Creating popular mobile app menu/action bar effect in photoshop

Question

I see this line effect in a lot of mobile apps. It looks pretty nice. How can I recreate this effect in Photoshop? enter image description here

Johannes · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-29 07:48:54Z

Create a green background
Draw the 2 lines with line tool
Double-click on the line layer
Apply bevel emboss > pillow emboss (select from dropdown)
Rasterize both line layers
Select marquee tool > fade from top > and then delete the bottom part of the line layer, apply this on both layers

You can follow these screenshots, I tried to explain this as easy/best as I can.

enter image description here

My output : I reduced its opacity to 55% you can use 100% or anything to make it look more appealing ....

enter image description here

Hope this will help

Alternatively if you're using layer styles you can use the "gradient overlay" to create that fade-out effect on the bottom in tandem using the blending modes.

Joonas · Answer 2 · 2011-11-30 09:09:58Z

I would do it like this:

Make a new layer.
Make a Black line with Line Tool in that layer. Put Fill Pixels setting on so you can deselect anti-aliasing.
Go to that layers Blending Options.
- Add Drop Shadow Blend Mode: Overlay.
- Color: White.
- Angle: 180 or 0.
- Distance: 1px.
- Spread: 0%. Size: 0px. Noise: 0px.
- Make sure that "Layer knocks out drop shadow" is selected.
- You might want to set opacity down a bit as well.
From above Drop Shadow in the "Bleding options: Default" Set Blend Mode: Overlay. Set fill to match the white drop shadow. Then adjust the Opacity above to give both of the lines a general opacity. ( And when I say match, I mean so that it looks good.. )
For the "fade to transparent" look, I would use Eraser tool with Soft Round Brush that of course has hardness 0 if that isn't clear enough. ( Or Layer mask and do same thing with Brush Tool and Black color. )

2 Answers