METAL NAME PLATE AND SCREWS

PART I : METAL NAME PLATE

Step 1

Open a new canvas, 400 x 200, 72 ppi, white background. Create a new layer and using rectangular marquee, mark out a rectangular shape.

Step 2

Select your gradient tool and choose the copper gradient.  If you do not see the copper gradient in the drop down menu, click on the arrow to the right of the gradient palette, and select, reset gradients.

Fill your selection with the copper 'linear' gradient at 75%. (You can experiment with gradient direct and opacity for different effects).

Ctrl+D to deselect.

Step 3

Go to Image/Adjust/Hue&Saturation, check the colorize box and enter the following settings (you can try alternatives later).  Hue 205, Saturation 4, Lightness +6

.

Your image should now look like this.

Step 4

Double click on this layer to bring up the layer styles dialogue box.  Check Bevel & Emboss (default settings).

Step 5

Create a new layer.  Select rectangular marquee and draw a selection further in from the edges of the original rectangle.  Go to Image/Stroke, 3px Hex  706F71.

Your image should look something like this.

Step 6

Double click on layer to bring up layer styles dialogue.  Check Bevel & Emboss, Pillow Emboss.  Size 5.  Gloss Contour Cove Deep.

Your image should now look like this.  You can experiment with the gloss contours, the bevel and embossing settings to achieve the desired effects.

Step 7

Before moving on to making Screws, lets put a name on our plate.  Create a new layer.  Select your Text tool, black and font and size of your choice.  You can use the resizing handles to adjust the size and shape of your text within the inner rectangular area.  Once you are satisfied with your text, double click on the layer to bring up layer style options.

Check bevel & emboss, select pillow emboss.  Then select Gaussian for the gloss contour.  Check Outer Glow.  Your Image should now look something like this.

You can experiment with the settings for the bevel and emboss to achieve your desired effect.  Smaller sized plates and text will require different applications to make them legible..  Another suggestions is to go to Image/Adjust/Hue & Saturation and playing with the colorise options to see what you come up with.

PART II : SCREWS

Step 1

Lets open a new canvas to work on as a scratchpad for the screws.  200 x 100, 72ppi, white background.

Create a new layer and select your elliptical marquee, holding down the shift key draw a circle on your canvas.

Step 2

Make sure your color palettes are at default by hitting the D key.  With white to black gradient, click on the radial gradient  Ensure you have reverse checked.  Select opacity at 75%.

Draw your gradient starting from the center, Ctrl+D to deselect.  Your image should look something like this.

Step 3

Create a new layer. Change the foreground color to a dark grey (e.g. 8B8989).  Using the rectangular marquee make a long rectangle then go to Edit/Fill and select foreground colour.  Deselect.

To trim the slot, CtrlClick on the layer screw layer to make it a selection, and with  slot layer active, hit Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse selection, hit delete.

Step 4

Double click on the slot layer to bring up the layer style options. Select drop shadow, using default settings except as follows.  Angle 130, Size 10.

Step 5

Rotate the 'slot' for a more realistic effect, using the transform tool and type in a value for the angel of 45 degrees.

Step 6

Hide the background layer and merge visible.  You can now drag and drop the screw onto your metal plate and adjust its size accordingly.  Once you are happy with it's size, duplicate the layer (by right clicking on the screw layer and selecting 'duplicate layer') three times.

There are so many variations on a theme to be explored here.  It's all a matter of personal taste. I hope you will have fun doing just that.  Here is another example that might help stimulate your imagination :O-)

In this example, I used a dark grey instead of black while making the screws to make them more silvery.  Its difficult to tell with the lens flares, but if you look closely, I applied the Crystallize filter to the plate layer (pointillize looks quite good also).  I drew a more decorative border in black and pillow embossed it (play around with the gloss contour settings in the layer style options).  I did the same thing with the test.  The I applied some lens flares to give it a bit more pizazz.

Looking forward to you sharing your creations with us.

Luv & Light - Dreamcatcher