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Level:Beginner/Intermediate

In this Tutorial I will explain how to make cool looking upload/download buttons with glassy stylization, with Ulead Photoimpact.
Basic knowledge of photoimpact tools would be a plus but it's not a requirement. None the less, if you don't have the basic skills check the "The basics and tools section" that can be found here.

Here is what you will achieve in this tutorial! Fantastic web 2.0 looking arrow button.

1) Create a New Image 500x500 Pixels.
2) Grab the "Path Drawing Tool". Look at Figure 1.1

Figure 1.1

3) Select a Circle shape. Look at Figure 1.2

Figure 1.2

4) Go to the "Gradient fill". look at Figure 1.3

Figure 1.3

5) Set the Gradient direction by selecting the arrow, see Figure 1.4 now pick a two color fill using these two blue shades. For the left color box use " Hex #7FC8FF" and for the right "Hex#0476CD". see Figure 1.4

Figure 1.4

6) Select the circle. Now go to "Shadow Attributes" and set the shadow around the circle, and adjust the "Transparency" to 18. Look at Figure 1.5

Figure 1.5

After you've done all of that, you should have the same result like this:
Not so good looking yet,right? Don't worry we're only half there :)

7) Now it's time to add a nice "border". Select the arrow, tick the box to activate its values. Use this dark blue, Hex #125181 then add 2 for the width of the border. Look at Figure 1.6

Figure 1.6

Should look like this now.

8) Time to add the arrow. Go to "select shape" then"Custom shape" and pick the Arrow named "A12". Now place it in the middle of your circle. Look at Figure 1.7

Figure 1.7

9) Now add a "border" around the arrow like we did with the circle in step 7> This time the border width value will be 1 and the same color of Hex #125181.look at Figure 1.8

Figure 1.8

You should have something like this now; a few more steps and we're done.

It's time to add the glass effect!! We will be doing this by duplicating the circle then using the "Path tool" to deform the circle into the shape we want.

10) Select the circle, right click, then click on "duplicate". Now you will have a duplicate copy over the original circle and arrow. Look at Figure 2.0

Figure 2.0

11) Select the new circle remove the shadow we added in step 6, also remove the border we added to it in step 7 by un-clicking the ticks. See Figure 2.1

Figure 2.1

12) Change the new duplicated circle to color white.
13) Select the white circle and right mouse click then go to and click on "Edit Path" tool.

Figure 2.2

14) Select the "delete point" tool and delete the bottom point of the circle. See Figure 2.4

Figure 2.4

Should look like this by now

15) Now for the glass effect! Go to the "fadeout". Look at Figure 2.5

Figure 2.5

16) First tick on the fade-out box, 2nd make sure you have the direction of the fadeout downwards, 3rd the Two-color fade-out should be white on the left and black on the right. Look at Figure 2.6

Figure 2.6

You're Done!! :) Yours should look like this now..

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This part is a little extra and it's a bit harder for the real new Users, but its worth it and it makes it sleeker looking.

This is how it;s done.
Use the "Edit Path"tool to make the glass effect a bit smaller in height.

Step 1 left click and drag the mouse over the two bottom Points.

Step 2 once both points are selected, click on the bottom curved line and drag it upwards until it's half way.

Step 3 now drag the the red tips to achieve the desired position! You will need to click on one at a time. Here is what I came up with :)

Play with the Gradient direction from top to bottom and sideways and with colors to get different styles. Also make sure when you do change color to make the border around the arrow and circle the darkest color of the scheme.

More Photoimpact tutorials soon so bookmark this site :)