Vista style dark Blog template written by Lorelei ©
www.loreleiweb.com
Free .PSD file is available - For members only (scroll down)
Today we will be making this blog template:
So, first of all, make a new canvas. As usually we use use 650*550, but u can make it bigger if u like, i just personally think that too wide templates are not very convenient.
Fill your canvas with black (#000000) and, using teh marquee tool, draw a box inside, as shown on the picture below. Go to Layer >> New >> Create a New Layer, in order to make a new layer, and fill your box with green, we used #a1c770 here.
Go to Layer >> Layer Styles >> Stroke, and apply these settings for the border. use the #5ea403 colour for stroke effect. If you decide to work with absolutely different colours, make sure your border will be slightly darker than the body of the template.
Click for illustration:
http://www.loreleiweb.com/28/BLOG/2.jpg
Now, since we decided to make a vista-like style, we need a photo of a fresh leaf. Don't take photos of official Vista wallpapers, as you cannot acquire their copyright, try to stick with something similar yet license free.
We used this nice picture:
Press Ctrl + A to select the entire leaf picture, CTRL + C to copy it, and then, when u move back to the blog canvas, and press CTRL + V to paste it. move it to the upper part of the blog, and erase unneeded space, so that only a "box" at the upper part of the template will remain, and create a header...
Make a new layer again.
Using the marquee tool, draw a navigation box, as shown on the picture, and fill it with #49821b. Apply same stroke effect as you did for the entire template's body...
Select again the layer with the leaf. Using the eraser tool, with soft edge (this is important!), about 80px size, do over the lower edge of the leaf picture (which is our header) and make the edge soft (as shown on the picture) all the way though...
Make a new layer. Using the marquee tool, draw one more box inside the remaining part of the template, a little lower then the navigation bar, and apply these settings for filling and border:
[use #2a550d for dark green, in gradient effect, and #49821b for the lighter hue] The stroke effect is same as in all the previous boxes.
Make a new layer once more.
Draw (with marquee tool again) a small box at the upper part of the header, and fill it with any green hue, ideally with #49821b too.
Press Ctrl + T and rotate it a bit to the side, about 25 degree.
Set the "fill" of the box to about 72%.
Go to Layer >> Layer Styles >> Stroke, and apply this gradient effect...
Zoom on the gradient effect (forum members know we used it already for teh arctic cool effect):
Click for illustration:
http://www.loreleiweb.com/28/beauty/textie/11.gif
So far, this is how your canvas should look like...
Select the typing tool, and type the title of your blog inside the semi transparent box we have created. Here I used #e4fa4f as a lime yellow colour for the text, and the "Alba" font, available free at dafont.com. Don't forget to press Ctrl + T (after u have finished typing) and rotate your text to same degree as the box!
Do you still have the big leaf picture under the elbow? Good, now we are goinf to need it again. Select it, copy and paste unto the entire template canvas. Please see the picture for more details, but remember, it should go UNDER the main content box, but ABOVE the navigation column. This is tricky, especially if your layers sequence is messed up, so be sure to organize it they way I did on the illustration below ( u can select the layer and drag it upwards or downwards to change their position)
Also, important - set the opacity of big leaf to about 58%, or less, and using the eraser tool, remove the remains from sides...
Select the "Mesh Medium" 60 px brush, comes default at Potoshop CS2. Using the black colour, draw a few straight lines, horizontally to the navigation menu. If you are enable to do not touch the edges, don't worry, u can always remove it using the eraser tool, just be sure to work on a new layer yet again, in case you would need to make corrections.
This is what we did...
Select the tyoing tool and using same yellow line colour, add titles to the black mesh lines we just added. I used Arial Black font, 15 Px.
Also, susung the typing tool, draw text areas inside the navigation boxes and add plases for links, and do the same in the mian content box, for text.
That's it! Enjoy and feel free to download the .psd file for individual use.
[You need to be a member for a minimum of 3 days and have 10 posts or more in our forum to be eligible to download]
[Photoshop] Vista style dark Blog template
Linear Mode
