Custom Zip Icon in Photoshop: Glass Icons Tutorial

Of all the custom graphics I am asked "how to" create, the one that pops up the most are icons. Any kind of icons. The end that these icons are used in varies from web pages to programs - but they're one of those things that are hard to find tutorials on.

This guide will walk you through creating a conceptual icon, a "zip" icon. I've seen these in several places, and they always look cool because they cleanly illustrate a point and include some nice glass effects that remain ever-popular.

To create this icon, you'll need a copy of Photoshop (7 through CS2 will work fine) and this article. If you've not used Photoshop often, you may find this tutorial to be a bit more advanced, but should be able to work your way through it if you have some patience and a sense of adventure.

Part One: Glass Orb

One: Open a new canvas (File, New) that is sized about 500 x 500 pixels. You can always make your icons smaller as you go on - start large and you’ll be able to keep a much higher quality to your work. Then, set your foreground color to #1849ad and use your elliptical (circle) shape tool. Hold your shift key down on your keyboard when you draw the circle out, so that it stays perfectly round. Finally, right-click the layer your new shape is on and choose “Rasterize Layer”. Even if not specifically stated, always rasterize your shapes as you perform this tutorial.

Two: Set your background color to #102c66 (leave your foreground color at #1849ad). Then, go to your Layer Styles (Layer, Styles) and choose “Gradient Overlay”. In the dialogue that appears, choose your light-to-dark blue gradient (click the arrow pointing down and click the first gradient in this menu). Then, set the “Style” to Radial, and the “Scale” to 123%. Everything else will remain the same - click OK.