by Cucu Tudor-Ionel & Chitea Viorel

Description : If you’ve ever wanted to draw a soda or beer can / dose for your print design endeavors, here’s your chance to learn how! This detailed tutorial shows us how to create a realistic looking dose. Warning: kinda makes ya thirsty!

Authors: Cucu Tudor-Ionel & Chitea Viorel

Freelance graphic designer Cucu Tudor-Ionel is a student located in Bacau, Romania and currently writing tutorials based on personal projects. At the age of 13 he started working in Photoshop doing virtual-tuning, and then creating different tutorials and websites in his non-existent free time.

Chitea Viorel Costin, a student living in Slatina, Romania, likes graphic design and has worked in Photoshop since the age of 14.

Preview

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Photoshop
• Version: CS4
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Download: Photoshop PSD HERE!

Step 1: Create a new document

Create a New Document (Ctrl+N) 800×1100 pixels at a resolution of 300 pixels/inch. Make new layer and create the same shape as i did using pentool as in the image below.After you closed the selection change the name of the layer in "top part" .

Step 2

Right Click and select "Make Selection" and set the Feather Radius 0. Fill the selections with black and deselect (CTRL+D) .

Step 3

Apply a Gradient Overlay Layer Style (Right click on the layer – Blending Options>Gradient Overlay).

Use these settings: Blend Mode set to Normal. Style of Linear and Angle set to 0 , Gradient set at this mode :

1 – Color #bfbdb1 Location 0%
2 – Color #a9aaa3 Location 25%
3 – Color #fefffe Location 50%
4 – Color #bfc0b9 Location 75%
5 – Color #cdcac1 Location 100%

Step 4

Create new layer and make a "Work Path" using the pentool as in the image below, then rename the layer in "base". This is the main part of the dose(can) you are creating.

Step 5

Right Click, select "Make Selection" and set the Father Radius at 0. Fill the selection with black and deselect.

Step 6

Apply a Gradient Overlay Layer Style, again for this part.

Blend Mode set to Normal, Style of Linear and Angle set to 0.

Step 7

Gradient set at this mode :

1 – Color #b1b3ad Location 0%
2 – Color #cdd0c9 Location 25%
3 – Color #fcfdfb Location 50%
4 – Color #cdd0c9 Location 75%
5 – Color #dadbd5 Location 100%

Step 8

We will add a stroke using Pentool(Stroke Path).Set the brush diameter 1px,colour ~#4d4f4b.

Step 9

Make new layer and new selection as in the image below and fill the bottom half with black and fill the upper half with white colour and set the opacity of 6%

Step 10

Make new Stroke Path using Pen Tool(P) in a new layer (Ctrl+N) and set the brush: size 30px and color white. Erase the black line with Eraser Tool with size 156px and set the opacity 39% .

Step 11

Make new two Stroke Paths using Pentool, one after another with brush 90px, colour:black (#000000).

Set the layer opacity to 12%.

Step 12

Make new Path an stoke this with and set the brush : size 40px and color black . Erase the black line with Erase Tool with size 156px and set the opacity 39% .

Step 13

Make another two new Paths and stoke this with brush 90px, with white colour. Erase the part which i marked in the image below with Erase Tool(E) with 156px and set the opacity of the layer 12% .

Step 14

Make new Path and stroke this with brush and set the brush : size 150px and color white . Erase the white line with Erase Tool and set the tool at 156px .

Final Result of the dose(can)

To use it or to copy it into an other project.Hide the Background layer, select all (Ctrl+A) and copy merged it (Ctrl+Shift+M) into your new workspace (Ctrl+V).

Bonus Step – Changing colour to green and adding an etiquette

Changing the colour:

Select again the part you want to colour with the Pentool(P) and fill it with green colour #324c31.Change the blend mode : to colour burn and reduce the opacity to 52%.

Adding an etiquette is really simple ! All you have to do is to import the image into your workspace (open it / select all (Ctrl+A) / copy merged it (Ctrl+Shift+M) / paste it (Ctrl+P) ).

Then, free transform it (Ctrl+T) and use resize, warp and distort. To make it fit better change the brightness and contrast (Image>Adjustments>Brightness&Contrast).

Download the PSD

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In this tutorial we’ll learn how to create a milk box with a packaging design. First thing we need is to have the design completed in Adobe Illustrator. After that we’ll switch to Photoshop and apply the design to the box.

Author: Samet Cicek

Samet Cicek is a graphic designer, an illustrator and a photographer based in Istanbul. He is a world-wide freelancer currently working at Microsoft as online marketing specialist.

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Photoshop
• Version: CS3
• Difficulty: Beginner

Donors

• Empty Milk Box Image: JPG File
• Milk Box Artwork – AI File: AI File
• Milk Box Packaging – PSD File: PSD File

Step 1: Having the design ready!

When you design for print, always use ‘bleeds’. Bleeds are extra colorful space around the artwork to avoid white areas incase of any cutting mistakes. When you’re in Illustrator, make sure you make good use of them.

Step 2: Starting with the Vanishing Point

Open the milk box image in Photoshop. Create a new empty layer from layer pane [Cmd + Shift + N] and go to Filter > Vanishing Point [Cmd + Alt + V]. Vanishing Point window will pop-up.

Select the Edit Plane Tool (V) and start drawing a quadrangle around the front side by clicking the corners of the box. Some corners are a little bit round but doesn’t matter, this is just for analyzing the perspective.

Now hold the [Cmd] key and click the middle-right button of the grid-box. Drag your mouse to the right until the end of the box. Since this analyzing is automated you may need some editing on corners. Hold down the [Alt] key and drag & drop corners to edit. If you feel so, hit OK.

Step 3: Pasting the artwork

Now go back to the Illustrator and copy your artwork to your clipboard by [Cmd + C]. Return back to Photoshop, make sure you’re on the new empty layer and go to the Vanishing Point window again [Cmd + Alt + V].

You’ll see the changes we’ve made are still there. Since the artwork is copied to clipboard, we can paste it here by [Cmd + V]. At first you’ll see your image with original dimensions, drag it into the grids to fit.

Step 4 – Transforming the artwork

After you drag artwork into grid, it may be bigger or smaller than the surface. To edit and fit the image to the box’s surface, transform the artwork by Transform Tool (T) [Cmd + T].

Tip: You might not be able to transform if you don’t see the corners of the artwork. Drag the image to see the corners.

If you feel OK with the positioning in Vanishing Point window press OK. For details we’ll transform the artwork layer again and ‘fine tune’ here. Press [Cmd + T] to see transform tool’s bounding box, then right click on the box and choose Warp. Now we’re able to move little parts we want. Zoom in and fine tune here.

Step 5 – Final touches

Now you have your artwork fit to the box perfectly. Last big step is changing the blending mode of the artwork layer. Change it into multiply and you’re done with it. You may play around with Levels, Brightness and contrast it’s all up to you!

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