This is the web log of Tim Bennett, web designer. He also runs Texelate, offering the best web design Leeds, Yorkshire has to offer

Tim Bennett's Blog

Etched metal text in Photoshop

March 10th, 2009

 

Note: This tutorial is written for Photoshop CS on a Windows XP platform and assumes you have a basic knowledge of Photoshop. However, this technique will work on most versions of Photoshop or similar graphics package.

In this tutorial we will create a metal panel from scratch (with no imported graphics) and create the effect of etched metal text like this:

etchedmetal_finished

1. Create a new canvas 250 x 100 with background colour #353535.

2. We’ll start by making the base of the metal plate; select the Rounded Rectangle Tool and set the radius to 10px. Draw the base of the metal like this:

etchedmetal_2

3. Apply a Stroke layer style like this:

etchedmetal_3

4. We need the metal plate to look like it has rounded edges – apply a Bevel and Emboss layer style like this:

etchedmetal_4

5. Apply an Outer Glow layer style like this:

etchedmetal_5

6.Right-click the Layer 1 layer and choose Rasterize Layer.

7.Double click the Layer 1 label and rename the layer to Base. Your Base layer should like like this:

etchedmetal_7

8. Ctrl + click the Base layer to select the layer transparency. Choose Filter > Noise > Add Noise and Amount to 10% and Distribution to Uniform; ensure Monochromatic is checked.

etchedmetal_9

9. Choose Filter > Blur > Motion Blur; set Angle to 0 degrees and Distance to 10 pixels. It will look like this:

etchedmetal_10

10. Choose Filter > Sharpen > Sharpen. Click Ctrl + F – this will apply the effect again.

11. Duplicate layer Base and rename it Worn. Right-click the Worn layer and choose Clear Layer Style. Ctrl-click layer Base to select the layer transparency. Choose #353535 for the foreground layer and white (#FFFFFF) as the background layer. Then choose Filter > Render > Clouds. It will look like this:

etchedmetal_11

12. Choose Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and set the Contrast to 50. Leave the Brightness as it is; your image should like this:

etchedmetal_12

13. Choose Filter > Mosaic > Pixelate and set the Square size to 3 and you’ll end up with this:

etchedmetal_13

14. Change the Blending Mode of the Worn layer to Overlay and set the Opacity to 60%:

etchedmetal_14

15. Choose Filter > Add Noise > Noise and set Amount to 10%, Distribution to Uniform and ensure Monochromatic is checked:

etchedmetal_15

16. Choose Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and set the Contrast to 35. It should look like this:

etchedmetal_16

17 .Now it’s time to write the etch the text! Choose the Horizontal Text Tool, set the font to Arial Black and size to 18 pt and the text colour to #353535. Select Center Align and type DR QUINCY so your canvas looks like this:

etchedmetal_17

18. Now apply these Stroke settings to the text layer:

etchedmetal_18

19. Your etched metal text is finished and should look like this:

etchedmetal_19

This tutorial works well with any “bold” font. If you don’t have Arial Black or you feel like experimenting try some other “bold” fonts.

Posted in Photoshop, Web Design | No Comments »

Why you should have your steak rare

February 20th, 2009

It’s amazing how many people go into a restaurant and ask for their steak to be cremated.  Some don’t like the thought of eating meat that isn’t cooked throughout whereas others think it is a health hazard.  If people knew the real facts behind rare steaks then maybe fewer chefs would be disgruntled at having to incinerate a perfectly good cut of beef.

For the uneducated there are several gradations of cooking steaks.  For the purposes of this article “raw” steaks will not be taken into account since most steaks ordered in restaurants are cooked to some degree.

Raw – for some special dishes the steak is not cooked at all.  Most famous is perhaps steak tartare which consists of seasoned ground raw beef topped with an egg.

Blue rare– the outside of the steak is seared so that the inside is warmed; the steak will retain much of the redness of the uncooked meat.

Rare – the steak appears cooked on the outside and is very pink on the inside; the centre of the steak, particularly on fillets, will be red.

Medium rare - the steak appears cooked on the outside; the inside will be pink, especially in the center.

Medium – the steak appears cooked on the outside; the inside will be slightly pink in the center.

Medium well – the steak appears cooked on the outside and there will be feint traces of pink in the center.  The steak may taste slightly dry.

Well done – the steak appears cooked on the outside; there will be no traces of pink at all in steak.  The steak will taste hard and dry.

From the description above it is clear that the rarer the steak the less cooked it is inside.  Taste aside, an argument for not having steaks rare is that they are not safe – this isn’t true.  In 2004 the University of Nottingham proved that the bacteria that cause food poisoning were not present in steaks cooked rare providing they were cooked with clean, sterile equipment (for more information see the news item Rare Steak ‘is safe to eat’ (685 clicks)).  So the issue is whether or not you have confidence in the conditions of the restaurants you eat in rather than whether or not the food is safe.

Why should you have your steak rare?  Look at the descriptions above and use plain logic: the more the steak is cooked the less juices there are in it.  The less juices there are the less taste there is.  Once your steak has been fried for a short time (at the point it reaches blue rare or rare) the juices are sealed into steak.  From this point onward the heat is forcing those lovely juices out of the steak.  People are often put off that a rare steak contains lots of blood.  This is a fallacy: a good quality steak shouldn’t bleed much (if at all) either.

So it stands to reason that the steak should be rare but that begs another question: rare or blue rare?  It is a matter of taste but providing the steak is of a good quality and is cooked properly you are guaranteed lots of juices.  Steaks should only be eaten rare if they are of a good quality such as fillet, sirloin and sometimes ribeye.  A blue rare steak will contain more juices but will not taste as hot throughout compared to a rare steak so it’s a matter of preference.

So you’ve gone for rare, good!  How do you know if it’s rare?  The most common mistake people make is sticking a knife in it to check the colour of the inside.  This is the worst thing you can do – if the steak does need some more cooking it will dry up quicker.  Simply press the steak; the quicker it springs back the less it has been cooked.  After time you will soon been able to judge the rareness of a steak by its firmness.  A steak can always be cooked for longer is too rare whereas if the steak is overdone you’ll either have to eat it as it is or throw it away and start again.

Consider the points raised in this article next time you eat steak.  If you’re dubious or paranoid about the conditions at the restaurants you in eat cook one at home so you can be sure the steak is prepared in clean conditions.  If your local butcher is any good he will be pleased to give you advice on what steak is suitable for eating rare.  Similarly, if you eat in a reputable restaurant they will serve you a nice rare juicy steak, E.Coli free and cooked to perfection.  As for those that insist of having their steak cremated . . . well, that’s their funeral.

Posted in Cooking, Dining, Food and Health | 2 Comments »

What are the ingredients of takeaway doner meat?

February 11th, 2009

kebab

The doner kebabs sold in UK takeaway lure in late-night drinkers en route from the closed pub to home rather like the Psirens of Greek mythology lured travelers to their death. Doner kebabs are doner meat served with salad and chilli sauce in a toasted pita bread. Despite being such a popular takeaway choice much mystery shrouds the food at the heart of the kebab itself: the doner meat. Equally as much mystery surrounds healthy issues relating to doner meat. Kebab aficionados typically argue the doner kebab to be the healthiest of the takeaway choices since it contains salad and pita bread. This article aims to shed some light by answering the question, what are the ingredients of takeaway doner meat and is it really that bad for you?

Doner meat is served from a rotating, heated spit; slices of meat are carved from a large chunk of meat. This is the first warning sign that doner kebabs are unhealthy – the meat is reheated again and again and again. Additionally, the meat is reformed and heavily spiced making it impossible to determine what part(s) of the animal it came from. This is probably what’s caused much of the uncertainty and speculation surrounding the ingredients of doner meat: claims range from lamb off-cuts to rat offal.

We can extinguish some of this speculation by look at what the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have to say regarding the law on doner meat. The FSA say that unless labeled otherwise the meat in a doner kebab must be lamb. Have you ever tried asking your local takeaway what’s in doner meat? If you have it’s unlikely they’ll tell you as most of them don’t know – the meat is purchased on frozen skewers from outside companies rather than made in-house. Besides, according to the FSA takeaways constitute catering establishments and as such are not obliged to tell you anything with regard to ingredients. So although it contains lamb we’re still far from a definitive ingredient list.

Perhaps we can’t even take solace in the FSA’s comments. According to a sampling programme carried out by the Lincolnshire Government in 2002, of eight kebabs tested three were “unsatisfactory” in that they contained meats other than lamb. One only contained 1% of sheep meat! Perhaps these are rare cases but even if you accept the fact that the doner meat only contains lamb there’s no assurance as to how much of it is offal or fat.

Something that may be easier to shed light on is the fat content. Doner meat has recently attracted criticism for it’s high levels of trans fat (hydrogenated plant fat that can contribute to coronary heart disease, obesity and diabetes). Commenting on the findings Manchester Online said, “a doner kebab was found to contain 5.8g of trans fat per portion compared to 0.87g in a Big Mac and fries”. You can see the evidence of this fat yourself – such unhealthy fats will solidify and turn white when left too cool down. Next time you purchase a kebab take a sample of the meat and leave it in a cool place overnight. The more white globules you see clinging to the meat the next day the more unhealthy fats (trans fats and saturated fats) are on the meat. You will find that they vary from takeaway to takeaway but they will always be there.

So the only place to look to for enlightenment is the manufacturers of the doner meat themselves. Sadly, they’re are both protective and secretive about their doner meat. To help research this article several manufacturers of doner meat were contacted – only one responded. They said that doner meat is made from lamb belly (that fattest part) and the fundamental ingredients are rusk, salt, onion powder, chopping phosphate and ground pepper. They did however say the remaining ingredients were down to the preference of the manufacturer.

What are the Ingredients of Takeaway Doner meat and is it really that bad for you? Sadly, the mystery continues. While it is possible to determine the basics we munch on our kebabs at the mercy of its makers. You can be sure, however, that the salad and pita bread don’t provide sufficient nutrition to counteract the high levels of fat they contain. Maybe kebabs are destined to be as mysterious as the Greek Psirens. Would you would rather die of doner meat or by being enticed by a woman of unimaginable beauty? For the kebab lovers out there it’s an easy question to answer.

Posted in Dining, Food and Health | 3 Comments »

Grey content box in Photoshop

January 10th, 2009

 

Note: This tutorial is written for Photoshop CS on a Windows XP platform and assumes you have a basic knowledge of Photoshop. However, this technique will work on most versions of Photoshop or similar graphics package.

You are going to make a grey content box like this:

greycontent_22

1. Create a new canvas 275px wide and 300px in height.

2. Using the Rectangle Tool draw a rectangle and apply these Gradient Overlay settings:

greycontent_2

3. So that it looks like this:

greycontent_3

4. Add Stroke settings like this:

greycontent_4

5. Your end result will be like this:

greycontent_5

6. Draw another rectangle using the same tool that is exactly centered on the lower layer but is about 10 pixels shorter and narrower. Set the fill colour to #333333:

greycontent_6

7. Now add Stroke settings like this:

greycontent_7

8. So that your canvas looks like this

greycontent_8

9. Draw another rectangle on top and apply this Gradient Overlay settings:

greycontent_9

10. Position / scale it so that it looks like this:

greycontent_10

11. Draw yet another rectangle with Gradient Overlay settings:

greycontent_11

12. Position / scale it so that it looks like this:

greycontent_12

13. Draw your another rectangle with fill colour #A2A3A7. Then add an Inner Glow style like this:

greycontent_13

14. Position / scale it so that it looks like this:

greycontent_14

15. Draw your final rectangle and add these Gradient Overlay settings:

greycontent_15

16. Position / scale it so that it looks like this:

greycontent_16

17. Add these Stroke settings:

greycontent_17

18. And these Bevel and Emboss settings:

greycontent_18

19. Your canvas will look like this:

greycontent_19

20. Right-click this layer and choose Rasterize Layer. Highlight this area with the Rectangular Marquee Tool:

greycontent_20

21. Press Delete and your canvas will look like this:

greycontent_21

22. Now add some text and it’s finished. The example below uses the Tahoma font with no anti-aliasing:

greycontent_22

Posted in Photoshop, Web Design | 1 Comment »

Frosted glass in Photoshop

December 10th, 2008

 

Note: This tutorial is written for Photoshop CS on a Windows XP platform and assumes you have a basic knowledge of Photoshop. However, this technique will work on most versions of Photoshop or similar graphics package.

In this tutorial we will create the effect of adding a layer of frosted glass to an image. We’ll use the the Dr Quincy logo and start with this . . .

frostedglass_start

. . . and end up with this:

frostedglass_finish

1. Copy the start image and paste into a new canvas; rename Layer 1 to Base.

2. Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool and select an area of the image similar to the image below:

frostedglass_2

3. Duplicate the Base layer and rename the new layer to Frosted Glass.

4. Select the Frosted Glass layer and choose Edit > Transform > Scale. Hold down Shift and drag on the top-left control point so the image is about 30% larger. It will looklike the image below:

frostedglass_4

5. Hold down Shift and press the down arrow once and the left arrow once. This nudges the top layer so it is roughly centred over the original point of the scaling transformation. This will make the magnifying effect of the glass a little more convincing; your image canvas should resemble the image below:

frostedglass_5

6. Now it’s time to create the frosted glass effect; we’ll start with some lense blur. Choose Filter > Blur > Lense Blur. Choose your settings thus:

frostedglass_6

7. With the Frosted Glass layer selected, click the Add a layer style button from the Layers panel and choose Color Overlay. Set the colour to white (#FFFFFF) and the opacity to 20% like this:

frostedglass_7

8. Now let’s add a subtle shadow. With the Frosted Glass layer selected click the Add a layer style button from the Layers panel and choose Outer Glow. Set the Blend Mode to Normal, the colour to black (#000000), the size to 5 and the opacity to 20% like this:

frostedglass_8

9. We’ll now add an outline; with the Frosted Glass layer selected click the Add a layer style button from the Layers panel and choose Stroke. Set the opacity to 25%, the size to 1px and the colour to white (#FFFFFF) like the image below:

frostedglass_9

10. You’re done! Your final image should look like this:

frostedglass_finish

You can play around with the settings. For example, changing the scaling transformation in step 4 alters how close the glass looks to the original layer and changing the opacity in the Color Overlay style in step 8 changes how dense the glass looks.

Posted in Photoshop, Web Design | No Comments »

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