illustrator tutorial: Quick Tip: As a simple vector Web Ribbon in Adobe Photoshop

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In the following steps you will learn how to create a simple web ribbon in Adobe Photoshop. It’s a pretty simple introduction in working with vector tools in Photoshop. Basically you will only need the Rectangle Tool and the Polygon Tool to create the starting shapes, plus the Add Anchor Point Tool along with the Convert Point Tool and the Direct Selection Tool to add and adjust some anchor points. Give it a try and you will also find some basic tips on how to achieve pixel perfect shapes.

Open Photoshop and hit Control + N to create a new document. Enter all the data shown in the following image and click OK.

Enable the Grid (View > Show > Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap To > Grid). You will need a grid every 5px. Go to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid & Slices and focus on the Grid section. Enter 5 in the Gridline Every box and 1 in the Subdivision box. Also, set the color of the grid at #a7a7a7. Once you set all these properties click OK. Don’t get discouraged by all that grid. It will ease your work later. You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes.

Set the foreground color at #5abbff, pick the Rectangle Tool and create a 195 by 50px vector shape.

Disable the Grid (View > Show > Grid). Pick the Rectangle Tool, focus on the top bar and click on the little arrow icon to open the Rectangle Options panel. Check the "Fixed Size" button and the "Snap to Pixels" box then enter 195 in the width (W:) box and 1 in the height (H:) box. Set the foreground color at #656565 and simply click inside your document. This will create a 195 by 1px rectangle. Place it as shown in the first image and make sure that this new vector shape stays selected. Continue with the Rectangle Tool, check the Add button from the top bar, add a second, 195 by 1px rectangle and place it as shown in the second image. Make sure that there’s a 2px gap between these two, thin vector shapes. The Snap to Pixels options will ease your work.

Focus on the Layers panel and select the shape made in the previous step. Pick the Direct Selection Tool and select all the anchor points that make up this vector shape. Now, hold ALT and SHIFT then simply click and drag to add a copy of the selected path. Place these new vector paths as shown in the second image. Keep focusing on the vector shape edited in this step, change its Blending Mode to Overlay then double click on it (in the Layers panel) to open the Layer Style window. Activate the Drop Shadow and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Duplicate the vector shape made in the second step (CTRL + J). Select this copy, bring it to front (SHIFT + CTRL + ] ), lower its Fill to 0% and open the Layer Style window. Activate the Gradient Overlay and enter the properties shown in the following image. The white numbers from the Gradient Overlay image stand for Location percentage while the yellow numbers stand for Opacity percentage.

Enable the Grid (View > Show > Grid). Set the foreground color at #54a5e8, pick the Rectangle Tool and open the Rectangle Options panel. Check the Unconstrained button then create a 60 by 50px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new vector shape is still selected, grab the Add Anchor Point Tool and add a new anchor point as shown in the second image. Switch to the Convert Point Tool and simply click on this new anchor point. Finally, using the Direct Selection Tool, select this new anchor point and drag it 30px to the right.

Disable the Grid (View > Show > Grid). Pick the Rectangle Tool, open the Rectangle Options panel, check the "Fixed Size" button then enter 60 in the width (W:) box and 1 in the height (H:) box. Set the foreground color at black and simply click inside your document. Select the newly created rectangle, place it as shown in the first image and make sure that it stays selected. Continue with the Rectangle Tool, check the Add button from the top bar, add a second, 195 by 1px rectangle and place it as shown in the second image. Again, make sure that there’s a 2px gap between these two, thin vector paths.

Focus on the vector shape made in the previous step and use again the technique mentioned in the fourth step to add a copy of the existing path. Place the copies as shown in the first image. Make sure that this black vector shape stay selected and enable the Grid (View > Show > Grid). Pick the Rectangle Tool, check the Intersect button from the top bar and open the Rectangle Options panel. Check the Unconstrained button then create a 60 by 50px vector shape and place it as shown in the second image. Nothing should change for now. Grab to the Add Anchor Point Tool and add a new anchor point for this vector path as shown in the third image. Switch to the Convert Point Tool and simply click on this new anchor point. Finally, using the Direct Selection Tool, select this new anchor point and drag it 30px to the right. Move to the Layers, open the Layer Style window for this black vector shape and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Duplicate the vector shape made in the sixth step (CTRL + J). Select this copy, bring it to front (SHIFT + CTRL + ] ), lower its Fill to 0% and open the Layer Style window. Activate the Gradient Overlay and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Set the foreground color at #e6e6e6, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 20 by 60px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new vector shape stays selected and switch to the Direct Selection Tool. Select the bottom, left anchor point and simply drag it 10px up. In the end your vector shape should look like in the second image. Focus on the Layers panel, hold CTRL and click on the vector shape made in the previous step. This will load a simple selection around that shape. Keep focusing on the Layers panel, make sure that the vector shape made in this step is selected and simply click on the "Add layer mask" button. In the end your masked vector shape should look like in the fourth image. Get rid of that selection (CTRL + D) and focus on this masked vector shape. Lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window. Make sure that you check the "Layer Mask Hidden Effects" box then activate the Drop Shadow and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 20 by 10px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new vector shape stays selected, switch to the Delete Anchor Point Tool and simply click on the bottom, left anchor point. In the end your vector shape should look like in the second image. Focus on the Layers panel, open the Layer Style window for this tiny triangle and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Select the five vector shapes made in the last six steps and Group them (CTRL + G). Move to the Layers panel, right click on this group and go to Duplicate Group. Select the newly created group and go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal. Drag this group copy 215px to the right and make sure that it’s placed as shown in the third image. Get back to the Layers panel and focus on the vector shapes inside this second group. Open the Layer Style window for the vector shapes with the Gradient Overlay effect and the masked vector shape with the Drop Shadow effect and simply edit the angles as shown in the following image.

Disable the Grid (View > Show > Grid). Pick the Polygon Tool, focus on the top bar, enter 5 in the "Sides" box and click on the little arrow to open the Polygon Options window. Set the radius at 8px, check the Star box and enter 45 in the Indent box. Set the foreground color at #1569af and simply click inside your document to get your little star vector shape. Make a copy of this new shape (CTRL + J) then place these little stars as shown in the first image. Open the Layer Style window for these new vector shapes and enter the properties shown in the following images.

Set the foreground color at #e6f5ff, pick the Type Tool and add your text.

Enable the Grid (View > Show > Grid). Set the foreground color at #e6e6e6, pick the Rectangle Tool, create a 195 by 50px vector shape and place it as shown in the first image. Make sure that this new shape stays selected and continue with the Rectangle Tool. Check the Add button from the top bar and add a 60 by 50px vector shape as shown in the second image. Focus on the left side of this new vector shape, grab the Add Anchor Point Tool and add a new anchor point as shown in the third image. Switch to the Convert Point Tool and simply click on this new anchor point. Finally, using the Direct Selection Tool, select that new anchor point and drag it 30px to the right. In the end your vector shape should look like in the fourth image.

Select the vector shape made in the previous step and grab the Rectangle Tool. Check the Add button from the top bar and add a 60 by 50px vector shape as shown in the first image. Focus on the right side of this new vector shape, grab the Add Anchor Point Tool and add a new anchor point as shown in the second image. Switch to the Convert Point Tool and simply click on this new anchor point. Finally, using the Direct Selection Tool, select that new anchor point and drag it 30px to the left. In the end your vector shape should look like in the third image. Make sure that it’s still selected, send it to back (SHIFT + CTRL + [ ), lower its Fill to 0% then open the Layer Style window and enter the properties shown in the following image.

Duplicate the vector shape edited in the previous step (CTRL + J). Open the Layer Style window for this copy and edit the properties used for the Drop Shadow as shown in the following image. Click OK and you’re done.