Textures can form a principal element in your designs. They add details to images, giving a great deal of depth to a composition. Textures could come in the forms of high resolution images such as detailed surfaces of rocks, fabric, wood etc or can just be regular pictures. We have produced 7 exclusive free metal textures for you to download along with a step by step tutorial showing how they were made.

Step 1

In this short tutorial, we’ll go into the basics of creating one of the metal textures. Starting off with a new document with a size of  500 x 500 pixels, create a new layer. Then go to Filter >Render > Clouds to add a Clouds effect to this layer. Press Ctrl+F twice to apply this effect twice.

Step 2

Head on over to Filter  > Texture and select the Texture type as Sandstone and make the following adjustments below:

The result:

Step 3

Adjust the tone of the image a bit to reduce its brightness by pressing Ctrl+M for the Curves Dialog box.

Step 4

With the Ellipse Tool (U) selected, draw a circle while holding the Shift for a perfect circle and then fill with black.

Step 5

Add another layer and select the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M). Draw a circle slightly larger than the previous one and with the Gradient Tool (G), create a gradient transiting from grey to white. Merge the ‘gradient’ layer with the black circle layer by pressing Ctrl+E.

Step 6

Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the Blur Radius to about 1.8 pixels.

Step 7

Duplicate the circles six more times by pressing Ctrl+J. Hitting Ctrl+R, the Ruler Bar pops up; Guides can be dragged from both the vertical and horizontal sides of the document window.

Step 8

Select the Crop Tool (C ) and drag it right about the guides. The selection snaps automatically in place but only if you’ve enabled ’Snap to Guides’ from View > Snap.

Step 9

At this point, go to Image > Crop to create a tile.

Step 10

Select the background layer and then go to Edit > Define Pattern. Name the pattern in the box that comes up.

Step 11

In a new document, you can either go to Layers > New Adjustment Layers  > Pattern. Or apply your new pattern as a Layer Style to an object. Whatever use you have for your patterns, they can be scaled to your liken.

Applying Adjustment Layers among all other techniques and effects further enhances the look of your patterned textures.

Metal themed textures: Meshes and Grids

Grater

Grater detail

Mesh

Mesh II

Speakers Grid

Speakers II

Carbon

This one isnt metal as such, but what the heck! I had fun making it anyway.

Steel Mesh

Steel Split

Steel

Compared to the first steel texture above, this one’s seemless as it does not have those tiling hat make up the entire image visilible. This was possible using  the Offset Filter after making the pattern. Seemless textures are perfect for 3D for they give smooth appearance textures all round.

Downloads

Metal Textures Jpgs Zip file

In today’s news round-up we feature four powerful and new jQuery plugins that will add plenty of cool functionalties to your sites or applications.

Phono – jQuery Phone Plugin

Phono is a simple JQuery plugin and JavaScript library that turns any web browser into a phone; capable of making phone calls and sending instant messages. You can even connect to SIP clients; all with a simple unified API.
Phono – jQuery Phone Plugin

Wijmo – jQuery UI Widgets

Wijmo is a complete kit of over 30 jQuery UI Widgets. It is an extremely dangerous mixture of jQuery, CSS3, SVG, and HTML5 that when combined become an unstoppable force on the web.
Wijmo – jQuery UI Widgets

SlideNote – A jQuery Plugin For Sliding Notifications

SlideNote is a customizable, flexible jQuery plugin that makes it easy to display sliding notifications on your website or in your web application.
SlideNote – A jQuery Plugin For Sliding Notifications

IMGr – jQuery Image Rounder

IMGr is a jQuery plugin for rounding image corners. The script utilizes CSS3 in modern web browsers, and VML in Internet Explorer 8 and below.
IMGr – jQuery Image Rounder

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

It is always surprising how many fresh, innovative and always useful tools and resources appear from week-to-week from within the web design community. In this weeks design news round-up we take a look at four more cool and free new apps that may help you with your next web project.

The Square Grid

The Square Grid is a simple CSS framework for designers and developers, based on 35 equal-width columns. The grid is equiped with a 28px baseline-grid for a smooth vertical rhythm. Each block (DIV) is defined with a margin of 1 square (28px) from the next block. It aims to cut down on development time and help you create beautiful-structured websites.
The Square Grid ?

Jo – HTML5 Mobile App Framework

Jo is a new and lightweight JavaScript framework designed for HTML5 apps.
Jo – HTML5 Mobile App Framework ?

Frame Box – Lightweight Tool for Creating Mockups

Frame Box – Lightweight Tool for Creating Mockups ?

Ultimate CSS Gradient Generator

HTML5 introduced many exciting features for Web developers. One of the features is the ability to specify gradients using pure CSS3, without having to create any images and use them as repeating backgrounds for gradient effects. This easy to use copy-and-paste tool gives you complete control when creating your CSS3 gradient.
Ultimate CSS Gradient Generator ?

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

One of the most sought after resources for a web designer are high quality and, preferably, free CSS/XHTML/HTML web templates. And this exactly what we have for you in today news round-up: 5 New High Quality CSS and HTML Templates.

Schizo Octopus Website Template

This template has a fixed layout one page portfolio template with two columns with the download containing the Photoshop Files, XHML/CSS Coded template and also includes documentation.
Free for personal or commercial use. No need to credit.
Schizo Octopus Website Template

CSS Heaven 2

CSS Heaven 2 is a free CSS Template suitable for small business websites and blogs.
This template is released under GPL License.
CSS Heaven 2

Euphoria

Euphoria has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
Euphoria

Template 6

This template could be used as a corporate website & blog, it contains: Two template pages , valid HTML & CSS and all of the PSD files.
Template 6

SilverBlog

SilverBlog is a minimal template suitable for blog designs that has been built with HTML5 and CSS.
It has been released under GNU GPL license.
SilverBlog

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

For today’s news we have collected our favorites design and development related freebies from the the past week and thought they were that good, that we simply had to share them with our readers.

“Buddycons” – Vector Social Media Icons

The icon set is called “Buddycons” and includes 126 vector social media icons. Included in the set are PNG versions of all 126 icons in both circular and rounded variations as well as a vector source file for easy resizing. The icons are free to use for personal and commercial usage, however, redistribution is not allowed.
“Buddycons” – Vector Social Media Icons

Free PSD Templates: vCard Personal Portfolio Minisite

This PSD design comes in 4 pages: Homepage (About), Works (Portfolio), Portfolio Pop-Up, and Contact.
All the pages are in Photoshop (.PSD) format with all layers neatly organized in layer groups for easy identification and editing of the logo, text and graphics.
Free PSD Templates: vCard Personal Portfolio Minisite

Modernist: Free WordPress Theme with Focus on Typography

This theme supports widgets, is SEO optimized and has clean and documented code. It loads very quickly, and has various WordPress 3.0 features. Works in IE 6+ and all versions of Safari/Firefox/Opera. The theme is absolutely free to use in private and commerical projects.
Modernist: Free WordPress Theme with Focus on Typography

Typominima: Free typography based minimal WordPress theme

Typominima is a free typography based, gorgeous, minimal WordPress theme fit for the writer inside you.
Typominima: Free typography based minimal WordPress theme

Coda Shortcuts Cheat Sheet (PDF)

Coda Shortcuts Cheat Sheet (PDF)

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

There are not many iconsets that can match the quality nor the quantity of icons that we feature in todays design news roundup. The first set, released this week by WPZOOM, has over 500 icons for every social network service you could possibly think of. And the second set, also released this week, has over 170 crafted icons perfect for web design brought to you by WooTheme.

500 Free Icons Social Networking Icon Set from WPZOOM

This awesome icon set includes 100 icons of popular social networking websites. Every icon from WPZOOMs Social Networking Icon Set is available in 5 different sizes: 64×64, 48×48, 32×32, 24×24 and 16×16px (PNG & PSD format), which means you get 500 beautiful icons!

You are allowed to use these icons anywhere you want, however WPZOOM would appreciate linkback.
500 Free Icons Social Networking Icon Set from WPZOOM

WooCons – 170 Free Web Icons

This huge icon set, designed by Janik Baumgartner exclusively for WooThemes, consists of 170 icons, sized at 32x32px and are in PNG format.

This icon set has been released on the GNU General Public License.
WooCons – 170 Free Web Icons

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

It is always impressive how many useful and free web apps and tools there are for web designers, and today’s fresh selection is just that – very impressive. The Aloha Editor is especially impressive, with its unique live editing features. And there is also CSS3 Pie which will make all CSS3 properties viewable in all versions of IE (it really does!). If you have the time we recommend you take a look at these tools.

Aloha Editor – The HTML5 Editor

Aloha Editor allows you to edit content you would never imagine you can. It is the world's first full featured Editor that allows you to edit dynamic content live and in place.
Aloha Editor – The HTML5 Editor

1dl.us – Your all-in-one tool site

1dl.us is a useful all-in-one resource, that feature URL shortening, Upload Pics, Pastebin and a Password utility.
1dl.us – Your all-in-one tool site

CSS3 PIE: CSS3 decorations for IE

PIE stands for Progressive Internet Explorer. It is an IE attached behavior which, when applied to an element, allows IE to recognize and display a number of CSS3 properties.
CSS3 PIE: CSS3 decorations for IE

FontFonter

FontFonter uses custom CSS and other techniques to temporarily replace a site’s font styles with Web FontFonts.
FontFonter

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

Today we have a nice round-up of hand-picked and fresh articles and resources for all of the Photoshop fans out… that will pretty much everyone then! There are is a huge selection (50!) of tutorials for the latest and greatest CS5, a selection of trending lighting tutorials, 100+ Photoshop actions and finally an impressive selection of web layout templates. Hope you find them useful.

Brilliant Adobe Photoshop CS5 Tutorials From 2010

Brilliant Adobe Photoshop CS5 Tutorials From 2010

40 Dazzling Photoshop Abstract and Lighting Effects Tutorials

40 Dazzling Photoshop Abstract and Lighting Effects Tutorials

40 Professional and Detailed Web Layout PSD Templates

40 Professional and Detailed Web Layout PSD Templates

100 Free Photoshop Actions (And How to Make Your Own)

100 Free Photoshop Actions (And How to Make Your Own)

In Defense Of Photoshop (Good Read)

In Defense Of Photoshop (Good Read)

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

There is nothing better, nothing more powerful and nothing more popular than the greatest graphic image editor ever that is Photoshop. Photoshop by itself is a pretty useful tool, but when its extended with stylish brushes, beautiful patterns, seamless textures and powerful actions, it is truly an unstoppable tool.

In today’s news we have collected the best free resources to help enhance your next project.

650+ Free Photoshop Patterns

The use of repeating patterns in Photoshop can help to produce attractive website backgrounds with very little effort, and of course patterns have other uses as well. In this post we’ll feature some of the best free patterns that are available. You’ll find some individual patterns as well as many packs of multiple patterns.
650+ Free Photoshop Patterns

45 Photoshop Actions To Enhance Your Photos And Stand Out

In this article you’re going to find 45 sets of Photoshop actions that can help you enhance the colors and change the overall look and feel of your photo.
45 Photoshop Actions To Enhance Your Photos And Stand Out

The Ultimate Collection of Free Photoshop Patterns

Photoshop patterns offer a quick way to enhance your project with a cohesive look. Here are a collection of absolutely beautiful photoshop patterns. Whether you use patterns to fill the entire background of your site or just a specific area of your design, you will definitely find these useful.
The Ultimate Collection of Free Photoshop Patterns

40 Fresh Free Texture Packs

In this round-up they’ve collected 40 amazing new free texture packs to freshen up your designs.
40 Fresh Free Texture Packs

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

There are thousands of free plugins on the web. Some extremely useful, some relatively useful and while some are utterly useless as they embody effects that can be made with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Though these plugins might offer quicker ways of executing common filter and photo manipulations effects. In this round up, I’ll be highlighting some free plugins that are useful for your design projects or for your pleasure. After long time searching on the web, sieving all through the mediocrity, I dare say these free plugins will be worth your time.

Ulead Particle Plugin

We start off with the Ulead Particle plugin that’s accessible from the Filter menu. This plugin contains a range of effects such as Rain, Bubbles, Snow, Fire, Smoke, and Clouds.

In the image below, I used the customizable Bubble Effect to engulf the image in bubbles. It also comes complete with the image’s reflection on the bubbles themselves. The Density controls the number of Bubbles, the Variance sets different sizes for each Bubbles and the Reflection sets the visibility of the image reflected on the Bubbles. Also, each Bubbles can be positioned or edited individually from the preview window with the mouse.

The Rain Effect offers a quicker way to add rain to your images to varying degrees. Be it a light shower or a heavy storm.

A light drizzle:

Increasing the Density and Background Blur gives you the look of a heavy shower.

Ulead Fantasy Warp Plugin

This plugin offers a number of templates for patterns effects. By filling a shape with the Custom Pattern or any picture you choose.

By going to Filter>Ulead Effects>Fantasy Warp, you can select the Pattern type for the corresponding effect type.

The result below. Though there’s a similar process you use can use in photoshop to achieve just about the same effect by going to Filter>Distort>Polar Coordinates.

More Pattern effects:

The Patterns plugin does have a pretty interesting extra feature and that is, it can create animated GIF files just by dragging each pattern you create to the Storyboard pane. When done, hit Animation and save the file to the folder destination of your choice. My created GIF ended up as a 1.6 mb file from a 500 by 500 document.

*Note: in the Animation options, the more frames you add, the animation gets slower.

Luce

Luce is a plugin created by Antonino Perricone and it can be downloaded from his website amicoperry.altervista.org/luce.

This nice plugin is about the use the rays of light for a ‘devastating’ illumination effect. A unique feature is that the rays of light can be set to radiate from a focal point and can also radiate from behind objects.

From Filter>L’amico Perry>Luce, select the Light type as Point and Algorithm type as Zero, then place your cursor on the object you wish the light rays to emanate from.

This is the cool resulting effect:

Changing the Algorithm type to “Light from,” gives the result of the light rays over the objects in the picture. The Luce effect also works for text and single objects with plain backgrounds.

Redfeid Set of Plugins

Though this is not an entirely free plugin as it is a demo. I just couldn’t leave it out of this plugins’ roundup because the artistic value it brings.The Redfield website does sports very few totally free plugins.

The effect below is the Umatrix. You can see that a demo watermark was embedded in the image. Download at www.redfieldplugins.com/downloads

From the Layer Visibility sub-menu, there’s a large gallery of effects that can be selected. This one’s Grid.

My amateur attempt in landscape photography.

The Fractalius effect result (this one’s called Shaggy).

Still under Fractalius option is the Crayon Wide:

RetroDots.

This plugin comes with a range of options for editing dots:its size,border colour, fill colour, direction of dots and so on. A similar Photoshop Filter that comes close in nearly emulating the effects is the Pixilate Filter. But it doesnt offer much customization.

You can select the target object in the picture to match the colours of the dots.

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You get this result when you set the Outside Properties to “Input image.”

Photobox

This isn’t a plugin as such, but a Photoshop Action that transforms the layers of your images into a 3D box.. I added it to this roudup because it was worth mentioning I believe.

You can download it from www.turningturnip.co.uk/photoshop/photoshop-actions. To get started, just unzip the file to “C://Program Files/(username)/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop/Presets/Photoshop Actions.” With the image(s) you would like to transform opened in photoshop, go to Window>Actions to reveal the Actions Palette.

Click the small arrow on top right side of the palette and select Load Actions. Also note that your document must have a default background. This Action is great if you want to create something like a box package for a product.

By David Ella Ella