Hello,

Today i want to share with you how to create userbars, along with some important tips that will make your graphics look very good and clean.

So to start off i will show you how to create a simple userbar for the tech game:

Make a canvas of 350 x 19, this is standard size of all userbars, any bigger or smaller is not classed as a userbar.


Next Is how i prefer to start my style, also it is a very good tip for desktop BG's and getting a crisp background.
Create a gradient like this:


a solid background is fine but i prefer gradient.

After making the background you will need to create a visual effect for the userbar, i will show you two very effective ones using diagonal lines and an eliptic shadow effect.

So for the diagonal lines you can draw a diagonal line and select it, Then click edit, define pattern and it will be in the patterns setting on the fill tool
Edit Edibuhl's tutorial on scanlines




Next we will add the eliptic shadow:



finally to add a theme to the work, normally the colours go with the theme of the render/stocks colour, in this case blue goes very well as the sites theme is blue.

But selecting something that sums up a site in a small area is hard, normally a logo or defining feature will do:



Next is adding Text, something in 4 words or less is needed that is catchy or just straight to the point:

i chose
TTG User, but you could have anything relevant to the image you chose
and an 8-bit font is the standard for userbars, with a small black stroke, being placed ontop of all the effects

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ] finished in photoshop,

upload in photobucket:

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

I will Upload any you make and give credit to you, and we can create hopefully a big collage of all og TTG's favorite things.

I'll make more and post them here if youhave any requests or any you make just post an image code and ill put it on