Now you have a solid color adjustment layer and a layer mask from the selection we created earlier. Now you may ask why use the solid color adjustment layer instead of just creating a new layer and filling it with a color. The reason is because adjustment layers are vector, meaning you can resize it and modify the settings without losing any details. For a solid color rectangle, using a raster layer is fine but it is good practice to use adjustment layers whenever possible because if you want to change the color, you can simply double click on the layer and select a color. Also, adjustment layers will keep your file size small. As you may already know, Photoshop files are usually very large in file size especially if you have a lot of raster layers. Now that you understand why we used a solid color adjustment layer, lets continue with the tutorial. Right mouse click on the layer and a menu should appear where you can select Blending Options. Click on Blending Options.
Step 8
A Layer Style window should appear with a lot of settings. Don't be overwhelmed, we'll show you screenshots and you just have to copy the settings in the screenshots. First, click on the Gradient Overlay item near the left of the window. It should automatically checkmark it for you and you should see the Gradient Overlay settings. This style will add a gradient to the layer. Copy the settings below but don't press OK yet.
Step 9
Now select the Drop Shadow style and copy the settings below:
Step 10
Finally, we'll add a stroke. This effect is minimal, but it is small details like this that make website templates look good. Select Stroke and copy the settings below. Now you may press OK.
