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Step 1

Start by creating a new image 400 X 400 and set the background color to #404040.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color and select the Gradient tab. Click on the image to open the available gradients. Select Gray and use the following settings:

On the Tools toolbar, select the Selection (S)

On the Tool Options palette,Selection type: Rounded Rectangle

Create a vertical rounded rectangular selection on the left side of your canvas:

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

Selections > Select None

Step 2

Layers > Duplicate

Image > Mirror

On the Tools toolbar, select the Pick Tool (K)

Your image should now have a box around it with several smaller square boxes (called nodes):

While holding down on the Ctrl key on your keyboard, grab either the top left or bottom left node and bring it inwards like this:

Now grab it in the center and place it over our first image. You want just a slight boarder showing on the right hand side:

Selections > Select All [Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + A]

Selections > Float [Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + F]

Selections > Defloat [Keyboard shortcut: CTRL + Shift + F]

Selections > Load/Save Selection > Save Selection To Alpha Channel... > Save

Step 3

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

Selections > Load/Save Selection > Load Selection From Alpha Channel... > Load.

Selections > Modify > Contract... > Number of pixels: 4 > Okay.

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color. The Gradient tab should still be selected. Place a checkmark in the Invert box:

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize... Hue: 81 Saturation: 255

Effects > Texture Effects > Blinds... use the following settings:

Your image should now look similar to this:

Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow... use the following settings:

Selections > Select None

Step 4

Now we'll give a "clip board" effect.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

Selections > Load/Save Selection > Load Selection From Alpha Channel... > Load.

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color. The Gradient tab should still be selected. Modify the style properties to the following: :

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

Selections > Select None

On the Tools toolbar, select the Pick Tool (K)

First, grab it from the center and move it towards the left edge of the image below it:

Now we're going to bring the top down a bit:

And the bottom up about the same amount:

Now we'll darken this to make it look better as a separate piece.

Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast... > Brightness: -45 Contrast: 15 > Ok

Let's cut out a small chunk to make it unique from the other pieces.

On the Tools toolbar, select the Selection (S)

Tool Options palette, Selection type: Rounded Rectangle

Draw a selection along the right edge like this:

Now hit Delete on your keyboard:

Detail the cutout edge.

Selections > Modify > Expand... > Number of pixels: 2 > Okay.

Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast... > Brightness: 50 Contrast: 15 > Ok

Selections > Select None

Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow... > Ok Keep the same settings.

Step 5

Now let's add the outline for our title board.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

On the Tools toolbar, select the Selection (S)

Tool Options palette, Selection type: Rectangle

Draw a rectangular selection starting from the top and center of our green pipe like this:

On the Materials palette, set your Foreground color to #00ff00

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

While we're here we might as well go ahead an add a drop shadow.

Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow... > Ok Keep the same settings.

Selections > Modify > Contract... > Number of pixels: 1 > Okay.

Now hit Delete on your keyboard:

Step 6

Now we'll add the translucent part of our board.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection: (We're still using the same color.)

On the Layers palette, lower the Opacity to 18:

Selections > Select None

Layers > Merge > Merge Down (this will join the layer we're currently working with to the one below it.)

Your image should now look similar to this:

At this point you can add text, an image, or just about anything that you want to catch your web visitors attention. We won't do that for this tutorial, but have fun with this and see what you can come up with!

Step 7

Now we'll add the final pieces that will give our image the appearance that it's all fastened together.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

Selections > Load/Save Selection > Load Selection From Alpha Channel... > Load.

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color. The Gradient tab should still be selected. Modify the style properties to the following: :

On the Tools toolbar, select the Flood Fill Tool (F) and fill the selection:

Selections > Select None

Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast... > Brightness: -45 Contrast: 15 > Ok

Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow... > Ok Keep the same settings.

On the Tools toolbar, select the Pick Tool (K)

First, grab it from the center and move it just past the left edge of the translucent board:

Now let's make this piece really small. It's suppose to look like a clamp:

Layers > Duplicate

Now move the new piece to the opposite end. This next image will show you how I've decided to line mine up:

Step 8

Are you still with me so far? Good! Lets add the final two pieces and call it done.

Layers > New Raster Layer... > Ok

On the Tools toolbar, select the Selection (S)

Tool Options palette, Selection type: Rectangle

Draw a horizontal rectangular selection joining our new pieces together with the one we created in Step 1 above:

On the Materials palette, click on the Foreground color and select the Gradient tab. Click on the image to open the available gradients. Select Gray accent and use the following settings: