Designing a Black Zune 2 in Photoshop

by: John Conanan

Photoshop Black Zune 2 Preview
Here is a preview of what your completed Black Zune 2 will look like.

Steps 1 through 6

Step 1:

Let's begin by creating a new document with a white background, I used 330x500 pixels for the canvas size. Next choose the Rounded Rectangle Tool, on the Options Palette select Fill Pixels, set the radius to 14 px and check anti-aliased. Click on the arrow pointing down to open the Rounded Rectangle Options, select Fixed Size and add 222x402 px for the size settings. Familiarlize yourself with the Fixed Size Option because you will be using it a lot in this tutorial. Now create a new layer and draw a black rounded rectangle.

Step 2:

Go to Layer > Layer Style and apply a Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow and Stroke blending options to your black rounded rectangle layer.

Step 3:

Go to Select > Load Selection and leave all the settings default, this should add a marquee selection around your black rounded rectangle. Now select your Brush Tool and set the brush to soft round 280 pixels. Create a new layer and brush black on the bottom left corner of your black rounded rectangle, we want the side to fade out.

Step 4:

In a new layer add another black rounded rectangle like you made from step one. Then go to your Layers Palette and set the blending mode to Lighten, this should make the black rounded rectangle invisible.

Step 5:

Apply an Inner Shadow blending option to your invisible black rounded rectangle layer. The top corner should now have a fade, you can also use your brush tool to achive the same technique but with layer style its faster and more precise.

Step 6:

Now crop a picture inside your design which will represent the screen of your Zune 2. The exact size of this picture is 179x238 pixels.

Steps 7 through 12

Step 7:

Once you insert the picture into your design apply an Inner Shadow and Inner Glow blending options under Layer Styles.

Step 8:

Create a new layer, with your Rounded Rectangle Tool draw another black rounded rectangle size 194x234 px. Use the Fixed Size setting under the Rounded Rectangle Tool to make the exact shape. The picture below has a marquee selection to show you the exact location of the black rounded rectangle since the shape blends with the whole design.

Step 9:

Now go to Select > Load Selection and leave the settings default, this will add a marquee selection around your black rounded rectangle. Then select your Polygonal Lasso Tool, hold Alt on your keyboard and add polygon lasso lines in a slant on the left side of your marquee selection, this should delete half of your marquee selection.

Step 10:

Cut the selection by going to Edit > Cut. Then under Layer Style add a Gradient Overlay blending option.

Step 11:

On your Layers Palette set the layer's blending mode from step ten to Lighten.

Step 12:

Choose your Rounded Rectangle Tool and set the radius to 40 px. Create a new layer, below your screen draw the shape you see on the picture, size 92x85 px and #FFF7D9 for color. Remember to use the Fixed Size setting to create the exact shape.

Steps 13 through 18

Step 13:

Under Layer Style add an Inner Shadow and Gradient Overlay blending option to your step 12 shape layer.

Step 14:

Create a new layer. With your Rounded Rectangle Tool draw the black shape you see on the image below, size 85x87 px. Then under Layer Styleadd a Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow and Gradient Overlay blending options.

Step 15:

Now create the small button, first set the radius of your Rounded Rectangle Tool to 14 px. In a new layer draw a black rounded rectangle size 39x38 px.

Step 16:

Duplicate your small rounded rectangle layer (Layer > Duplicate Layer). Position this copy on the other side of your design.

Step 17:

Select the Horizontal Type Tool and under the Options Palette set the font family to Webdings, 33pt, crisp and #262626 for color. Now type '3' on your keyboard which is an arrow under Webdings font. Then in a new text layer with the same font family but 17pt for size and black for color type '3' again, place this second arrow inside the bigger arrow.

Step 18:

Add the same arrow icon on your second button.

The final result
And here it is once more. Your very own Black Zune 2.