Learn To Create A Custom Vinyl Record

In todays tutorial I'll be showing you how to create your very own custom vinyl records. The finished piece could be used as an icon or even illustration purposes, either way the FREE PSD will be available to download as usual.

What We’ll Be Creating

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Preparation

Create a new document (Ctrl + N) with the dimensions 1024 x 768 pixels. Select the color #121212 then using the “Paint Bucket Tool” (G) fill the background layer. We now need to apply a few photoshop filters to get that perfect record look. Start off with the noise filter “Filter > Noise > Add Noise” then use the following settings.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Now add a radial blur “Filter > Blur > Radial Blur” and use the settings below.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

You should have something like this.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Creating The Record

Select the “Elliptical Marquee Tool” (M) then make a marquee selection using the blurred lines as a guide.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Once the selection has been made go to “Select > Inverse” (Shift + CTRL + I) then hit the delete key.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Label your layer “Record” then create a new layer underneath and label it “Background”. Fill the background layer with your desired background.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Once you’ve mastered the background load a selection around the “Record Layer”.

Quick Tip:

To load a selection click the little thumbnail inside of the layer you wish to load a selection around whilst holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard.

Once the selection has been loaded create a new layer above the “Record Layer”, label the new layer “Clouds”. Reset the background and foreground layers (D) then with the “Clouds Layer” selected go to “Filter > Render > Clouds” then “Filter > Render > Difference Clouds”.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

With the selection still active go to “Filter > Blur > Radial Blur” and use the settings below.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

You should have something like this.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Deselect the selection by press “CTRL + D”, then set the clouds layers opacity to 75% and blend mode to “Soft Light”.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Creating The Record Light Reflections

Create a new layer then label this new layer “Light #1”, select the “Rectangular Marquee Tool” (M) then make a rectangular selection like the image below.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Fill (G) the selection with any color then add the following layer styles.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Once the layer styles have been added go to “Edit > Transform > Perspective”. Drag the top left anchor point downwards until the rectangle crosses over in the middle.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Now add the “Guassian Blur Filter” by going to “Filter > Blur > Guassian Blur”.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Duplicate the “Light #1” layer then rename the duplicated layer “Light #2”. With the “Light #2” layer selected go to “Edit > Free Transform” (CTRL + T), using one of the corner anchor points rotate the layer 45 degrees.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Select both light layers then go to “Edit > Free Transform” (CTRL + T) again and rotate both shapes a couple of degrees to either the left or right.

Quick Tip:

Select multiple layers by hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard whilst selecting with the mouse.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

We now need to trim the edges of the light layers as when we blurred them they extruded past the vinyl record. Make a selection around the “Record Layer” then go to “Select > Inverse”, highlight one of the light layers then hit the delete key, finally repeat for the second light layer.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Creating The Label

Select the “Elliptical Marquee Tool” (M) then create two new layers. Create two circles (one on each layer) one for the label and one for the hold cut out.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Once you’ve created the small circle for the hole load a selection around it.

Quick Tip:

To load a selection click the little thumbnail inside of the layer you wish to load a selection around whilst holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard.

Once the selection has been loaded delete the little circle layer. Now select the record layer and hit the delete key then do the same for the rest of the layers. You should be left with this.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

On the “Label Layer” add your desired record label.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Creating The Shadow

Select the “Elliptical Marquee Tool” (M) then make a small ellipse underneath the record. Fill (G) the selection with the color black #000000 then drag the shadow layer to the bottom of the stack above the background layer (if you need to).

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Now go to “Filter > Blur > Guassian Blur”, blur the ellipse by 3px then finally adjust the opacity of the layer to around 56%.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

Conclusion

Thanks for taking part in this tutorial, if you managed to finish this tutorial I’d love to see some of your results. Feel free to post them up on our Facebook Fan Page.

Learn How To Create Custom Vinyl Records

About Author

Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.