Create a Simple LCD Monitor Icon

Hi there. In this tutorial you’ll learn to create a simple lcd monitor icon. It’s a pretty simple tutorial that might help you understand some basic effects like the clipping mask or the offset path. Also you can learn some stuff about multiple fills and strokes and about alignment.
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
Estimated Completion Time: 30 minutes
Number of Steps: 12

This is what you’ll be creating:

Step 01

Create a 256x256px document. Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool and create a shape like the one shown in the image below. To increase/decrease the roundness of this shape hit up/down while you click and drag to create the shape. Fill this shape with R=24 G=23 B=26 then add a 1pt Stroke (align Stroke to outside). Name this shape “Part1″.

Step 02

Duplicate “Part1″(select it from the
layers pallete and drag it over the “Create New Layer” icon – placed in the bottom of the Layer pallete). Select this copy and change the fill of the stroke to none. Next, select the fill, lower it’s opacity to 40% and add a Film Grain effect (Effect > artistic > Film Grain) like the one shown below. Now, the edges of this shape might look a little pixelated. To get rid of these pixels create a new copy of “Part1″ fill it with none(both fill and stroke) and place it above the shape with the Film Grain effect. Now, select this two shapes and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.

Step 03

Once again duplicate “Part1″. Select this shape and hit Shift + Ctrl + ] (to bring this shape in front, above all the other shapes). Fill this shape with the gradient shown in image #1. Next, add three new fills (from the drop down menu of the Appearance panel click on Add New Fill), and use the gradients shown in the next images. Don’t forget to lower the opacity of these fills as shown. Name this shape “Part1.Gradients”.

Step 04

Select the Rectangle Tool(M) and create a new shape like the one shown in image #1. Now you need to align this shape. Select it along with “Part1″, hit “V” (to switch to the Selection Tool) and click on the border of “Part1″(it should get emphasized). Open the Align pallete (Window > Align) and click on the Horizontal Align Center button. Move it a few pixels/down to adjust the space left in the top. First, fill this shape with R=61 G=65 B=70 and add a 1pt stroke(R=38 G=38 B=38) aligned to outside . Next, add two new fills and use the gradients shown in the image below (don’t forget to lower the opacity of the second one to 15%). Name this shape “Part2″.

Step 05

Select “Part2″ and go to Object > Path > Offset Path, use a -4px Offset and click ok. Name the resulting shape “Part3″ and fill it with R=93 G=97 B=103. Select this fill (from the appearance panel) and add the Inner Glow (Effect > Stylize > Inner Glow) shown below. Next, add two new fills and fill them with the linear and the radial gradients shown in the next image.

Step 06

To create a simple power button select thew Ellipse Tool(L) and create a perfect circle as shown in the image below. First fill it with R=51 G=51 B=51 then add a new fill and and use the gradient below. Next, add three strokes and fallow the colors and the dimensions shown below. All these strokes must be aligned to Inside.

Step 07

Select the Pen Tool(P) and create a horizontal path (image #1). Fill it with none then add a 2pt stroke (for now use any color you want). Reselect the Pen Tool(P) and create two vertical lines(image #3). Now you need to align the vertical lines. Selecet them and group them (Ctrl + G). Select this group along with “Part1″. Hit “V”(to switch to the Selection Tool), click on the border of “Part1″, then click on Horizontal Align Center from the Align pallete. Next, select the horizontal and the verical lines and go to Object Expand. Select the expanded shapes and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder pallete. Select the resulting shape and add a 0.5px Rounded Corners effect (Effect > Stylize > Rounded Corners). Once again go to Object > Expand.

Step 08

Select the resulting shape lower its opacity to 70% then fill it with R=93 G=97 B=103. Select this fill (from the Appearance pallete) and add the discrete Inner Glow shown in the image below. Next, add a new fill and use the gradient below. Create a copy of “Part1″ fill it with none (both fill and stroke) and move it in the top of the Layers pallete. Select this copy along with the previously created shape then go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make.

Step 09

Select the Pen Tool(P), create a shape like the one shown in image #1 and name it “vvv”. Duplicate “vvv” and “Part1″. Select these two copies and click on the Intersect button from the Pathfinder pallete. Fill the resulting shape with the gradient shown in image #2 then lower its opacity to 50%. Place this shape above “Part1.Gradients” (in the Layers pallete). Next, create a copy of “Part2″. Select this copy along with the original “vvv” shape then click on the Intersect button from the Pathfinder pallete. Fill the resulting shape with the gradient shown in image #4. Lower its opacity to 20% and move it in the top of the Layer pallete.

Step 10

Select the Rectangle Tool(M),create a shape like the one shown in image #1 and move it in the bottom of the Layers pallete. Pick the Add Anchor Point Tool(+) and add a new anchor point in the center of the bottom side(image #2). Select this new anchor (with the Direct Selection Tool) and move it a few pixels down. Next, select the Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift+Ctrl) and click (on the fresh anchor point) and drag to the left until your shape looks like the one shown in image #3. Fill this shape with the the color and the gradient shown below. Don’ forget to lower the opacity of the gradient to 50%.

Step 11

Once again select the Rectangle Tool(M) and create a shape like the one shown in image #1. Move it in the bottom of the layer pallete. Select the top anchor points (with the Direct Selection Tool), pick the Scale Tool(S), hold Shift then click and drag from the outside to inside until you get a shape like the one shown in image #1. First fill it with R=38 G=38 B=38 then add two new fills and use the gradients shown in images #4 and #5. Lower the opacity of the fisrt gradient to 50%.

Step 12

Finally, with the Rectangle Tool(M) create a shape like the one shown in image #1. Try not to leave any shape between this shape and the one created in the previous step. Fill it with R=71 G=75 B=80 and with the gradient shown below.

Final

Now your lcd monitor is done. Here is how it should look like.