Very simple but attractive button and icon tutorial creating for almost everyone with minimum or almost no Photoshop experience. Purpose of this tutorial is not just show the trick and technique of creating a button, but also encourages you to be creative and imaginative to make your own buttons in future.


One of the important secret in any creative work is the ability to see the result long before you have started implementing. There are many approach to achieve it, for me the best way is close my eyes and try to see what I am going to create. Once I have something interesting try to take a snapshot in my memory, before I open my eyes and immediately draw it on a paper before I forget. It is an exercise you can do and doing regularly will increase your ability to see more clearly.

Lets say this is what I have seen when I closed my eyes, now how can I execute it in Photoshop?

Icon exercise draw on paper

Step 2: You can keep background as white or use some smoothing texture if you prefer, I just quickly created some texture using texture library.

Create texture in photoshop

Step 3: Add a new layer and give a name, create rounded corner square box selection (135px X135px) and make the corner radius to 20px. There are many ways to create rounded square box, one of a simple way is: Draw a square box first and select ‘Select -> Modify -> Smooth” from top menu and select 20px radius.

create rounded corner square box

Step 5: Now its time to explore some effect,
Click on ‘Add a layer style’ icon in the bottom of your layer window, and in Layer style window check only ‘Drop Shadow’ check box. Follow the sample image below.

Step 6: Now check ‘Outer Glow’ check box. Do as shown in the image below.

Add a layer style Outer glow

Step 7: Next check ‘Inner Glow’ check box. Do as shown in the image below.

Add a layer style Inner glow

And here is your final style effect.

Add a new layer effect in photoshop

Step 8: Add a new layer and select ‘Stroke’ from ‘Edit’ menu at top and give green color, 6px inside border. Follow sample image.

Use stroke to create border from edit menu.

Step 9: Now you have an image like this. Change style from top layer panel to ‘Screen’ will give a transparent effect.

Use stock to create border from edit menu.

Step 10: Add new layer and draw a rounded rectangle box as shown in the image below. It is same like ‘Step 3′ I describe before.

Draw a rounded rectangle box

Step 11: Select ‘Add layer mask’ from bottom icons bar in Layer window, and select ‘Gradient icon’ from ‘Tools’ window. Now click and drag your mouse on the rounded rectangle box to apply from top to bottom and you should see similar result like this.

Add layer mask and Gradient icon for lighting effect

Step 12: Now add another layer and draw a circle like the image below and change ‘Opecity’ from layer panel to about 50%.

Opecity to use highlight effect

Step 13: Now time to draw an icon you like you place or you can use any existing icon from your collection. I just draw a camera quickly.

Draw camera in photoshop

lighting effect on button

Once you have the button ready, its time to create as many you want in just few minutes. I have now, Sound play, Listen, Audio Device, Equalizer, DVD, CD, Mic, Recording, Video, Tape, Volume Control and camera.

Sound play, Listen, Audio Device, Equalizer, DVD, CD, Mic, Recording, Video, Tape, Volume Control and camera