Step 1 - Creating the document.

Create a blank white document (Ctrl->N). Call it “Coin”, the size is up to you. Find yourself an image of a coin on its face of reasonable size. I used the one below. Copy & paste this into your new document (Ctrl->C, Ctrl->V).

Step 2 - Using the Clone Stamp Tool (S) to remove the image in the middle of the coin.

The next task is to remove the image in the middle. I decided to leave the text around the edge to give a more realistic effect. Select the Clone Stamp Tool (S), hold the Alt key down and click on a section of the coin that has no text or image on it. Release the alt key and with the bush carefully rub the image out. You can go and alter the size of your brush in the top left hand corner. Essientially the Clone Stamp Tool (S) is taking one area of the coin and appying it to another. Keep repeating this process intil the image has been removed. It doesn’t matter to much how reaslistic the surface you just removed because you will be placing an image over it.

Step 3 - Finding a suitable image for the coin.

Find an image of whatever you want on your coin, preferably with a clean white background (Making it easier to cut out). I chose the side view of a girls face, shown below.

Step 4 - Cuttting out your image.

Use the Magic Wand Tool (W) and click on the white background. Hit delete to remove it. If you have chosen an image with a multi-colored background you may need to use another tool for removing it. I suggest using either the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) or creating a path. If you don’t know how to use these please take a look at the previous 2 christmas tutorials (Christmas Frame & Hat).

Step 5 - Resizing your image to fit the coin.

Select the image your using and copy & paste it into your Coin document (Ctrl->C, Crtl->V). Right click the image and select Free Transform. Resize your image to fit the coin.

Step 6 - Appling settings to your image to make it look realistic.

Ok this is the easy bit. The settings I used may vary depending on what images you are using but the principle is the same. Apply all these settings to only the image that is being placed on your coin.

-Lower the contrast of your image. Image->Adjustments->Brightness/Contrast. Lower the contrast bar leaving the brightness the same. For the image I used I set the contrast to -50. This will give it a more dull effect, suiting the coins surface.

-Change the saturation of the image to -100. Image->Adjustments->Hue/Saturation.

-Change the blending mode to Soft Light. Again this depends on your image. Sometimes Overylay & Luminosity works well. To actually change the blending mode double click on your layer. Select Blending Modes and choose Soft Light or whatever. By changing the blending mode your image will blend into the coin.

-Add a small dropshadow. Double click the layer->Dropshadow. I suggest using the same settings as I did, which are shown below.

-Add an Bevel & Emboss. My settings are shown below.

The last two settings will help give the effect that the image is raising off the surface of the coin. Like the text.

Final Product

This process can now be repeated to create different coins with different images!

Beneith is another example I did by deleting the face image and pasting a car image in its place:

Have fun!

Step 1

Find a suitable image. Open it within Photoshop.

Step 2

First we need to create a base for the frame. Create a new layer [Layer->New->Layer.. (Ctrl+Shift+N)] Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U), change the radius to 10. This can be found at the top of the page. Drag your rectangle to cover an area leaving gaps between the edges of the canvas. Try and make these of equal lengths from the side, although it doesn’t matter to much as holly leaves will cover it.

Step 3

Grab the Magic Wand Tool (W), select the rectangle and hit the delete key. Leave the selected area and go to [Select->Inverse (Ctrl+Shift+I)]. This should now of selected your back border. Grab the Paint Bucket Tool (G) and fill your selection green. (Preferably quite similar to your leaf color.)

Step 4

Add some layer styling to your frame layer. Double click the layer and change the settings to these:

Step 5

Try and find single holly leaves on a plain background. As this is hard to find I have provided you with the holly leaves I used.

Step 6

Open the holly leaves in a new photoshop window. Change the properties of the layer so it’s not set as “Background”. Select the Magic Wand Tool (W) and click on the white background around the holly leaves. It should auto select the white. Hit delete to remove it. Do this again where there are any white areas are present, usually between the holly leaves etc.

Step 7

Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) to select a holly leaf, copy this into your main project. Do the same for the other one.

Step 8

Now it’s a process of resizing, rotating and moving. Right click on one of your holly leaves and select “Free Transform“. This now enables you to resize, rotate and move. When done click on another tool. A box should appear asking if you want to apply. Click “Apply”.

Step 9

Right click on the holly leaf layer and select “Dublicate Layer”. Rerarrange this new leaf next to the other one alongside your border.

Do this a few times, then select all the leaf layers, right click and select “Merge Layers”. Now dublicate this layer and arrange it alongside the border.

Keep doing this same process intil you have covered the entire border. When finished, select all your leaf layers, right click and select “Merge Layers”. This will give you a nice holly leaf frame.

Step 9

Next we are going to add some effects to our leaves to make them look Christmasy. Go into Filter->Filter Gallery and select diffuse glow. I left the original settings but you can alter them if you want.

Step 10

Add a small dropshadow to the holly leaves layer. Double click the layer and set it to these settings.

Here is the PSD

Thats about it! Feel free to leave feedback,

Thanks

Danny.

As you have probably noticed it’s very similar to the one above in our logo! Anyway let’s get cracking..

1. Set your background to a color of your choice, im using black.

2. Create a new layer. Layer->New->Layer (Shift+Ctrl+N)

3. Add some text, stylise as you like.

4. Create another new layer (this will be for your hat). Layer->New->Layer (Shift+Ctrl+N)

5. If your using CS4 then next to the layers tab click “PATHS” & create a new path. (The little page icon at the bottom.) For anyone using another version of photoshop the layout maybe slightly different.

6. Grab the Pen Tool & select the Direct Selection Cursor (white cursor), as shown below.

7. With these selected it’s time to draw our hat shape. Dot out a rough outline with the Pen Tool, then using the Direct Delection Cursor (white cursor), right click on straight lines and select “Create anchor point”. Drag these points to manipulate the shape.

8. When finished go to your path window / layer window. Hopefully you should see “Work Path” or something along those lines. Right click & select “Make Selection..”. (This turns your path into a selection.) Hit ok with 0 feathering.

9. Switch back to layer mode, select your hat layer, grab the fill tool and fill the entire selection red.

10. Grab the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) and make a selection for the fluffy white area at the bottom of the hat.

11. Right click and either copy then delete the selection or cut it. Create a new layer [Layer->New->Layer (Shift+Ctrl+N)] and paste your copied selection into the new layer. Slightly rearange the bottom to have a small gap inbetween the top & bottom part of the hat.

12. Double click the new layer to bring up the layer style. Click on “Color Overlay” and change the color to white with 100% opacity.

13. Create a new layer [Layer->New->Layer (Shift+Ctrl+N)]. Select the Eplliptical Marquee Tool (Underneither the main cursor at the top) and draw a small selection underneither the sleeve on the hat. Grab the fill tool and fill it white.

14. Now to add some effects..

Double click on the white ball layer. Use these settings..

Use the same settings for the layer with the bottom part of the hat. Also use the same settings for the red half of the hat but only use the inner glow, no outerglow!

15. Also you may want to add a drop shadow under the bottom part of the hat, so when it looks more realistic when placed on top of text.

16. Finally highlight all the hat layers and drag the hat over your text!

And that concludes this tutorial! Please feel free to leave any comments or feedback!

Thanks,

Danny.