• Adobe Photoshop

    Adobe Photoshop, or simply Photoshop, is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems. It is the current market leader for commercial bitmap and image manipulation software, and is the flagship product of Adobe Systems. It has been described as "an industry standard for graphics professionals".

  • 11 Oct

    Clean, elegant, and beautiful web design is often a matter of personal perspective. I look at hundreds of websites every week, and several of them stand out to me, but not all of them are necessarily effective.

    Too often designers boil a concept down too far, producing a final design that is nothing more than text and a grid. While these minimal designs have their aesthetic appeal, particularly when paired with excellent typography, they risk falling short of notice.

    Personal opinions aside, there are certain features of a design that allow it to be proudly labeled as clean or modern and enhance its usability and likability on a universal level. Simplicity is not a design trend, but rather an attribute of good design.

    Photoshop grants us a versatile set of tools for creating depth and interest, and invites us to integrate subtle detail where we would leave a blank space. You need only a handful of these tools to infuse the qualities of modern design into a layout. By mastering them, you can create clean designs that express functionality clearly and effectively. Read more

  • 8 Sep

    The web has never been more accessible to creators than it is today. Every day, more user-friendly tools, apps and technologies pop up seemingly out of nowhere.

    In such a rapidly changing landscape, what is at stake for web users might well be the quality of what is produced.

    Quality assurance often comes down to standards, and for better or worse, design lacks a regulating body.

    Some countries (Canada, Norway, United Kingdom, and others) do have rigorous qualifications to belong to professional design groups, but none are required to practice. So how do standards gain traction if they aren’t made mandatory? Read more

  • 5 Aug

    Forget the Farmer’s Market. Today we have a 100% organic bouquets of gorgeous graphic floral designs from Stock Graphic Designs at a price that will make you stop and smell the roses.

    The Hand Drawn Floral Set 9 normally sells for $14.69, but today and for a limited time only, you can download the entire package for the best price of all: FREE!

    These 10 sophisticated designs are delivered in several formats to make them easier to use: png, ai, eps, jpg and abr brush.

    See the full preview and download instructions after the jump… Read more

  • 29 Jul

    I’m a big believer in not reinventing the wheel when it comes to web design.

    If someone has already created something that fits what you need and/or want, and especially if that element is available for free, then why waste your time designing something that turns out virtually identical?

    Your time and effort is better spent on creating new and unique parts of your design, while using what’s already available for other parts.

    Below are more than 50 free UI element packs from a variety of designers. Buttons, form elements, media players, and similar stock elements are the most popular, though there are other elements included also.

    And as a bonus, there are over half a dozen premium element packs at the end. Enjoy! Read more

  • 26 Jul

    Nowadays, 3-D technology is being used a lot in many media. Since James Cameron’s Avatar brought this technique to a whole new level, everybody is using it to try to attract more attention and create a powerful visual experience for consumers.

    Today, we’ll learn how to create a simple but effective anaglyph illustration.

    Before we begin, I suggest you buy a pair of 3-D glasses or read this guide on how to create your own.

    We’ve included the Photoshop and Illustrator files at the bottom of this post; download them to explore more.

    If you follow this tutorial to create your own anaglyph, please share your results and experience with us in the comments.

    Read more

  • 12 May

    Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform that allows users to easily publish snippets of information to the web, such as a photo or photo set, a video, a quote or just a paragraph.

    It is often used as an online diary because of to its ease of use compared to other blogging platforms such as WordPress.

    A lot of Tumblr themes are out there, both free and premium, but have you ever wondered how you’d go about designing your own?

    In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a forest-inspired Tumblr theme, making use of wood textures, subtle patterns and modern techniques—a nice blend of natural and modern elements. Read more

  • 30 Mar

    In this article, we’re going to start by looking at a few inspirational movie posters from the 1980s which we’ll use for inspiration.

    Then, we’re going to use Adobe Photoshop to create a 1980′s style movie poster for our fictitious film titled “The Designer’s Mansion.”

    This tutorial is aimed for designers with a fair understanding of Photoshop.

    If you follow this tutorial, please feel free to post a link to your final product in the comments area below. We’d love to see it!

    Let’s get started!

    Read more

  • 9 Mar

    We’re excited to bring you another great free resource to our expanding collection of freebies here on WDD.

    This one is called “Funkies Patterns” and includes 10 amazing psychedelic/retro pattern designs that you can use in Photoshop.

    The patterns were designed exclusively for WDD by Kendra Gainez (also known as Kgainez).

    She’s a talented 22 year old designer from Virginia who’s committed to helping individuals foster modern design techniques and infinite amounts of creativity.

    Visit her blog for more Photoshop resources and tutorials or you can follow her on Twitter

    The files are free to use for both personal and commercial use. More about the licensing is included in the download file. Enjoy! Read more

  • 28 Jan

    illustration of an applied color schemeMany online resources exist for designers to explore, tweak and download great color combinations.

    Playing with complementary, analogous, monochromatic and other combinations opens us to exciting possibilities, and there’s no shortage of freebies.

    But there’s a difference between a winning color scheme and a winning design that uses it.

    Choosing colors is the first step. Adapting them to fit your design requirements is just as important.

    What looks good in a swatch may not work well on a web page—but that doesn’t mean you have to return to square one. We’ll explore here new ways to look at color schemes. Read more

  • 22 Dec

    Our new website, BrushLovers, was just launched last month and is already becoming immensely popular, with thousands of free downloads every day of our unique designer collection of Photoshop Brushes.

    Over the past few weeks we’ve been adding loads of exciting new brushes, just in time for the holidays.

    As usual, most of the brushes are completely free, and to make the premium sets even more worthwhile, we’ve introduced very attractive lower priced premium packs.

    Today, we’re showcasing a few of our most popular Photoshop holiday brushes.

    Click on any of the images below to go to the respective pages on BrushLovers.com to download the brushes.

    Wishing you all Happy Holidays!

    Read more

  • 6 Dec

    Photoshop is probably one of the most indispensable pieces of software in a designer’s toolbox.

    It can be used for everything from retouching photos to creating entire web layouts or original artwork.

    And specific design tutorials are a great way to familiarize yourself with what Photoshop can do and how to do it.

    Below are 50 of the best Photoshop tutorials from 2010. They cover everything from manipulating photos to creating icons to digital painting and text effects.

    There are tutorials for all skill levels, whether you’re new to Photoshop or a seasoned pro. Read more

  • 4 Nov
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    Have your clients ever told you “make it pop” or “add more personality”?

    We’re guessing you’ve been there and this is why we love Photoshop brushes so much…

    With little effort you can use one or more brushes to enhance or create truly outstanding designs with just a few clicks.

    That’s why today we’re super excited to unveil another member of the WDD family of websites with our brand new site for those Photoshop brush lovers out there! And we call it… BrushLovers

    For the past 12 months, top designer Liora Blum has been working hard with us to create a really amazing and exclusive collection of free and premium Photoshop brushes just for BrushLovers.com

    Read more

  • 3 Nov
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    Bad stock photography is a cliché, there’s nothing worse than going to an “about us” page and seeing a bunch of people in suits with telephone headsets who all look really happy.

    Good stock photography on the other hand has a lot of value, the downside is that it’s often very expensive.

    Today we’ll be looking at a few simple techniques which you can use to photograph things on a pure white background so that they can easily be used in almost any web design project under the sun.

    There’s no need to spend a lot of money when you can create some beautiful simple shots with a little time and creativity.

    Read more

  • 8 Sep
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    On screen, the colors of pixels are a mix of red, green and blue values. A fourth value, opacity, controls how pixels blend with pixels laid over them.

    In image-editing programs such as Photoshop, changing the opacity of a layer is easy but not always precise.

    Setting a layer to 50% opacity  makes all of its pixels half-visible. If the situation calls for variable visibility, then layer masks are the answer.

    A layer mask can give individual pixels different opacities. A layer mask is like a light cast onto a layer.

    When the light is on, or white, the image is visible. When the light is off, or black, the layer can’t be seen. Read more

  • 12 Aug
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    My name is Russell McGovern and I use Fireworks to design websites. There, I said it. I could be wrong, but it feels like I’m in a small minority; among web designers, the application of choice seems to be Photoshop.

    Agencies send me PSD files at work and ask for them in return; design blogs are full of Photoshop tips, tutorials and templates; other designers request the Photoshop files that they assume I must have used to build elements.

    It’s almost like being a second-class citizen. It’s like the only tool a truly professional designer would dream of using is Photoshop—the software equivalent of choosing a Mac over a PC.

    Yet Photoshop is not the only option. I’ve used Fireworks for many years now and find it to be by far the easiest and fastest way to get ideas out of my head and into pixels on the screen. Read more

  • 26 Jul

    angle gradientsThe angle gradient tool is an overlooked gem tucked away in Photoshop’s toolbar.

    Often passed over for its more popular sibling, the linear gradient tool, angle gradients create clockwise blends of color around the point a user clicks.

    The angle gradients create clockwise blends of color around the point a user clicks.

    Most people stop there. But when combined with other techniques and some creativity, the angled gradient has some surprising uses.

    Have you overlooked it? Look again… Read more

  • 22 Jun
    photoshop curves control

    Photoshop’s Curves is a flexible control that can brighten or darken parts of a layer based on the layer’s luminosity.

    Editing tones in an image—not just grays and not always photos—can do more than fix highlights and shadows.

    Curves can be used to edit photos, masks, graphics and even hues. But using it requires a little know-how and imagination.

    Read on for more details about what Photoshop curves are, as well as how to use them properly for your designs.

    As usual, feel free to leave us your comments at the end of this post. Read more

  • 8 Jun
    creating patterns with geometric shapes in Photoshop, oh yeah

    Forget the clone stamp, paint bucket and pattern presets. When it comes to creating patterns, the ability to duplicate a layer is one of Photoshop’s greatest features.

    Semitransparent shapes can be very useful when creating repeated geometric “textures” of color and form.

    They’re easy to create, fun to play with and best of all, they can be uniquely yours.

    In searching for interesting patterns, designers sometimes pass over basic shapes in favor of more complex geometrics. But simpler is often better.

    The trick is to pay attention more to how shapes interact than to how a shape looks on its own. Read more

  • 22 Apr

    Textures make a website feel tangible.

    They give content a relationship to the physical world, a sense of place and a reality that people can relate to.

    Unfortunately, simulating physical textures isn’t as simple as shooting a photo or running a few Photoshop filters.

    One has to blend random noise and recognizable patterns, striving for similarities rather than pure repetition.

    Here, we’ll discuss what gives textures an organic quality, and we’ll look at techniques for creating and applying natural-looking textures and seamless tiles. Read more

  • 12 Apr

    Adobe will unveil its new Creative Suite 5 on Monday April 12th at 8AM PDT, just a few hours from now.

    You can catch the official launch online here, however, if you can’t wait, we’ll be revealing all the juicy details before the official launch… right now!

    The Adobe team kindly invited us to an exclusive sneak peak demo of Creative Suite 5 and they also provided us with a pre-release copy for this review.

    In this post, we’ll be sharing some of the highlights of each application in this exciting new release, with some detailed info on the new applications. We’ll also discuss whether we think CS5 is worth upgrading to or not.

    That being said, get ready to be amazed… there are tons of new features to get excited about in this release. Read more

  • 16 Feb

    In this Photoshop tutorial, we’ll reproduce a fairly old camera: a Halina Super 35X.

    We’ll use various tools and techniques to create a vintage camera from scratch, from the basic Marquee Tools (to create simple shapes) to the Brush Tool (for highlights and shadows).

    The tutorial has 23 steps, and it targets users with average Photoshop knowledge.

    It was created by Callum Chapman from Circle Box Creative exclusively for Webdesigner Depot readers.

    Feel free to share links to your own results in the comments section below… Enjoy! Read more

  • 8 Feb

    Since its controversial release, the iPad has been both criticized and admired by the design community.

    In this post we have compiled a list of great resources, that teach you how to create your own iPad icons, as well as a collection of ready made icons and PSDs.

    To download the files, please click on the preview image to go to the source site and remember to check the terms of use before using them in your projects.

    If you know of any other great iPad freebies, please add them in the comments section below and we’ll include them in this post when appropriate.

    Enjoy…

    Read more

  • 1 Feb

    Photoshop has been a part of every web designer’s life since they picked up their first mouse.

    On February 10th, 2010, Photoshop turns twenty. To mark this anniversary, we’ve come up with an article that takes you through the evolution of Photoshop from its modest beginnings as a bundled program sold with scanners to its current version.

    For each version and major feature listed, we couldn’t help but think “did Photoshop ever exist without that feature?”.

    Some of the minor details are fun too, such as the one-liner Easter Eggs that Photoshop developers hid in some versions and the fact that the most current versions of Adobe Photoshop CS are equipped with anti-counterfeiting measures for multiple world currencies.

    Please join us in thanking the Knolls and Adobe for making all of our lives more awesome, every day. Read more

  • 5 Jan

    Drop-shadows and gradients are two of the most common design elements on the web.

    You’ll find them accompanying many different styles. They’re handy effects for web designers because they’re attractive, useful and easy to create with any graphics program. But they have a dark side: they’re frequently abused.

    Using amateurish drop-shadows or gradients is almost as bad as affixing a scarlet letter to your shirt to let the world know you’re a beginner or a hack. Even subtle, barely noticeable mistakes can create tensions that undermine otherwise beautiful and effective designs.

    In this article, we’ll look at what drop-shadows and gradients do, we’ll talk about how to use them effectively and we’ll look at some examples of mistakes and how to fix them. Read more

  • 19 Oct

    A photograph of a stunning model is sitting before you that has serious potential but several flaws.

    The shade of the female model’s hair is dull, her eye color just isn’t doing it for you, and she has several pimples across her otherwise flawless face.

    What do you do? Touch up the photo using Photoshop, of course!

    The number of options available for enhancement are now sky high, but what’s the best way to clean the photo up?

    To simplify the retouching process, we have highlighted the best and worst ways to create a clean, professional-looking photo in Photoshop. Read more

  • 31 Aug

    Adobe Photoshop is arguably the most powerful graphics and photo manipulation software on the market.

    You can do virtually anything with Photoshop, from fantasy image collages to complete website designs, and everything in between.

    Although while Photoshop is incredibly powerful, it can also be incredibly complicated, especially when trying to perform advanced functions.

    Below are over 300 resources to get you on your way to Photoshop mastery.

    There’s everything from cheat sheets to brushes to tutorials to action scripts, as well as collections of even more resources and tools. With the resources below, you should be able to do just about anything possible with Photoshop. Read more

  • 25 Aug

    Today we bring you another awesome set of exclusive Photoshop brushes which include 24 high resolution “Sparkling Light Effects”.

    The set was created by Grant Friedman from Colorburned exclusively for WDD readers.

    These brushes are completely free for both personal and commercial use so you can create any type of project with them with no restrictions, with the exception that we do not allow the redistribution of the brushes in any shape or form.

    If you’d like to share these brushes with your friends and colleagues, simply refer them to this page so that they can download their copy.

    Below is a full preview of all 24 brushes for quick reference. The download link is at the bottom. Enjoy! Read more

  • 17 Aug

    We designers tend to get frustrated with developers when they take liberties with our work.

    But we have to understand they’re not entirely at fault.

    Put yourself in their shoes: imagine what it’s like opening a Photoshop file (PSD), only to find a jumble of poorly labeled layers and folders, plus a heap of unchecked hidden layers and other half-baked ideas that didn’t make it to fruition.

    The following tutorial outlines how to create organized, designer and developer friendly PSD files.

    This is in no way the only solution, but hopefully it will encourage better practice in the web design world. Read more

  • 30 Jun

    Polar panoramas, also known as stereographic projections or ‘little planets’, are spectacular images that are created out of panoramic photos.

    While the effects are quite stunning, these images are actually very easy for anyone to produce.

    The basic principle is to take a panoramic photo, make some easy changes to it, and finally apply a Photoshop filter (Distort > Polar Coordinates) to complete the effect.

    For detailed instructions, please follow this easy tutorial.

    Here are 50 dazzling examples of polar panorama photography. Read more

  • 16 Jun

    Today we bring you a great set of exclusive Photoshop brushes which include 30 high resolution drippy sprays.

    The set was created by Grant Friedman from Colorburned exclusively for WDD readers.

    These brushes are completely free for both personal and commercial use so you can create any type of project with them with no restrictions, with the exception that we do not allow the redistribution of the brushes in any shape or form.

    If you’d like to share these brushes with your friends and colleagues, simply refer them to this page so that they can download their copy.

    Below is a full preview of all 30 brushes for quick reference. The download link is at the bottom. Enjoy! Read more

  • 10 Jun

    Photo manipulation is an ever evolving collaboration between photography and graphic design.

    Combining certain elements to create a unique image, that can convince even the most experienced set of eyes, requires a very creative set of skills.

    Because the manipulation of a photo gives a realistic view of an unreal picture, you should have an open mind when gathering ideas on how to get creative with your images.

    Photo manipulations are a great source for inspiration, generally because designers are able to express their creativity through various aspects of design.

    Several of the following images contain illustrative elements, while others display a more realistic approach.

    So here are 40 of the most incredible examples of photo manipulation. Read more

  • 14 May

    In this tutorial we’ll create a realistic 3D text scene using Photoshop with a little help from Illustrator for the 3D text.

    You need to have medium to advanced knowledge of Photoshop in order to complete this tutorial.

    To get started, go ahead and download all the images used from the Sxh.hu website. All images are free to download and here are the links: 1, 2, 3, 4

    Let’s get started and create a truly awesome 3D effect in just a few short steps. Try it out and feel free to post links to your own variations, we’d love to see what you come up with.

    Read more

  • 29 Apr
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    Concept designers are also referred to as “visual futurists”.

    These concept designs may not be on the market yet, but they can still inspire you to create something just as futuristic and exciting online.

    The designs may be impractical in some cases, but the idea is to put the concept out to the world to see how it evolves and grows.

    Remember that these are all just conceptual, you can’t buy them yet! Some may be closer to being produced than others, particularly when they come from a large company like Braun or Samsung. Otherwise, who knows if or when they will be available.

    With that said, here you have 100 amazing futuristic design concepts that will make you crave more.

    Read more

  • 17 Apr
    photomontage_challenge

    Ready for an exciting challenge? As you know, we always like to bring you great resources for inspiration, as well as tutorials and tools to empower you to become a great designer.

    Today, we’re trying something new… This should be a fun weekend project, where you can let your imagination run wild and put to practice some of what you have learned from reading WDD.

    The challenge is to create a unique photomontage using at least three specific images from Sxc.hu. The theme and feeling of the image that you create is entirely up to you, so use your creativity in any way you want.

    To enter, simply email your creations as a JPEG file. On Monday, I’ll be posting the best images received and featuring the designers. [THIS CHALLENGE HAS NOW ENDED, SEE THE RESULTS BELOW] Read more

  • 2 Apr
    photoshop_montage

    Anyone can cobble together a few photos and textures and create a humdrum montage.

    To elevate yours beyond this it takes a few simple tricks using Photoshop’s awesome array of tools.

    Do it right and the style has got dozens of applications from static navigation or graphics, through to animated banners and interactive collages.

    I’ve picked a musical theme, as the style works really well for band graphics or music based sites.

    This tutorial explains how to create a great Photoshop montage in 19 steps, so let’s get started and have fun with it. Read more

  • 6 Mar
    montage

    Photomontage is a technique widely used by graphic designers and consists of cutting and joining multiple photographs in order to create a unique image, using graphic applications such as Photoshop.

    The idea here is to create the illusion that all of the photo elements are parts of the same photo.

    In this article, we’ll look at 20 beautiful Photoshop montage tutorials that teach you step by step how to create these amazing photo composites.

    Follow these tutorials and mix them up. The possibilities are endless and the results can really stretch anyone’s imagination. Read more

  • 20 Feb

    In this tutorial we are going to learn how to create a breaking apart effect using some simple, but effective, techniques in Photoshop.

    One of the greatest tools in Photoshop which is often overlooked is layer masks and when used correctly, they can blend images together seamlessly, giving that professional touch.

    We are going to combine the masks with brushes to compliment the original source image with subtle elements.

    Once you have completed this tutorial you can experiment with your own findings and combine the techniques used to create a unique and inspiring work. Read more

  • 12 Feb

    A few weeks ago I went to the movies to see the new James Bond movie: Quantum of Solace. The movie was nice, even though I’m not a really big fan of the series, however one thing that really caught my eye was the opening credits. I really liked the effects and the style.

    The studio that did that animation was MK12 and I love the way they mixed sand and some sort of vector elements, it reminded me a bit of Apple’s Viva la Vida ad.

    In this tutorial, I will show you how I created the image inspired by the James Bond movie, in Photoshop.

    Here’s a preview of the final image: Read more

  • 28 Jan

    In this tutorial, we’ll create a complex glowing wallpaper using Photoshop.

    We’ll be using custom brushes, several blending modes, lightning techniques, and blurs.

    The tutorial was created using free resources, so you can easily recreate it by following step-by-step. To make it easy for everyone, we have included the PSD source file at the very end of the tutorial which should be great to use for quick reference.

    Go ahead and try it out and post your examples in the comments area.

    Here’s a preview of the final image…. Read more

  • 12 Jan

    It seems that just over the last year the quality of Photoshop tutorials have really improved. There have always been a plethora of Photoshop tutorial sites out there, but much of their content was sub par and not very educating.

    Today, however, there are plenty of high quality Photoshop tutorials floating around the web. Below you will find a list of some of my favorite picks for 2008.

    Many of these are some of the more popular Photoshop tutorials for the past year, but I tried to include some goodies that were a little lesser known as well. Read more

  • 2 Jan

    In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to add more energy and dynamism to a photo. The effects can be extended and used on a multitude of photos to create a feeling of motion and vibrancy to a static image.

    The tutorial was created and written by renowned artist Mike Harrison (a.k.a. destill) and this is his first tutorial for a blog. His work has been featured in Computer Arts and Advanced Photoshop magazines.

    OK, enough of an introduction, and on with the tutorial… Read more

  • 24 Dec

    In this tutorial I will walk you through a few steps that will show you how I managed to create this illustration. I would like to give all the credit for this to Chris Haines. He is a very talented designer from Australia and one of the depthCore artists.

    When I saw his illustration named Skin I was really curious to imagine how he achieved the result so I took my own style, used some free stock and the result is actually really interesting. Now that I managed to finish the work I thought I will share this with you. Read more

  • 25 Nov

    You have a picture of a stuffed penguin. It’s not just any stuffed penguin, though. It’s the latest and greatest in stuffed penguin technology, the hot item that everyone will want under their Christmas trees this year. You’ll make a fortune with this penguin, if only you can start selling it online in time for the holidays. “But wait!”, you say. “I can’t just put this picture on the Internet looking like that! It’s too big! It needs a border! It needs a drop shadow! What shall I ever do?”

    OK, maybe not. Your penguin won’t lead to fame and fortune, and you can easily edit your image with Photoshop. So let’s change the scenario a bit: your client has a picture of a stuffed penguin, and a picture of a stuffed owl, and a stuffed gopher, and a stuffed wallaby, and a stuffed flamingo… You get the idea; hundreds of pictures from their Stuffed Animals from Around the World catalog.

    Before you can load all of the pictures into your client’s fancy new e-commerce site, you need thumbnails with simple borders and drop shadows for each and every image. Simple, yes, but tedious. And you’ll get to do it all over again when they release next year’s line of stuffed animals. Read more

  • 21 Nov

    Today we’re going to demonstrate how to peel a hand in Photoshop. You can use this technique to peel other objects of course. This is the final image preview..

    Read more

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