Last week, I did an interview with an amazing designer named James White. One thing that I really like in his work is his use of retro style, so I decided I should explore that more. Following that idea, in this tutorial I will show you how to create a very easy, but really cool, 3D and geometric effect in Photoshop. After that, we will go a bit further and create our own retro Atari-style video game cartridge.
Step 1
Create a new document. I used 600x600. Add a new layer and fill it with white, naming it "Blocks." After that, go to Filter>Stylize>Extrude.
Select Blocks for the type, Size use 50 pixels, Depth 255 and Random, and select the “Solid Front Faces†option.
Step 2
Go to Image>Adjustments>Levels, use the image below for reference
Step 3
Go Image>Adjustments>Invert. Now we will have a dark image.
Step 4
Here we will give the real 3D effect. Go to Filter>Blur>Radial Blur. Use the maximum amount, 100. For the Blur Method use Zoom and Quality Best.
Step 5
Now go to Layer>New Fill Layer>Gradient. Then for the colors, use Red, Green, and Cyan. That will give the 1980s feeling to the image. Change the Blend Mode to Overlay.
Step 6
Create a new folder now above the Gradient Layer, naming it “Lights." Then select the Line Tool (U) and white for the color. After that, create some lines on the edge of some elements like the image below.
Step 7
Merge all lines in one layer and go to Filter>Blur>Radial Blur. Use 40 for the Amount, Zoom for the method, and Best quality. After that, change the “Lights†blend mode to Color Dodge.
Step 8
With the Magic Wand Tool(W), select the black area of the “blocks†layer. Then with the Rectangular Marquee Tool(M), deselect some areas. To do that, just select the areas you want to deselect holding the Alt key. There will be a minus symbol (-) next to the cursor icon.
After that, create a new layer above all of the other layers and go to Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal Selection.
Step 9
Fill the new layer with black. Go to Filter>Noise>Add Noise. Use 20% for the Amount, Gaussian Distribution, and Monochromatic. Then go to Image>Adjustments>Levels and increase the amount of black. This will create some stars in our design.
Step 10
Group all layers and folders and name the the folder “design.†Then select the Rounded Rectangle Tool(U) and create a rounded path.
After that, go to the Path’s Palette and click on the icon “Load Path as a Selection.†Then we will have a selection. So just go to Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal Selection.
Step 11
First, go to Image>Canvas Size. Make the document 600x900 pixels. With the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U), create a new Shape Layer like the image below. Then go to Filter>Noise>Add Noise. Use 8% for the Amount, Gaussian Distribution, and Monochromatic.
Now lets change the Layer Style. First, add a Gradient Overlay and then a Bevel and Emboss, like the image below.
Step 12
Create a new rounded rectangle, this time smaller than the previous one. This will be our label. Apply a Layer Style: use black for the Color Overlay, black for the stroke, and set Bevel and Emboss. Reference the settings below.
Step 13
Reduce the size of our “Design†folder, like the image below. Then create a new layer; Fill it with a Gradient using black and a dark grey.
Step 14
Create a new rounded rectangle at the bottom of the cartridge, making it slightly bigger. Go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 3.5 for the Radius. Now we have the shadow for the cartridge.
Step 15
Now we add the text. The typeface most used for the Atari cartridges was Bauhaus; so, we will follow the rule. Create some text. The colors are very important here too. You might use red, yellow, blue, or green. The image below uses orange. A neutral color will work well for secondary text, like white or a light gray.
Conclusion
It’s amazing what we can do combining filters in Photoshop; In this case, we created an abstract 3D design using the Extrude and the Radial Blur filters. You can add more elements and lights to make the design even better, but that is up to you. The idea is to show you that playing in Photoshop is important. You never know what you will discover.
Related Posts
Keep reading with more great tutorials and articles!
Enjoy this Post?
We'd love your vote!
Plus Members
Source Files, Bonus Tutorials and
More for $9 a month for all TUTS+
sites in one subscription.
User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Constantin Potorac April 4th
Hey… great one Fabio.
( )Constantin Potorac April 4th
I really love this one. I love this colors and the great tutorials toy write. Keep it up. :p
( )Kakumei April 4th
Very nice tutorial Fabio!
I tried this out and it turned out pretty good.
Also, I never noticed how some Filers and a Gradient could turn out so cool looking. 
( )Roy April 4th
I think the effect is cooler without the cartrigde
besides that it is again amazing:)
( )Alex April 4th
Excellent tut Fabio!
( )Andrew D April 4th
Awesome tutorial! Very neat effect.
( )ZaFaR April 4th
i like it! good work.i think i have to try it?
( )Swany April 4th
oh yeah! i was waiting on this one
thanks!
Swany
( )Zach April 4th
very cool
( )Has.n April 4th
Very cool one i was waiting 4 it!!!! Thx man!!!
( )Majesticskull April 4th
Very cool effect! Thanks
( )Salva April 4th
Nice job Fabio!
( )Ben Griffiths April 4th
Haha, this is great – and what a flashback too!
( )JokR April 4th
Amazing work . . . how you know how to combine all those filters is just amazing
( )Ars'lan April 4th
Thanks Fabio… I grabbed a lot of ideas from this tutorial for designs.
The presentation is so simple and well described that it makes this easy to remember.
( )Cain April 4th
Sweet! Final result is great and looks really realistic.
( )Colin April 4th
my smile got bigger with each scroll!
( )An Onym April 4th
Ok, I got stuck on step 13, “Reduce the size of our “Design†folder, like the image below.” How exactly do I do that?
( )Joefrey Mahusay April 4th
Cool effects.
( )goldenthunder April 4th
Very nice! I was excited when I saw the prototype on your site! I love it! Thanks!
( )Haobam April 4th
Seems like Smashing magazine like you guys. Great tutorials
( )infinite April 4th
Sweet stuff man… Keep ‘em coming dude.
Cheers
( )cougar April 4th
Very great Tutorial! I like it very much!!
( )Swany April 4th
That was fun and super fast. Great tutorial just finished mine here’s my try
Thanks again!
Swany
( )Radu Chelariu April 4th
It’s a pretty nice effect to know, but really not very useful for most of us that actually use Photoshop for work. Don’t get me wrong, if a client ever wants something with a ’80s feel to it, this is perfect. This effects just screams Xanadu from every pore and in this case that’s not bad.
Anyway, this site has quickly enetered in my daily morning routine: tea, open photoshop, open psdtuts, learn, be amazed.
Keep’em coming ‘cuz they’re the best on the web. Hands down.
( )Shane April 4th
I’m just about old enough to remember that style of videogame packaging!
Great effects and tutorial! Thanks.
( )DS April 4th
Very nice effect
( )SpazZ April 4th
Amazing as always Fabio! Great one!
( )Daniel April 4th
Great tutorial as usual ! Very cool techniques ! it gives a delightful result.
thank you so much Fabio.
it reminds me the good old days of the Atari2600 VCS as i said previously on your blog.
Once again i use my original tongue to say” Beau travail, félicitations!”
( )Martijn April 4th
Cool stuff!
( )giackop April 4th
this one is so good.. Fabio is a master!!
( )giackop April 4th
this one is so good.. Fabio is a master!! Congrats
( )Lamin Barrow April 4th
Cool tutorial Fabio. It reminds me of my atari game console that i have never used.
( )Race X April 4th
Another great tutorial Fabio. Man all you people out here are magnificent designers and have great tutorial writing skills.
I want to tell you guys here at PSDTUTS that I’ve learnt so much from you people, like what is photoshopping all about.
Thanks!!!
Race X
( )Enes Kaya April 4th
Very, very well done Fabio… thanks to PSDTUTS
( )Ahmet April 4th
None right reserverd :d
( )Lucy April 4th
Bravo! It’s a really good tutorial easy to read and to follow! tnx
lucia
( )Lee April 4th
I tried this but failed
shame cause it looks good, but i am a complete newbie to Photoshop, couldn’t figure out how to get the RGB color scheme, and i couldn’t do the shadow at the bottom of the cartridge which makes it look more 3D.
Thanks anyway
p.s. good site this, i did manage most of the shield tutorial you did a while ago, i even tweaked it around a bit and added my own bits in, just so confusing to me how some things work in PS, getting there slowly though.
( )Arnaud April 4th
Really nice effect !
( )Mikkel/MikBeck April 4th
Very nice! I’ve waited for that
I had a problem to make it so shiny, but it turned to a better result!
( )Mark April 4th
Its ok i supose. Not the greatest thing ive ever seen
( )Terry April 4th
this is awesome.. takes me back
( )ryaninc April 5th
This rocks, thanks for sharing it! I just finished it. I love the use of a simple noise filter to give the cartridge that gray plastic look. Very nice!
( )jive April 5th
The stars should probably be a little brighter and the background should probably have a very faint nebula effect. Most Atari games were drawn/airbrushed/cutout compositions but this looks pretty close to an airbrushed design.
( )mameseer April 5th
Cool! I’m glad I’m not the only one that fondly remembers the fantastic artwork of those games. And since I spend a majority of my time developing software for the classic video gamer, I figured why not take my own business card to the next level…hence my business ‘cart’.
business carts
These are authentic working Atari 2600 game cartridges with custom labels. It definitely took some time assembling these but I’m extremely pleased with the outcome. In all, I have 15 different business carts (games). Of course I can’t take credit for the wonderful art of the original games, but I’d like to think my modifications are true to the original design. And I must say gamers love the prospect of a free game!
( )Colin Stein April 5th
star fox? anyone?
( )Ali April 5th
Fabio is probably the best web-celeb designer.
( )Very cool effect!
rehan April 5th
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
( )a goood
worker. very nise and beautiful…………
SoulZ April 5th
Cooool!!
( )And I still have an Atari!!! xDDD
tim April 5th
we love you fabio!
( )Germansn April 7th
muy bueno
( )web design cheltenham April 8th
HA HA the return of atrai lol you have taken me back to the good old days of 2d gaming oh the joy. nice tutorial mate
( )god056 April 8th
Nice
( )I replicated this (without the atari) in just a few clicks. I got to learn on another filter which I really don’t take notice.
creatived April 11th
Great tutorial, love the flash back to the 80’s
)
( )PaNdApWnG April 12th
WTF MATE! Nice tutorial I always come here just to look at all the effects that fabio makes. YOUR awesome I take up photoshop as a hobby and you just take it to the next level nice very very nice.
( )Qbrushes April 24th
nice stuff fabio
( )Harry April 26th
Awesome Tut!!
( )Alexandre JaPA September 25th
nice!!! veryyy nice and fun because I play atari games…rs
( )ALAIN BOSC January 4th
Dear sir
( )Could you be so kind as to tell me wich document ( step 11) has to be put at the dimensions of 600 x 900.
Thank you for being so benevolent with us.
Ricardo Mantovani January 19th
Full realist
( )Faz December 28th
Thanks ! Great tut !
( )