How to Create Stickers Using Adobe Photoshop Tutorial

Tutorial created by:
Orella, Owner of Art by Rel

Programs used for this tutorial:
Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud

Original Pixel used in this tutorial:


Maker's Note:
Please be original and create your own version of this tutorial. That means coloring, adding decoration and taking away pixels or adding pixels. ~Orella
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:STEP 01:
A) Open up Adobe Photoshop.

B) Create a new document by selecting "File" on the menu at the top and then selecting, "New". Now I don't need a large amount of space. This is a sticker after all and most stickers are cuter when they're small. Set 500px as your width and 300px as your height, make sure the background is transparent. ~EXAMPLE



:STEP 02:
A) Pick out a pixel or a few to work with. When you've found the one(s) you want to work with open it in Photoshop. (Drag and drop works too.) I chose this lipstick and so you can see it's open in Photoshop so I can work with it. Drag your pixel layer over to your blank canvas. ~EXAMPLE

B) This next part is all up to you on what you want to do with your pixel. Once you're satisifed by your final product go to step 04. This is my creation that I'm happy with from the original pixel: EXAMPLE



:STEP 03:
A) You're going to merge your layers into one. (If you know how to do that then awesome, go to step 04)

B) (I personally don't like doing that with my original so I usually put all of my layers in a folder. I then duplicate that folder by dragging it down to the add button. Now I have my original folder and a copy.) ~EXAMPLE

C) Take the layers you are going to merge and right click them with your mouse. A menu will pop up. Choose the option "Merge Layers". This will turn your image into one single layer. ~EXAMPLE



:STEP 04:
A) Now that you have only one layer to work with this will be pretty easy to do. Take the magic wand on the left hand side toolbar.  Make sure the top options aren't selected, "Anti-alias", "Contiguous" & "Sample All Layers". You also want to make sure that your "Tolerance" is set at "10". Should look like this: EXAMPLE

B) Simply click with the magic wand on the transparent background. This will help us select your sticker. Next select, "Select" up on your top menu. You will then select "Inverse" (ctrl+shift+I). Now we have your sticker selected. (There will be small lines moving around the image.) Next click "Select" on your top menu, now select "Modify" and then select "Expand". Make sure it expands by 2 pixels. EXAMPLE

C) Create a new layer. ~EXAMPLE Now take your paint bucket and fill that layer with white. ~EXAMPLE. Please make sure the inside of your image is completely filled with white. For example you may have some holes in the middle where it didn't fill in: HERE. Just filled them in with more white because otherwise you'll screw up step 04-D.

D) To get our outline we are going to repeat step 05B (WITHOUT the inversing step). Except when you expand you only want to expand by 1 pixel. ~EXAMPLE

E) Repeat step C (but with a different color). You should now have three different layers (4 if you're like me). ~EXAMPLE. You can always choose a different color to fit your color scheme. ~EXAMPLE

F) You may also want to tidy up the outline as well. You can see that I simply went and removed the excess parts of the outline. I made all my pixels touch by their corners and not their sides so it looks more crisp. ~BEFORE & AFTER~

G) When you are happy and done with your creation move to step 05


:STEP 05:
A) Now you just need to save it. Select "File", then select "Export", then "Save for Web (Legacy)". (ctrl+alt+shift+S) I ALWAYS use this to save any kind of web-based graphics like sigtags, blinkies, headers, ETC. Anything that is going on a website I use this. ~EXAMPLE

B) Your settings should be set to "PNG-24" with Transparency checked. It should look like this: ~EXAMPLE. Hit save and save it in your folders somewhere. I saved mine with my other TPP (The Pixel Palace) graphics.

And just like that you're done!!


FINAL PRODUCT