Unleash Your Creativity with Retro Rock Poster Design

Unleash Your Creativity with Retro Rock Poster Design

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Recreating the Gradient Background 2.1 Unlocking the Background 2.2 Applying the Gradient Overlay 2.3 Customizing the Gradient
3. Converting the Background to a Smart Object
4. Creating the Photo Selection 4.1 Using the Rectangular Marquee Tool 4.2 Filling the Selection with Color
5. Removing the Background from a Photo 5.1 Unlocking and Opening the Properties Panel 5.2 Using the "Remove Background" Feature 5.3 Converting the Layer into a Smart Object 5.4 Applying the Posterize Filter
6. Placing the Photo onto the Gradient Background 6.1 Opening the Move Tool 6.2 Dragging and Resizing the Photo
7. Creating a Layer Mask of the Bars 7.1 Selecting the Shapes of the Bars 7.2 Inverting the Selection 7.3 Applying a Layer Mask
8. Adding Text to the Poster 8.1 Creating a New Layer for the Text 8.2 Adjusting the Foreground and Background Colors 8.3 Using the Horizontal Type Tool 8.4 Formatting and Positioning the Text
9. Adding a Border to the Poster 9.1 Selecting and Deleting Inside the Text 9.2 Adding a Second Line of Text 9.3 Adjusting the Space Between Characters 9.4 Adding a Third Line of Text
10. Applying Finishing Touches 10.1 Converting the Layers into a Smart Object 10.2 Adding a Stroke to the Poster 10.3 Applying a Texture and Grain Effect 10.4 Adding a Final Border Stroke
11. Conclusion

Recreating a Classic Retro Poster Design with Your Own Photos

In this tutorial, I will guide You through the process of recreating a classic retro poster design using your own photos and text Based on Tom Petty's iconic Full Moon Fever album. I provided a template that includes guidelines which we will use later. If you don't see the guides, press Ctrl or Cmd H. If they still don't appear, go to View, Show, and click on "Guides." Let's get started!

1. Introduction

Creating a retro poster design is a great way to pay homage to classic album artwork and add a vintage touch to your own designs. In this tutorial, we will be recreating the design from Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever album using your own photos and text. By following along with the steps outlined in this tutorial, you'll be able to Create a stunning retro poster design that captures the essence of a bygone era.

2. Recreating the Gradient Background

The first step in recreating the retro poster design is to recreate the gradient background from Tom Petty's poster. To do this, follow the steps below.

2.1 Unlocking the Background

Start by unlocking the background layer. Click on the lock icon next to the background layer in the Layers panel to unlock it.

2.2 Applying the Gradient Overlay

Double-click on an empty area of the layer to open the Layer Style window. In the Layer Style window, click on "Gradient Overlay."

2.3 Customizing the Gradient

In the Gradient Overlay settings, ensure that the Blend Mode is set to "Normal," the Opacity is set to 100%, and the Style is set to "Linear." Adjust the Angle to 90 degrees and the Scale to 100%. Make sure the Method is set to "Classic." Click on the gradient bar to open the Gradient Editor.

Using the Gradient Editor, create a gradient that matches the colors in Tom Petty's poster. Start by clicking on the lower left Stop, then click on the color box and enter the hexadecimal value 418EB8. Click OK.

Next, click below the gradient bar to add a new Stop. The color of this Stop should be the same as the first Stop. Set its location to 30.

Click to the right of the new Stop and set its location to 40. Then, click on the color box and enter the hexadecimal value D2BD26. Click OK.

Repeat this process for the third Stop, setting its location to 75 and its color to BD6285.

Close all three windows by pressing Enter or Return three times.

3. Converting the Background to a Smart Object

Before we Continue, it's a good idea to convert the background layer into a Smart Object. This will allow us to modify the gradient non-destructively. To do this, click on the icon at the upper right corner of the Layers panel and select "Convert to Smart Object."

4. Creating the Photo Selection

Now that we have recreated the gradient background, we can move on to creating the photo selection. This will be the area where our photo will be placed on the poster. Follow the steps below to create the photo selection.

4.1 Using the Rectangular Marquee Tool

Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool from the toolbar. Make sure the "Add To" option is active, as we will be adding selections as we make them.

4.2 Filling the Selection with Color

Drag the Rectangular Marquee Tool from a top corner of the gradient to the opposite corner of the top guideline. The selection should snap into place due to the "Snap" option being checked in the View menu.

Create another rectangular selection over the bottom two guidelines.

Create a new layer by clicking on the New Layer icon in the Layers panel.

Open the Color Picker by clicking on the foreground color and enter the hexadecimal value 262624. Press Enter or Return.

Fill the selections with the foreground color by pressing Alt or Option + Delete. Deselect by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + D.

Hide the guidelines by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + H. Disable the "Snap" option by going to View and clicking on "Snap."

5. Removing the Background from a Photo

Now that we have the photo selection, we can move on to removing the background from a photo. This will allow us to place the subject of the photo onto the poster. Follow the steps below to remove the background from a photo.

5.1 Unlocking and Opening the Properties Panel

Open a photo of your choice in Photoshop. It can be a colored or black and white photo. Start by unlocking the photo layer. If you don't see the Properties panel, go to Window and select Properties.

5.2 Using the "Remove Background" Feature

In the Properties panel, click on the "Remove Background" button. Photoshop will automatically create a layer mask of the subject in the photo, effectively removing the background.

5.3 Converting the Layer into a Smart Object

To ensure that we can make non-destructive edits to the photo later on, convert the layer into a Smart Object. Right-click on the layer and select "Convert to Smart Object."

5.4 Applying the Posterize Filter

Next, go to Image, Adjustments, and select "Posterize." Set the Levels to 2.

6. Placing the Photo onto the Gradient Background

Now that we have removed the background from the photo, we can place it onto the gradient background we created earlier. Follow the steps below to place the photo onto the gradient background.

6.1 Opening the Move Tool

Open the Move Tool by pressing the "v" key on your keyboard.

6.2 Dragging and Resizing the Photo

Drag the photo onto the tab of the gradient background while holding down the mouse button or pen. Press and hold the Shift key as you drag it down to ensure that the photo remains centered over the document. Release the mouse or pen to place the photo.

Resize the photo if necessary using the Transform Tool. Press Ctrl or Cmd + T to open the Transform Tool. If prompted with a message about the posterize filter being temporarily turned off, click "OK."

To resize the photo, click and hold the Alt or Option key as you drag one of the corner handles inward or outward. Once you are happy with the size and position, press Enter or Return to Apply the transformation.

7. Creating a Layer Mask of the Bars

The photo is now in place on the gradient background. Next, we will create a layer mask of the bars to blend them with the photo. Follow the steps below to create a layer mask of the bars.

7.1 Selecting the Shapes of the Bars

Ctrl or Cmd-click on the thumbnail of the bars layer to select their shapes.

7.2 Inverting the Selection

Invert the selection by pressing Ctrl or Cmd + Shift + i.

7.3 Applying a Layer Mask

Make the photo layer active and click on the Layer Mask icon to create a layer mask that hides the selected areas of the bars.

8. Adding Text to the Poster

Now that we have the photo in place and blended with the bars, we can move on to adding text to the poster. Follow the steps below to add text to the poster.

8.1 Creating a New Layer for the Text

Create a new layer for the top text by clicking on the New Layer icon in the Layers panel.

8.2 Adjusting the Foreground and Background Colors

Ensure that the foreground and background colors are inverted by pressing the "x" key on your keyboard. This will ensure that the text is clearly visible against the background.

8.3 Using the Horizontal Type Tool

Select the Horizontal Type Tool from the toolbar. If you want to use the same font as used in the original Tom Petty poster, I have provided a link to the font.

8.4 Formatting and Positioning the Text

Click on your document and type out your text. Use the Character panel or go to Window and select Character to adjust the size, formatting, and position of the text. You can also change the size of specific words or characters by highlighting them and dragging the scrubby slider left or right.

Reposition the text by selecting the Move Tool (press "v" on your keyboard) and dragging the text to the desired position. To Raise or lower parts of the text, use the Type Tool (press "T") to highlight the desired text and adjust the baseline shift using the Character panel.

9. Adding a Border to the Poster

Next, we will add a border to the poster to give it a finished look. Follow the steps below to add a border to the poster.

9.1 Selecting and Deleting Inside the Text

Ctrl or Cmd-click on the large "T" of the top text layer to select the Shape of the text. Hide the text layer and make the bars layer active. Press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the area inside the selection. Then, deselect the selection.

9.2 Adding a Second Line of Text

Make the photo layer visible again and create a new layer above it. Follow the same steps used to add the top text to create a second line of text.

9.3 Adjusting the Space Between Characters

To increase or decrease the space between characters, also known as tracking, highlight the text and hold Alt or Option while pressing the right arrow key on your keyboard. Drag the text into position and click the checkmark at the top.

9.4 Adding a Third Line of Text

Create another new layer for the third line of text and type it out using the same steps as before. Once you have added the third line of text, select all three text layers and convert them into one Smart Object.

10. Applying Finishing Touches

Now that we have added the text and the border, we can apply some finishing touches to complete the retro poster design. Follow the steps below.

10.1 Converting the Layers into a Smart Object

Ensure that all the layers are visible. Select all the layers except the background layer and convert them into one Smart Object. This will allow us to apply additional effects non-destructively.

10.2 Adding a Stroke to the Poster

Double-click on an empty area of the Smart Object layer to open the Layer Style window. Click on "Stroke." Ensure that the color picker is set to white and make the size 1 pixel. Set the position to Inside, the Blend Mode to Dissolve, and the Opacity to 25%. This will give the edges of the poster a slight roughness.

10.3 Applying a Texture and Grain Effect

Go to Filter, Texture, and select "Grain." Set the Intensity to 15, the Contrast to 0, and the Grain Type to "Enlarged." This will give the poster a rough texture commonly seen in cheap, offset printing.

10.4 Adding a Final Border Stroke

Double-click on an empty area of the Smart Object layer to open the Layer Style window again. Click on "Stroke." This time, make the size 25 pixels, set the Blend Mode to Normal, and the Opacity to 100%. This will add a final border stroke to the poster.

11. Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully recreated a classic retro poster design with your own photos and text. By following the step-by-step instructions in this tutorial, you have learned how to recreate a gradient background, remove the background from a photo, place the photo onto the background, add text, and apply finishing touches to create a stunning retro poster design.