Resources Used In This Tutorial
What We’ll Be Creating
Getting Started
Start off with a new document (Ctrl + N) with a canvas size of 700 x 700 pixels. Fill (G) your background with your desired color, I’ve filled mine with a grey and white gradient.
Creating The Folder Front
Select the “Rounded Rectangle Tool” (U) with a radius of 10px (10px by default), once you’ve selected the “Rounded Rectangle Tool” (U) change the path type to “Shape Layers”.
Drag out a rectangle which is about 495×300 pixels, then go to “Edit > Transform > Perspective”. Select either the left or right bottom anchor points then drag them inwards by about 10-40 pixels.
Once your happy with the perspective label your layer “Folder Front 1” then add the following layer styles.
You should have something like this.
Creating The Second Folder Front
Right-Click your “Folder Front 1” layer then select “Duplicate Layer” from the menu. Select your duplicated layer then Right-Click and select “Clear Layer Styles” once the layer styles have been cleared label your duplicated layer “Folder Front 2”.
Select the “Move Tool” (V) then move your “Folder Front 2” layer down 5 pixels, you should have something like this.
Now add the following layer styles to your “Folder Front 2” layer.
You should have something like this.
Creating The Folder Shadows
Select the “Elliptical Marquee Tool” (M) then make a small selection underneath the folder.
Once you’ve made the selection create a new layer above your background layer and label it “Shadow”. Select the “Paint Bucket Tool” (G) and fill your ellipse with the color black #000000, then deselect the selection with “Ctrl + D”.
We now need to blur the ellipse, do this by going to “Filter > Blur > Guassian Blur” blur the ellipse by about 2-3 px. Finally change the layer opacity from 100% to 55%, you should have something like this.
Creating The Second Shadow
Select the “Polygonal Lasso Tool” (L) then make a selection like the image below.
Create a new layer above your “Shadow” layer then label the new layer “Shadow 2”. Select the “Paint Bucket Tool” (G) then fill the selection with the color black #000000.
Set the “Shadow 2” layers opacity to 11% then add a layer mask to the layer. Once you’ve added the layer mask select the “Gradient Tool” (G) then drag a linear gradient over a the top of the shape. The look your going for is to have a small portion of the top area blend in or gradually disappear. You should have something like this.
Creating The Folder Back
Select the “Rounded Rectangle Tool” (U) with a radius of 10px (10px by default) then drag out a rectangle behind your two front folder shapes. Label this new layer “Folder Back”.
Select the vector mask thumbnail in the layers window, doing this will show a line around your rectangle. Select the “Rounded Rectangle Tool” (U) then change the settings to “Add To Shape Area”.
When your set to go drag out a small rectangle in the top left corner, creating a small tab.
Still with the “Rounded Rectangle Tool” (U) create two more small rectangles where the bottom of the first rectangle meets the “Folder Back” layer rectangle.
Again with the “Rounded Rectangle Tool” (U) only this time change the settings to “Subtract From Shape Area”.
Drag two rectangles either side of the tab until the tab has rounded joining corners at the bottom.
You should have something like this.
Now add the following layer styles to your “Folder Back” layer to complete this step.
You should have something like this.
Adding Metal Texture
Open up the “Texture” from the resources list then drag it onto your canvas.
Place the texture over your folder so that its all covered, then load a selection around your “Folder Front 2” layer.
Quick Tip:
To load a selection around an element click the little thumbnail inside of your desired layer whilst holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard.
Once you’ve loaded the selection around your folder go to “Select > Inverse”, once the selection has been inversed select your texture layer and hit the delete key.
Finally set your textures blend mode to “Soft Light”.
Creating And Adding The Custom Pattern
Create a new document (Ctrl + N) 25x25px then replicate the image below.
Once you’ve replicated the image above go to “Edit > Define Pattern” then give your pattern a name and save it.
Head back to your folder icon canvas then select the “Rectangular Marquee Tool” (M), make a selection at the bottom of your folder about 10-20 pixels from the bottom.
Select the “Paint Bucket Tool” (G), change the fill type to pattern then select your pattern from the list.
Create a new layer above your texture layer and label it “Black and Yellow Lines”. Now fill your selection with your pattern.
Chop away the excess pattern from outside of the folder just like we did with our texture. Once you’ve chopped away the excess pattern repeat the same steps and create a the same for the top of the folder. Finally once your done set the patterns blend modes to “Overlay”. You should have something like this.
Creating The Rivets
Select the “Pen Tool” (P) then change the path type to “Paths”.
Create a new layer and label it “Rivets”, then create four anchor points in each of the folders corners.
Select the “Brush Tool” (B) then open up the brush settings window “Window > Brush” (F5) and apply the following settings.
Close the brush settings window then right click on your canvas and go to “Stroke Path”, in the window that pops make sure the brush is selected in the drop down menu. Once you press OK right click once more and go to “Delete Path”.
Now add the following layer styles to your rivets layer.
You should now have something like this.
Adding Additional Detailing
You can finish off the icon by adding a little bit of text to the main folder area and the tab.
Finally were going to add a reflection to the folder. Select your background layer then hide it, now press “Shift + Ctrl + Alt + E” which will take a snapshot of all your layers and place them onto one single layer. The new layer should of been added above your background layer if not then it will be in your layer stack somewhere.
Flip your snapshot vertically “Edit > Transform > Flip Vertically” then move it below the folder. To add abit of depth to the reflection blur it by 2px by going to “Filter > Blur > Guassian Blur”.
Finally add a layer mask to your snap shot then drag a linear gradient from the bottom of the canvas upwards so the reflection blends in.
Conclusion
Once you’ve completed this tutorial your finish icon should look something like this.
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