Elegant Navigation Box
Step 1
Open a new document; apply a Radial Gradient on the first layer. I have used two dark red colours for this tutorial. Create a new layer. Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool and make a selection in the center of the document. Fill it with #FFFFFF (white).
Step 2
Now we will apply blending options to the second layer, i.e. the layer with the white box. Apply Satin and a Stroke with the values shown in the following figures. Experiment with other blending options if you like to make your design stand out.
Satin:
Stroke:
This is what the navigation box looks like at this point.
Step 3
Add some text links. I have used Futura Md for the “Navigation” text and Futura Lt for all the other links.
Step 4
Now we will create the rollover effect. On a new layer, make a selection around one of the links. Fill this selection with a dark red colour of your choice.
Add a Layer Mask. (The layer mask/vector mask button can be found at the bottom of the Layers window to the right of the blending options button). Select the Soft Mechanical 100px brush. Set the foreground colour to black, and brush the outsides of the box, so that this layer appears to merge with the main box. If you think you have brushed it too far, simply set the foreground colour to white and rebrush the areas. This will restore the original layer. Set the Layer Opacity to 14%.
Step 5
Now we will add a shadow at the top of the box. Create a new layer- call it “shadow”. Select the original layer with the white box, (the layer created in Step 1). Now select the “shadow layer” and apply a gradient from black to colourless. Reduce opacity to 45%. You can delete the majority of the bottom half it you like. The gradient should look something like this:
Apply a layer mask (as in step 4) so that the bottom of the “shadow” layer merges with the rest of the navigation box.
Step 6
Finally, we will make a glassy effect on top, again using simple techniques. Create a new layer called “glass”. Select the Pen tool and make a selection that resembles the one in the figure:
Now select the Convert Point tool and modify the figure to get this:
Right click > Make selection. Fill the selection with #FFFFFF. Change the layer mode to Soft Light with 60% opacity. Delete the part of the selection that is outside the box borders. (Select the layer from Step 1, use the Magic Wand tool to pick the area outside the navigation box, reselect the “glass” layer and hit delete)
