One Pixel Bevel
1)
We’ll start out by creating a shape and filling it with a medium color. Make sure not to choose a color that it really light or really dark.
2)
To make our final bevel stand out a little bit more, we need to create a black border around the shape.
Duplicate our shape layer (Ctrl + C then Ctrl + V).
Now click on the bottom layer in the Layer Panel and then set the fill and stroke color to black. Make sure that the fill is set to solid and the stroke is set to Pencil – 1 Pixel Soft with a tip size of 1.
With the bottom layer still selected click on the stroke color picker and set the options as seen in the screen below. Notice the menu item at the bottom of the panel is set to Outside Path; this is very important.
When you are done your image will look like the screen below.
You’re probably wondering why we just didn’t set the stroke to black on our main object. Here’s why that wouldn’t work; later on in this tutorial we are going to be applying Effects to our object. If we have a stroke set on our object, the Effect would apply itself to the stroke instead of the colored part of the object (which is where we want to Effect to be applied.) Don’t worry people, I know what I’m doing.
Shortcut
(After downloading, unzip and double click file to install)
Click on the top layer in the Layer Panel and then go to Commands | solarDreamStudios | onePixelBevel.
If you would like to see the steps I used to get this effect, proceed to step 03.
3)
Click on the top layer in the Layer Panel and then go to the Effect window in the Properties Inspector.
Click on the Plus icon and choose Shadow and Glow | Inner Shadow.
Set the options as seen in the image below.
Press Enter when complete.
4)
With the top layer in the Layer Panel still selected go back to Effect window in the Properties Inspector.
Click on the Plus icon again and choose Shadow and Glow | Inner Shadow.
Set the options as seen in the image below.
Press enter and Ctrl + D when complete and your image should look like image below.
You’re probably asking yourself, “Why not just use the Inner Bevel effect that’s built into FW?” Well, with my technique you have more control over the amount of bevelness on the hilite and lolite. Plus, the built in Inner Bevel effect is no where near as accurate to produce a good looking 1 pixel bevel effect. Try it once, you’ll see what I mean.
