Today I got a request on how to make matching headers, it’s not as hard as you think, it could be much fun! I’ll tell you the basics, my size, how to make them matching and image search. This is just my way of doing it, you could be doing it otherwise and that’s totally fine. I’m also very foreign so please excuse any grammer or spelling mistakes! let’s get into it :)
what you need:
Any kind of Photoshop
Google
An icon (so we can make a header for it)
Music, cause making icons and headers could take a while and could be a pain in the ass sometime :)
For the first thing, you need to have an icon. I have a tutorial on how to make icons (here) :)
I’m going to use this icon:
Look at the colors of your icon. As you can see mine has some kind of purple, black, brown/beige and reddish colors. Think about which color your header is going to match. I think I’m going to make a header that matches the purple shirt. Think about everything that could have that color. I thought about lavender immediately!
Open your google and search on your subject for your header. If you can’t think of anything just search for (in my case) purple headers on google (color + headers), you might see a subject you didn’t think of. If you found it: go ahead and search on that subject so you can begin your header.
If you really want to use one specific subject but it’s really hard to find, search on (again in my case) lavender drawing. There will pop up loads of things! (subject + drawing)(if you’re foreign you can always search in English for better results!)
I’m going for this drawing:
Now look for a bigger size since: I’m not sure if this image will suit the header size: 1263x421 Pixles (you can use 1500x500 or 1280x468 it doesn’t matter). I choose for 1263x421 so the image doesn’t have to be that big, this will help you find other pictures then wallpapers
Hold the image and drag it into google’s search bar:
You’ll get to see this: google will find all sizes of the image on the internet and other information:
There are sadly no other sizes found, but the size of this image is bigger than the header size we planned on using. So this is a match! This is how it’d look if you have other sizes:
click on all sizes and there will be that one image in all different sizes. choose the one that suits your header size the best, if it doesn’t look okay? choose a bigger one.
Open your photoshop
Go to the top, left, file > new
Use the sizes 1263x421 (or else (example:1280x468/1500x500))
Add or open your photo to the header
Resize it or/and change place if necessary by clicking CTRL+T on your keyboard and hit enter when you’re done
Open your icon
Hold it next to the header
Add if you want topaz settings or actions to your header
You’ve this little menu somewhere in photoshop
I got it above my layers (for some of you it’s logic but other people might not have their window settings as “photography”)
Play around with all those settings on the header to make it match. I’d recommend using these as first:
If the header and icon already match, just add the same psd as you used on the icon to the header or leave it
If they still do not match after you changed the color settings (sensitive color), the lightning and all that jazz, you copy the header layer. Go with your mouse on the header layer > right mouse button click > duplicate layer
Click on the pipette in the menu on the left
Go to your icon
Click on the color you wanted the header to match
Go back to the header
Go to the top layer
Click on the brush in the menu on the left
Change the brush size to whatever you think is big enough
Color the top layer
Select the top layer and play around with the layer settings (if that’s what they’re called..)
Or change the opacity
I used bleach as example
Result:
There never is one setting you can use for every image, so just play around with them
If that one color doesn’t work you can change it
Do the same as before, grab the pipette > select a color on the icon
Grab the little bucket
Click on the top layer (colored one) to fill/color it in one second
Et voila!
And you’re done, of course this one doesn’t match the icon perfectly, it was an example :) but I choose for the other way, changing the light and sensitive color to get this (pack)
I hope you thought this was useful, if you have any more tips or questions ask me (here) :)
