Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular design programmes used by Graphic Designers and Web Developers today, this is because of its advanced level of tools and effects when it comes to editing photographs and designing graphics.

The programme was created by Adobe and works with both Windows (PC) and Macintosh. Photoshop’s name portrays it to be a programme solely designed to edit or repair photographs but it is capable of far more than this and once you have practiced tutorials and used your imagination you can create some amazing imagery using Photoshop.

The original versions of Photoshop were produced only for the Mac that allowed image editing to become affordable and accessible on your own personal computers; now Photoshop is industry standard when it comes to image editing.

The programme contains a large selection of image editing tools alongside an advanced capability of producing numerous layers, allowing images to be added, moved and rearranged over and under each other for different effects. It will also read from and convert to a large number of formats but uses its own format for layers, which is PSD. 

Chrome effects can be created in Photoshop to then be put onto objects or to be used as an effective text effect. In this tutorial I will show you how to apply a chrome effect to text or any other object.

1.) Start by creating a new image 500/500 pixels with a dark grey background, the foreground colour should be white and use the type tool to create text you would like to use to change into chrome, try and make the text as big as possible. Once you have done this choose Layer > Type > Render Layer and then hold CTRL and click on the text to select it, then go to channels palette and create a new channel.

2.) On the new channel fill the selection with white and then deselect (CTRL + D), then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use a radius of 8. Repeat Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use a radius of 4, repeat again using a radius of 2 and then again using a radius of 1. Once this is done go back to the layers palette and click on the type layer.

3.) Now the type layer is active go to Filter > Render > Lighting Effects and use your preferred lighting effect, try and set the texture of white high and use the light type as a spotlight. Also set the sliders to a more shiny and metallic level.

4.) After this go to Image > Adjust > Curves and alter the curves to a setting which you believe looks the best.

5.) Now you have made your chrome you need to highlight using blue highlights and again having the sliders highest at shiny and metallic. Keep adjusting the levels until you have an effect that you are happy with.

6.) Once this is completed you need to resize your type down to about half the size that it is and then add a drop shadow, you can change your design by creatively ‘playing around’ with Photoshop’s other layer style to add further depth and detail.

7.) Satin is a good effect to use with chrome of you lower the default opacity and the Outer Glow, Inner Glow and Inner Shadows also work well. Gradient Overlays with low opacity can create a interesting effect and explore the blending modes instead of just sticking to normal.

8.) Exploring the different layer styles can help you to learn new ideas and effects, and when you find something the works well you can also save it by clicking the New Style button but ensue you save them when your finished by clicking styles at the top left window, click the arrow button to the right and choose Save Styles. 

There are several ways of making a drop shadow in Photoshop and this tutorial will show you them all, drop shadows are very simple yet they are used a lot in the design industry and if used correctly are effective.

1.) Begin by finding an object that you would like to add a drop shadow to; drop shadows can be applied to most elements so you can use a logo, text or clipart as long as the object is on its own layer. Once you have chosen your object press D on your keyboard, this will reset yours colours to their default value.

2.) If you have chosen text to apply the drop shadow to, select the type tool and then type your text, make a new layer in the Layers Palette and drag it underneath the layer that contains your text, then name this layer shadow. Hold down CTRL on the keyboard and click on the text layer and this will load a selection around it.

3.) After doing this go to Select > Feather and choose a number and then press OK. The higher the number you choose the softer and more spread out your drop shadow will appear.

4.) Check that the Shadow layer is selected and then go to Edit > Fill > Foreground Colour to then fill the feathered selection with black.

5.) Depending upon the direction your ‘light source’ is coming from you need to move the shadow layer several pixels up/down and several pixels right/left.

6.) Once you have finished this the shadow will look unrealistically dark and to change this you will need to adjust the opacity of the Shadow layer, meaning you make the shadow lighter, do this until you believe the shadow appears realistic.