home > multimedia > graphics > logos

Logos: in-class exercise

Tour Photoshop Elements

  1. Launch Photoshop Elements; choose "Edit and Enhance Photos" (Standard Edit mode)
  2. Menus
  3. Toolbar
  4. Photoshop Toolbox with corresponding tool options
  5. Palettes

New Photoshop document

  1. From File menu, select New, Blank File
  2. Name: logo; Width: 150 px; Height: 110 px; Resolution: 72; Color Mode: RGB; Background: White; click OK
  3. From File menu, Save As .psd document (on flash drive, in new folder “graphics”—not in “652” which should just contain web files)

Add info to layers

  1. At left, bottom, set 2 of your palette colors at Background and Foreground colors (can reverse them with curved arrow tool)
  2. Select Text tool and type your site name; experiment with font, size, alignment, effects
  3. At right, bottom, In Layer panel, click New Layer
  4. Add more text or shape: custom, rectangles, ellipse, etc. (select various shape drawing tools from the set generally just below the gradient tool)
  5. Change background color by selecting background layer, confirm your color choice is set to “foreground” (yes!), select paint bucket tool, click on graphic et voilà!
  6. Save
  7. HINTS
    1. add each graphic element to a new layer
    2. to apply layer effects, be sure to select correct layer first
    3. to move elements, select Move tool and correct layer
    4. to undo changes, use <ctrl>-Z for one change; use Undo History palette for multiple
    5. to edit text, select Text tool and correct layer
    6. to change order of layering, drag layers up and down in palette
    7. add or delete layers with buttons at top of layer palette
  8. Make sure final version is saved as .psd (for later editing)
  9. From File menu, Save for Web, check display & file size. In general .gif will be better quality for logos. Name it “logo.gif” and save to “images” folder inside your web folder on flash drive (652/images