness to about +50. I also used a Mask and a 50% black brush to remove the black areas. I just want to keep the highlights. Eventually I decided to lower the Opacity of the layer to 75%, and then I was satisfied. Play around and see what looks right to you.
Step 6
Now it’s time to make it really pop. Create a gradient as shown below:
Create a new layer and name it “highlights.” Drag the gradient out in the middle as shown in 1 (below), then go to Edit > Transform > Perspective and select the top-left corner, hold Shift and drag down. Drag until the handles overlap as in 2 (below) and then hit Enter. Hit Ctrl+T and stretch the gradient out a bit vertically. Set this layer to Soft Light, duplicate it twice, and spin the top layer around a bit until you get something similar to 3 (below).
Highlights can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, it just depends on the light source and its direction. Personally, I like to vary the type of highlights I use depending on the project.
Step 7
For this vinyl I created a sticker for the center. I made a circle with the Ellipse Tool, then added some text and a random graphic I brushed on. You can do whatever you like with the sticker design. I also added another layer of extra bright highlights and a Color Balance layer on top to fine tune my coloring. All of this is optional depending on the project or aesthetic you’re looking for. Finally, I added a layer that looked like clear plastic over the sticker, as real vinyls have. I did this by creating a circle below the sticker and highlights layers and filling it with a dark grey color.
Conclusion
So there you go, a nice little graphic that can be used in a variety of ways. What I like most about this technique is that even though not all of the layers are vector layers, you can still resize the image without loss of quality. Apart from the layers which are used for the sticker (which could be vector too), the rest is either text (which is stretchable) or masked layers, and masks are also stretchable. In fact, we have a safety here. If you stretch out the mask and it becomes blurry, then just unhide your shape layer, stretch that out and mask again. Even though you can scale this, keep in mind that if you try to scale it up dramatically you will lose the fine texture lines on the vinyl.
Thank you for viewing this tutorial, and make sure you have fun while making yours!
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By Arik
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Great tutorial, but im having an issue…. On step 3, when i duplicate the layer and set it as overlay, everything turn black, and it hides the vinyl layer that is under, even after applying contrast…etc. Is it normal?
I had the same issue.
same!
sorry, i meant step 2!
The tutorial is not very well explained, create new layers in or out of the group, work on wich layer, etc…. pay more attention to details if you want to write a tutorial
It’s look’s like im doing something wrong because i cant mask the 3 layer’s in step 4
Great Tutorial, especially how you did the highlights. Thanks a ton!
Thanks. liked this tutorial. easy to follow.
here’s what i did…
http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w77/pink77punk/?action=view¤t=BaconFlavoredHits.gif
great tut!
Great tutorial, but for some reason I can’t get passed step2.. When I try to apply the radial blur to the noise layer it is faded out in the drop down only a few blurs are available (Average, Blur, Blur more, Motion blur are available the rest are faded out)
I have followed the tutorial to the letter and the layer stack is exactly the same as the tutorial up to this point.
Im using Photoshop CS on a mac..
Any ideas why this might not be working?
I think we need to clarify what a ‘layer set’ really is.
Here is the clue you need:
Create a layer set and call it “vinyl.”
This is actually called a ‘group’ in Photoshop and not a layer set. If you look @ the image, in step one, you’ll see its mark as a folder icon in photoshop. So when he later says the ‘vinyl set’ in step 4, he really means the vinyl group.
In older versions of Photoshop (ie, 7), groups were called sets. (:
hey whats the name of the font you used in your tutorial????
Great little piece of work , that is nice man
Great Tutorial!
I’m a bit confused about step 5 “I also used a M ask and a 50% black brush to
remove the black areas. I just want to keep the highlights.”
I don’t know what type of brush and is the 50 % referred to the hardness of the brush / opacity. I tried both but it didn’t turn out nicely as i could see circles where i removed the black areas to reveal the highlights. Do i change the diameter of the brush head?
I’m working on a website that I plan to give a very retro and fun feel, and I really wanted to add some nice records to the “wall” I’m building. None of the clipart graphics I found were fun enough, so I Googled “photoshop record tutorial.” Your tutorial rocked! I cannot wait to show my client the awesome vinyls on his site.
Awesome tutorial, thanks!
I added some concentric circles on mine to make ‘tracks’ by using the shape tool sets to ‘paths’ (middle tool up the top in photoshop) and stroking them with a hard edged brush set to 2 or 3 pixels and black (if you go to the paths pallet, you can see the path there and the button at the bottom to stroke). I haven’t done a proper label, just made it orange so far.
http://i39.tinypic.com/3gf37.jpg
I can’t get this thing to work… I’m stuck on step 6, it won’t let me transform. I really need this for a project I am working on.
I KEEP GETTING STUCK ON STEP 4 NOW – I CAN’T FIND SHAPE LAYERS IN CS4…. >:(
I’m about to break this computer, I found shape layers, but now I can’t figure out where the shape 1 layer came from in step 4
nice, nice and nice…
I cannot get the mask to work. Any suggestions?
thanks !
Nice tut, thanks!
Could you be a little more specific at the 7th step? thank you, the result is really great!
I’ve been going over step 4 over and over and over, and when I ctrl click the masks, then I hide it. Then I click the Vinyl and add a mask, but the only thing that cuts out, is the big circle, not my little one. and yes I select them both. I’ve done this over and over…..?!
Awesome tutorial, i’m just not getting the same effect when I do it.
I used the elliptical marquee tool instead of the ellipse tool for the shape to mask, and that’s been fine. When it comes to step 6 though i’m having trouble with the gradient. Are you supposed to make the gradient in a new layer, or the original.. having difficulty understanding the instructions.
Could it be the difference’s in the version of photoshop? I’m using cs4.
Thanks again for a great idea.
It’s a great tut!
Thank you very much!
Wow.. thiis a really nice record! I tryed to follow the instructions but I’m a beginner w/photoshop.. never have learned to use the tools right.. I just bang around until i get what i desired. So like can someone just send me the PSD file of the record already done. I can’t figure it out for the life of me. I dont understand mask layers and how that acually did the cutting of the circle.. grrrrrr. So I had to use the magic wand tool and selected the circle, inverted the selection then used the earser to ease outside the circle.. my lines were jagged,, grrr. I even had to rasterise the layers to even do that. Ok Im done. For a beginner I can say there was alot of explanation left out.. and alot of assumtions made. But it looked cool! Help!
Yeah. I;m a beginenr so stuck too. Masks/layers etc all a bit confusing. Can anyone send me a finsihed image as I need it for another project. thx.
Great art, bad tutorial!
Hi tutorial explained great and looks effective, but when i get to stage 2 and use the radial blur, instead of the noise bluring, the whole black circle becomes a blurred rainbow shape.
Could there be an easy solution to this? Thanks in advance.