Metallic Button

This will teach how to make an oval shaped inset button, although you can apply the same steps to different shapes.

Objective

Finished Result

Tutorial

  1. Open a new, blank canvas. I will be using a 120x50px one.

  2. Using the Paint Bucket tool Paint Bucket, fill the Background layer with a grey color.

  3. Make a New Layer (or go to Layer >> New >> Layer or hit Ctrl + Shift + N).

  4. Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool.

    Make sure Create filled region is selected. I will be using a 20px radius, but you can adjust this as you like. The higher the radius, the more rounded the corners will be.

  5. On your new layer, create a small rounded rectangle using the same color as the Background. Because it's the same color as the Background, it will not show up against it.

    (Note: The border isn't actually there. I left it there to show the shape I made.)

  6. In your Layers window, Duplicate the layer with your shape. You can do this by right clicking the layer and selecting Duplicate or by hitting Ctrl + J.

    To make things easier to follow, I have named the original layer as bottom, and the duplicate as top.

  7. Select layer top, and choose Bevel and Emboss in the Layer Styles Layer Styles (or go to Layer >> Layer Style >> Bevel and Emboss).

    Use an Inner Bevel with Smooth as the Technique and Up as the Direction. Adjust the other settings as you want. These are mine.

    And that will make the shape look like this.

  8. Now select layer bottom and also apply a Bevel and Emboss to it. This time, use an Outer Bevel with Chisel Hard as the Technique and Down as the Direction. Again, adjust the other settings as you like, but these are mine.

    Now we have this.

  9. You're done! Add more to it as you like or use it on something else.

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