Menu Bar Item
This is a tutorial on how to make this
Step 1
Create a new document. I always make my new documents 800 x 600 as it’s easier to shrink canvases then it is to expand them. I also find that if you’re working with exact sizes (ie, you know how big your menu item will be), it gets rather cramped.
Step 2
Create a new layer and with the rectangular marquee tool create a rectangular selection on the canvas. Fill it with a nice grey colour. I used the colour #757575.
Step 3
Ctrl + click the grey bar layer to select just the grey bar. Select the polygonal lasso tool and hold down alt to go into deselect mode. Create and odd shaped selected on the ride side of the bar leaving only a third (1/3) of the bar selected. Create a new layer when you are happy with your selection and fill it with a lighter grey. I used #8e8e8e.
Step 4
Open the layer style options on the lighter grey layer and apply these options.
Note: The texture is wood.
Note: The colour is #d75b00
Step 5
Open the layer style options on the grey bar and apply these options.
Note: The colour is #0066ff
Step 6
Your image should now look something like this, if not then you’ve probably missed something, or I have missed a step in the tutorial.
You can probably stop here if you wish, but I’m about to add an arrow in the orange area.
Step 7
Select the Custom Shape Tool.
In the tool bar near the top of the window, select the drop down box and find the triangle.
If triangle isn’t in there, click the small right arrow in a circle and select “Shapes”.
Step 8
Select the colour #919191 and draw the triangle, and place it on top of the orange portion of the bar. Rotate it (ctrl+t and “Enter” when you’ve finished rotating) to point to the right, or wherever you want.
Step 9
Change the arrow layer’s blending style to overlay
Step 10
Apply this layer style to the arrow layer
Finished
That should be about it. The best thing about this design is that you can just change the layer style “Colour Overlay” to any colour on both the bar and the funny shaped bar and you’ll pretty much get a nice output. You can also replace the arrow with another custom shape to get interesting results.
