Tutorial Details
- Program: Photoshop
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Completion Time: 1/2 hour
Download Source Files
Oftentimes there’s a need for a quick but unique design. In this tutorial, I’ll be showing you a short but attractive way to create a graphic for backgrounds, wallpapers, greeting cards, designs, and all that other good stuff. You will learn a simple Photoshop trick that you can easily manipulate for your daily needs.
Step 1
First off, let’s start by creating a new document and applying the oh-so-obligatory clouds (Filter > Render > Clouds).
Step 2
Now that we have our base to work with, apply Mezzotint (Filter > Pixelate > Mezzotint) with type “Long Strokes.”
Step 3
Doesn’t look like much right now, but with the magic of motion blur
(Filter > Blur > Motion Blur), with an angle of 90 degrees and a
distance of 999 for the settings, everything will be better.
Step 4
Now add a new layer and overlay some color over it. Here I chose
the Rainbow Gradient using the Gradient Tool (G), but you can choose whatever suits you. When you have a layer of color,
set the layer mode to Overlay.
Step 5
If you feel like being creative, you can tweak some more by changing
the curves (Ctrl + M) to make the image either brighter or gloomier depending on
the mood.
Step 6
Now create a new layer. Then select the Marquee Tool (M), set it to
elliptical, and the Feather to 30, and select around the picture (use
the example below for reference). Then select inverse (Ctrl + Shift +
I), and fill (Edit > Fill) with black. Then change the Opacity to
75% so that it is a bit more subtle.
Step 7
Again create a new layer, and with the same Marquee tool settings as
above, select (use the example below as reference). Then change the
curve (Ctrl + M) to something like in the example. Afterward, change the Opacity
to 60% so that it isn’t blinding. Try to be creative and change the
settings to your taste.
Step 8
Now we are done with the background. You can choose to do whatever you want with it. But I’ll leave you guys with a simple example that you can easily do for generic jobs.
Reset the Marquee Tool to rectangular with 0 feather. Then create a horizontal
bar in the middle of the picture. Then fill it with white (Edit >
Fill) and lower the opacity to say, 50%.
Step 9
Now while still selecting the area, select the first layer (the
clouds + mezzotint + motion blur layer), copy it (Ctrl + C) and paste
it (Ctrl +V) in a layer above it, but below the Color Overlay.
Deselect, and apply Gaussian Blur to it (Filter > Blur > Gaussian
blur) with a setting of about 3.2 pixels.
Step 10
Going back to the top layer, duplicate (Layer > Duplicate Layer)
the white horizontal bar layer you created in step 8 and transform it
(Ctrl + T). Then make it slightly smaller height-wise, about 2px
from the top and the bottom.
Step 11
Finally, add a text on top of that layer and type in what your heart desires. Congratulations, you are done!
It’s a simple technique that can still produce eye-catching results!
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Hi Nice tutorial May I know how to have that black on photoshop cs4? instead of the boring gray?
Right click the gray canvas and select “Black”.
very cool and simple tutorial. Thanx!
Photoshop CS4 creates that stripe pattern, but there is always a strange cloud in the middle.
If strange clouds in the middle of your work appears after applying the motion blur, simply change from “render” – “clouds” to render – difference clouds, that should do the thing.
I’m having the same problem with “cloud in the middle” on CS4. I tried both difference clouds and clouds, but they produce the same result for me.
It seems like motion blur was “fixed” to still produce some blurring in the middle, even if super high distance is applied. I also tried doing this on different resolutions, 200×200, 1000×1000, 5000×5000 and 10000×10000, but it happend on all of them.
There is always “blurryness” in the middle and stripes are super sharp only at the sides, regardless of the resolution.
A simple solution is to just repeatedly apply the same blur (90 degrees and 999 distance) until it becomes straight lines. Maybe a little less clean, but the result is the same.
try stretching the layer vertically (scale 1000%), and use the lower portion. the blurry section in the middle is now out of view.
u have to jst try fibers and it would work with very good
good luck
Thank you.
One i did became a bit dark and gradientish
Please help. the Mezzotint filter is grayed out…. it there a trick or a setting to make it work?
had the same problem…
change the image from 16-bit to 8-bit and there you go…
I find using the Fibers filter works a bit better at times.
I cant pass the 4th step
i am using photoshop 5.0 BTW
from what I see, he/she’s not using photoshop.. I tried this many times.. didn’t work
Thanks so much… im trying out new things these days.. works well!
GREAT 1 LOVE U BROTHER U LL UPLOAD MORE OF THOSE TUTORIALS
for some reason i cant get past step 4 because i cant fill the layer with a gradient colour
Nice tutorial. Simple steps for a clean effect, and very helpful for a PS noob like myself.
I was working with CS5 and had the same trouble as others when I got to adding the color, Step 4. My solution, starting from the same step, was to instead to go to Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Gradient Map. I changed the gradient map to a custom gradient that was just a transparency. Then go into the layer’s blending options and select Gradient Overlay. Make sure the layer’s style is set to Overlay and the Gradient Overlay’s blend mode should also be set to Overlay.
Awesome
Hi,
I stumbled on step 4, as I got the background pattern but couldn’t blend the rainbow spectrum colors. when I am using the gradient, I am not able to get the colors fill in the background patterns. any help?
thank you.
-khatch
I followed Lisa’s note, it helped. thank you
Awesome tutorial, thanks!
I’m using CS5 but I can’t get past step 4 even with Lisa’s advice, lots of the lines won’t take the colour from the gradient
That awesome!! I wish I could do great pictures like that
Step 4: First draw a horizontal line in the middle of the layer from left to right: et voila, the rainbow appears.