Create Social Networking Chicklets in Photoshop

By Dawn Pedersen · 05/17/2009 ·

New layer named rim

Select the Rectangle Tool. Up in the Control panel, click the radio button for Paths.
Set the Radius for the corners to 40px.

Rounded Rectangle tool settings

Draw a round-corner square just inside the edges of your document. Hold the Shift key to get a perfect square.

Draw the rounded square

In the Paths panel, double-click the words “Work Path” and rename the path as “chicklet”.

Rename the path

Load the rounded square as a selection: with the “chicklet” path selected in the Paths panel, click on the “Load path as selection icon” at the bottom of the panel.

Load path as selection

Add a layer mask to the “rim” layer: in the Layers panel, click on the “Add vector mask” icon at the bottom.

Add vector mask

Select the Gradient tool, set it to Linear Gradient and open the Gradient Editor from the Control panel (Options bar).

Open Gradient Editor

Set the first color stop as the same blue as Facebook logo: R-59, G-89, B-151. Click OK to return to the Gradient Editor.

First color stop: R-59, G-89, B-151

Set the second color stop to a lighter blue like: R-120, G-150, B-212. Click OK twice to leave the Gradient Editor.

Second color stop: R-120, G-150, B-212

Click on the thumbnail for the “rim” layer. Make sure you are not on the layer mask.
Drag a gradient from the top to the bottom of the image window.

Drag a gradient

Add layer mask to surface layer

Click on the thumbnail for the “surface” layer.
Drag the blue-light blue gradient from bottom to the top of the “surface” layer.

Surface gradient

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15 Comments

By Jaime, 05/19/2009 @ 1:49 pm

Awesome, thanks so much! Here’s to me being able to transfer these skills to other icons!
By Dawn Pedersen, 05/19/2009 @ 3:49 pm

You’re welcome, Jaime! Let me know if you have any questions.
By Deb, 05/22/2009 @ 11:10 am

Thanks much for the various tutorials. I was wondering if you could put options to print and/or download a tutorial since I find it easier for follow a hardcopy when following the tutorials.
By Dawn Pedersen, 05/25/2009 @ 9:03 pm

Thanks for the great suggestion, Deb! I had been wanting to do that but kept forgetting to. You will now see a “Print This” link at the top of each article.
By T-Law, 05/29/2009 @ 10:19 pm

Thanks this was useful for me.
By Dawn Pedersen, 05/30/2009 @ 12:27 am

You’re welcome, T-Law!
By João Cerca, 06/15/2009 @ 6:56 am

Hi, you got a nice & cool tutorial
I have a small problem, everything is correct until step 15. In my photoshop (CS4) the modify is inactive. How can I solve this problem?
Cheers
Keep up the good work
By Dawn Pedersen, 06/15/2009 @ 10:03 am

Hi João!
Are you sure you did step #14 to create a selection again? Modify will only appear if you have an active selection (marching ants).
By gavin, 07/21/2009 @ 7:54 am

awesome tut! i’ve always wanted to learn how to create these
By Dawn Pedersen, 07/22/2009 @ 1:53 pm

Thanks, Gavin!
By Andrew Mooers, 09/02/2009 @ 1:54 pm

Thanks for the post and help! Superb!