Lens correction filter

Step 1

Open an affected image and choose Filter: Distort: Lens Correction Figure 1 shows the filter’s dialogue box. Notice the grid that assists us in lining things up.

Step 2

The first job is to straighten the image. It's impossible to fix all the other angles if the image is not straight first.
Choose the straighten tool for the left side of the dialogue box as shown in Figure 2.
Click-&-drag across the image to define the new horizon, Try to follow a horizontal line in the image if there is one

Step 3

The image suffers from keystoning – it's narrower at the bottom than the top – so we'll adjusting the Vertical Perspective to make the top and bottom the same width.
Adjusting the Horizontal perspective appears to rotate the image through 3D space. What's really happening is that we're making one side narrower than the other to combat perspective problems. You can also change the Angle to counter a diagonal distortion Figure 3 shows the perspective repaired.

Step 4

Notice how the image appears to bulge. Move the Remove Distortion slider to the left to 'bulge out' and move to the right to 'pinch in'. This also works by choosing the Remove Distortion tool, which is the topmost tool icon on the left of the Lens Correction window. Once the tool is selected you can drag in the image, although I find that the sliders give you more control.
After adjusting the distortion, you may need to go back and again tweak the perspective. The Vertical Perspective has been readjusted to compensate. (see Figure 4).

Step 5

Finally, choose an edge option:
Transparency: Produces transparent pixels outside of the distorted rectangle
Background Color: Fill the empty pixels with the current background colour
Edge Extension: Stretches edge pixels to fill the background (see Figure 5).
Click OK to apply

Step 6
The before-&-after Figure 6 shows the power of the Lens Correction filter. To finish off the effect, crop the image to suit your needs. As you can see this really is a great tool for fixing distorted images

Screw heads

Step 1
Make a circular selection.
Tip: Hold down Alt/Option to draw from the center. Hold down Shift to draw a perfect circle. To move the selection while drawing, hold the spacebar.

Step 2
Select the gradient tool. black to white circular gradient. Make sure you check the reverse box on the top bar.

Step 3
draw the gradient starting from the center and you should have something like this.

Step 4
Now how about the slot?
Make a new layer. Draw a long rectangle and fill with dark gray.
To trim the slot: Ctrl/Cmd click on the layer 1 thumbnail to select it. With the top layer active hit Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+I to invert the selection. Press the delete key. Now you should have a nicely trimmed slot.

Step5
To make the slot look recessed:
Add a layer style to the slot. Hit the little "f" at the bottom of the layers pallette. Use inner shadow wih the default settings except for the size, move that up a little bit for more realism.

Step6

We are done, but how often is the slot perfectly vertical? Press Ctrl/Cmd+T for free transform. Move your mouse on a corner until it turns into a curved arrow. Drag it around until you have a nice angled slot.

Final

Round Glassy Buttons

Step 1
As always, start with a transparent layer. Draw a circle using the circular marquee tool. Tip: Hold the alt/option key to draw from the center and hold the shift key to draw a perfect circle.
Step 2

Now we want to create a circular gradient, from bark to light blue. Use the settings here, then drag from the middle of the circle. Don't deselect.

Step 3

Create a new layer and change the gradient setting to this: Linear, Foreground to transparent and change your forecround color to white.

Step 4

Drag the gradient tool from the top to the bottom, with the top white.

Step 5

Press Ctrl/Cmd+T for the free transform toolBring the bottom to almost 1/2 way. Bring the top and sides in a little bit until it looks similar to the picture.

Step 6

For added realism add a slight gaussian blur to the highlight and drop the opacity a little.

Step7
You may also add text. Put the text layer behind the highlight and lower the opacity.
Add the buttons to your interface - Merge Visiable and drag the buttons to your interface.
Download the PSD file.

Sharp transparent gifs

Step 1
Make sure you have your image on its own layer with no background.
This is the #1 mistake people make, in older versions of Photoshop you would have saved it on a colored background

Step 2
Now go File>Save for web
You should see this box open.

Step 3

Make your setting gif and use the smallest amount of colors you can without affecting the appearance of the image.
The 2 things to remember here are:
1. Make sure Transparency is selected.
2. Set the Matte color to the closest match of the background color you will be placing the image on. If you are unsure then set the Matte to "None" (more about Matte in step 4)
Click ok and save your image

Step 4
Some more information on Matte.
Matte puts a thin outline around the image to get rid of what we call halos.
On the right you can see an example of a halo. Look familiar? This is the sign of an amateurish webpage. Believe me there are already enough bad webpages out there without us adding to them. :)

Step 5

Here is the same image with Matte set to none. Notice the halo is gone, but it is still a bit jaggy around the edges.

Step 6

Here is the same image, this time saved with a black Matte. Notice how nice and sharp it is?
Always choose a matt color if you can. This way all your transparent gifs will look nice and clean.
This Matt trick will also work with transparent PNGs.
Stay tuned for more :)

3D Cubes

Step 1

Start with a square. Here I made a new document 300X300, created a new layer and filled it with a gradient.

Step 2

Press Crtl/Cmd+T to enter free-transform mode.
Right click/Cmd click... when the dropdown menu appears, select SKEW
Click on the right middle square and drag up until you get your desired angle. Press Enter/return to apply the transformation.

Step 3

Duplicate the layer

Step 4

Enter free transform again (Ctrl/Cmd+t) Right click and this time select FLIP HORIZONTAL.
Drag out the copy to the left. Hold down the shift key to keep the baselines aligned.
You may also want to make this side a bit thinner by clicking the left middle square (node) and drag it in a little bit.

Step 5

Create a new layer and make another square and fill it with the same gradient, this time make the lightest color at the bottom left.

Step 6

This time while in the free transform mode... when you right click/Cmd click select DISTORT
drag each corner until you get a good match. Be sure the corners fit nice and snug. This step will take a bit of practice to master.

Step 7

Finally select the top of the cube.
Image>adjust>LEVELS slide the middle triangle over to the right to darken up the mid-tones. Repeat for the left side. This step adds more realistic lighting to the cube.

Step 8

Ta-da A complete cube. Don't limit yourself to just cubes. You can use this effect for all kinds of shapes. You can even construct a cube out of pictures. Just use images instead of the gradients.
For more cool techniques like this on an easy to follow video format check out Photoshop Secrets Special FX

Dotted Lines

Step 1
Open the brushes Pallete by selecting a brush. (B)
Ctrl/Cmd click on a brush to open the modifier window.
(Open Brushes Palette in CS and CS2)
Step 2

This is the modifier window.
Click the new brush button, so we are modiftying a copy and not the original.

Step 3

Set the spacing for 150% - More to increase the gap between dots
(Photoshop CS and CS2, Click on the brush Tip shape option

Step 4

To draw a straight line: Click your mouse anywhere, Hold shift and click again. It will connect the dots, with a nice dotted line.

Step 5

Here is a little example of what is possible with dotted lines.
I created a background and renamed it layer 1. Added a new layer on top and made some dotted lines.Then I loaded the selection, selected layer 1, turned off layer 2 and hit delete.Then I added a white background and a drop shadow for effect.

Create a Cone

Step 1
Make a selection on a new layer with the rectangular marquee tool (M)
Step 2

Press the "G" key to select the gradient tool.
Select linear gradient and the copper preset.
Click and drag from left to right in the image window.
TIP Hold down the Shift key to constrain to perfect horizontal line..

Step 4

CMD/CTRL+T brings up the free transform tool. PC: left click/Mac: CMD Click - select Perspective.
Drag the top corner into the middle.
Click Enter/Return and you have a cone. This is also a great method to produce a triangle.

Step 5

Now for the rounded bottom to make it look more realistic.
make a selection with the elliptic selection tool.
TIP: Hold down the space bar while drawing to move a selection.

Step 6

Now add a retangular selection by holding down the shift key. you will see a + which means you are adding to a selection.
Press CMD/CTRL+Shift+I to invert the selection.
Press the Delete key, and you have your finished cone

Step 7

Here is the finished cone with a drop shadow added.
This is the same method I used to make the nose of my Rocketship.
To produce tenticles, just create a tall thin cone and then go to filter>Distort>shearDrag the line into a curve and hit OK!