How To Create A Magnifying Glass Icon In Photoshop
- 29 April 2010
- Graphic, Tutorials
- This post was written exclusively for PV.M Garage by Mohammad Jeprie
- Comments (38)»
Photoshop is a very useful program. Some of you might know it as an image editor. Well that’s true, 5 years ago! Earlier version of Photoshop is so powerful that you can create almost anything with it. I do a lot of icon designing lately and it’s all done in Photoshop. The advantage of using Photoshop to create icon is you can combine pixel painting with Photoshop’s vector tool. This tutorial show us how easy it is creating a magnifying glass icon in Photoshop.
Just A Preview Of What Our Efforts Will Produce
Take a look at the icon we will be created in this tutorial.
Photoshop Tutorial: A Nice Magnifying Glass Icon
Below there are about 30 simple and easy-to-follow steps to learn how to create a nice icon. Take your time and improve your skill as icon designer following my tips and advices. Enjoy the tut!
Step 1: Organizing Layers in Group
Designing icon can be quite tricky because we will dealing with many layers. It’s a good idea to keep organized by grouping every layer that we will create. Open Layers panel and create press ctrl+G to create a group. Name the group magnify glass. Inside magnify glass group create three groups, glass frame, glass, and handle.
Step 2: Drawing Handle
Using rectangle tool create a rectangle shape. Add layer styles Gradient Overlay.
Step 3
We need to change the rectangle shape to a cylinder. Click middle top and middle bottom to add points. Select those two points using white arrow tool and move it down.
Step 4
Draw an ellips shape and add layer styles Gradient Overlay. Make sure the ellips is under the handle.
Step 5
Activate pen tool and draw a small white shape on top of the ellips shape. This small shape will be a light reflection on the handle.
Step 6
Using pen tool draw long thin white shape. Add layer mask and paint black on part outside the handle. Change layer’s opacity to 40%. This will be another highlight on the handle.
Step 7
On top of the handle draw a small cylinder. Add layer style Gradient Overlay using setting shown below.
Step 8
In the middle of the small cylinder draw smaller and wider cylinder. Add Gradient Overlay. Underneath it, paint black using soft brush for its shadow.
Step 9
Duplicate handle shape that we created earlier and move it to the top of the layer. Remove its layer style and make sure its color is black.Select points on top and move the down until its size is very small. Change its layer’s opacity to 40%.
We’ve done creating the handle. Make sure you put all the layers inside the handle group.
Step 10: Drawing Glass Frame
Draw a circle shape.
Step 11
We need to modify circle we just created to a ring shape. Select the circle path. Copy and paste the path, downsize it, and from option bar select subtract.
Step 12
Add these layer style.
Step 13
Using same steps we did earlier, draw smaller ring. Add white Color Overlay.
Step 14
Activate direct selection tool and modify some points in smaller circle to create a crescent moon shape.
Step 15
Add layer mask and paint black part indicated below.
Step 16
Again, draw another reflection on the opposite side.
Step 17: Drawing Glass
Draw circle shape. From layers panel change fill to 0% and add Inner Glow.
Step 18
Create a crescent shape by drawing two overlapping circle shape with subtract selected in option bar. Make sure the shape’s color is black and change its opacity to 10%.
Step 19
Draw white shape like you see below. Change its opacity to 10%. Now, this shape is almost negligible but it adds what some people call pixel perfect.
Step 20
Create new layer and paint few white dots. Change layer’s opacity to 20%. Again, this is another pixel perfect.
Step 21: Convert Icon to Smart Object
Right click magnify glass group and choose Convert to Smart Object. That’s it we’re done. You can stop here if you want, but I’ll continue adding some steps to add more realism to the icon.
Step 22
Hit ctrl+T and rotate our icon.
Step 23
Let’s add a picture into the scene to see how the magnify works. Here, I use a screenshot from my firefox.
Step 24
This is not flying magnify glass! We need to add shadow on the floor. Create new layer under the icon and paint black using low opacity brush.
Step 25
Paint smaller black dot using higher opacity brush on place where icon touch the floor.
Step 26
Now create selection for icon’s shadow on the picture. Fill it with black then deselect (ctrl+D).
Step 27
Soften the shadow by adding Gaussian Blur. Add layer mask and paint furthest shadow with black to hide it.
Step 28
Using ellips marquee tool, select picture inside the glass. Clik Filter > Distort > Pinch. Use minus size to make the picture bulge.
Step 29
Almost forget, create elliptical selection under the picture and fill it with black.
Step 30
Deselect (ctrl+D) and click Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
Conclusion
We have just create an icon using only Photoshop. As you can see we combine vector and pixel painting here. I hope you like the tutorial and learn one or two new techniques. If you are following this tutorial, let us know the result. Put the link in the comment below, I would love to see it!
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lol, it’s QUITE in here? xD
Nice tut, btw!
Excellent tutorial. I have created magnifying glasses before in Photoshop but my effort wasn’t a patch on yours. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks.
Actually, this is my first magnify glass icon in Photoshop. I search for 20-30 photos and icons for references. I guess that’s worth it.
Great tutorial, well explained.
Tutorial added to the web tuts
Thanks for the nice tutorial. Please I need help: how can I make the lens transparent? I add the picture, but I cannot see it through the lens. Thanks for helping.
Make sure you have changed fill setting to 0%.
Thanks for that tutorial ,Very well said !
can you send a this tutorial or PSD file to my email : oce.1710@gmail.com
thanks
This is a really cool tutorial and something that can add just enough tweek to make your design look the way you want. Thanks for sharing.
very nice,i must admit.
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I was wondering if after you make this could you put it on a website you were making and would if function correctly and how would it be done. Thanks very much
Many Thanks
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