Stationery Presentation

You will learn techniques which will allow you to make a stunning polished effect like above.

Start with a new file, the dimension are up to you as your presentation work may be different.

Create a new layer. Using the Radial Gradient tool drag your mouse like above creating a white to transparent gradient.

You should now have a slight gradient, this provides a sense of lighting for the 'wall' which your presentation will be leaning against.

Create a new layer and paste on your graphic.

Hide your graphic layer by clicking the eye icon.

Create a new layer, and on this layer create a linear gradient but this time set it to go from black to transparent. Once you have the gradient you can lower that layers opacity or fill which will lighten it similar to above.

Now we are going to create the 'back wall' gradient. On a new layer follow the last step again but slightly smaller and slightly less opacity which will create the sense that there is an intersection between the floor and the wall.

This step really depends on how you choose to present your graphic, click Edit >> Transform >> Perspective, and drag the square nodes which allow you to change the perspective of the image.

After you are happy with the 3D perspective duplicate the layer by right clicking on it and pressing duplicate layer. Now press Edit >> Transform >> Flip Virtical, or press CTRL+T and drag the top middle node lower than the bottom one flipping the image over. Position the new reflective layer beneath the initial.

Using the blur tool blur start bluring the reflection, blur it progressively so the bottom is less in focus.

We will now create the reflection falloff. Using either a mask or a 'fuzzy' eraser brush remove the bottom portion of the reflection.

Right click the main graphics layer and duplicate it. Click blending options on one of the copies. Find Drop Shadow. By setting the angle to point from the upper right corner you will get an effect like above.

Create an empty layer beneath the one with the drop shadow, now click the drop shadowed layer again and press CTRL+E which merges the layer and essentially 'finalizing' the dropshadow settings.

You can now drag the drop shadow layer below the origional, and using a fuzzy eraser taper/erase the shadow as if it would be displayed in real life. I tend to erase central portions more enhancing the idea that the middle of the card would be touching more of the surface.

On another new layer below both copies of your graphic, use the polygon selection tool and simply click to create the selection points, double clicking to close the selection.

Fill this selection with black.

Using the blur tool blur the 'further' parts more, and gradually less towards the points of the design.

Now using the same erasing techniques as above you can tweak the shadow making it more realistic. You may also want to use the smudge tool to stretch areas further from the design.

Right click your main design layer, and select layer transparency. Create a new layer above that one and fill it with black.

With a very large eraser brush set to low opacity place the brush on the upper right side of the design and begin to slowly delete the black, and progressivly decrease brush size to create a properly lit design surface.

Using the same technique above you can do this to the entire canvas providing a more dramatic lighting effect to the image.