Vertical Panels in Photoshop
Turn this:
50 pts.
Into this:
Step 1: Open your image and add a white solid fill layer by clicking on adjustment
layer. It’s the black and white icon at the bottom of the layers palette.
Select Solid color and choose white. Click OK.
Step 2: Duplicate the background layer. Make sure the background layer is selected
and from the layer menu at the top choose Layer > New > Layer Via Copy or simply
right click on the layer and choose Duplicate.
Step 3: Drag the background copy layer above the solid Color Fill Layer.
Step 4: Select the Rectangle Tool. (Not the Rectangle Marquee).
Step 5: Select the shapes Option.
Step 6: Draw the First Vertical Panel. Make sure black is the foreground color and click inside
the document and draw the first vertical panel on the far left of the document.
Step 7: Rotate the Panel slightly with Free Transform. (Command T) Click enter when
done.
Step 8: Move the shape layer below the background copy layer.
Step 9: Select the background copy layer and create a clipping mask. Layer > Create
Clipping mask. This “clips” the image on the background copy layer to the vertical panel on the
shape layer.
In the layers palette the background copy layer is now indented with an arrow pointing down.
This is Photoshop telling us that the layer is clipped to the layer below it.
Step 10: Add a drop shadow. Click on the Shape 1 layer to select it. Then click on the layer
Styles icon at the bottom of the layers palette.
Choose Drop Shadow. In the dialog box lower the opacity to 60%. Set the angle to 120. Set
both Distance and Size options to 10px. Values may be different if your image is a different
size.
Add a stroke. With the layer style dialog box still open check the stroke box and double click
the word stroke. Click on the color swatch and choose white, 3px and position inside. Click
OK.
Step 11: Create a group. With the shape 1 layer already selected hold down the shift key and
click the Background Copy Layer. This will select both layers at once. Press Ctrl + G. Name
this group Panel. These layers are now hidden in the Panel layer. You will add additional panels
by making copies of the group.
Step 12: Duplicate the layer group. Click on the panel group and with your mouse held down
drag it to the new layer icon at the bottom of the layers palette. Release the mouse and you will
have a panel copy.
Step 13: Move the copy below the original group.
Step 14: Open the panel copy group by clicking on the small triangle to the left of the Panel
Copy name. This will open the group and show the layers. Select the Shape layer.
Step 15: This new layer is hidden behind the original layer. Move and Rotate the New Shape
With Free Transform. Go to Edit > Free Transform or Ctrl +T. Drag it to the right and it will
show up. Place the second panel either slightly higher or lower than the original and tilt it in the
opposite direction of the first. Hit Enter when done.
Step 16: Close the layer group with the triangle so you don’t get layers confused.
Step 17: Repeat steps 12-16 to add the additional panels. Adding the remaining panels is a
matter of repeating the same few steps. First duplicate the panel copy by dragging it to the
duplicate icon at the bottom of the layers palette.
A copy of the group will appear directly above it. The new copy is named Panel Copy 2. As you
add more groups they will be named Panel Copy 3, Panel Copy 4, etc. Move the new group
below the other layers.
Open this new layer group with the triangle icon and select Shape 1 layer inside the group.
Edit > Free Transform again and drag the new panel to the right and adjust the height and tilt.
Press Enter when you are finished. Close the triangle for that group.
Repeat the same steps until you have at least 6 panels. To repeat: drag the panel copy to
make a duplicate, open the duplicate and choose the shape layer, drag the new panel over to
the right and transform, close the triangle. You may need to crop out some of the unwanted
white background.
Once you have at least 6 panels, you are finished.