Tutorial

One of the usual designs around Web 2.0 includes having texts or images to appear reflected as if they are on a shiny-clean surface. This tutorial has been created with Fireworks CS3.

In this tutorial you learn how to:

• Type a text
• Clone an object
• Apply and modify a vector mask
• Use Fade Image command

To give you an idea of how things will look like by the end of this tutorial, here is the completed image.

Step 1: Writing the text

Now let's get started! The first step when creating your mirror image effect is to choose what you want to reflect. For this tutorial we will show you how to do it with text on a white background but you may choose another color.

To start with, create a new document, with a white background and type out a line of text with the Text Tool. In our example, we will use the 'Adobe Fireworks' text and make a reflection from that. You should have something looking like this:

Figure 1: the written text.

Step 2: Duplicate the text

The next step is to clone your layer and flip it vertically. This gives you the first step towards constructing the actual reflection effect. To do these all you need is to clone the text layer by a right-click on the text then Edit > Clone. You should have two layers of the same text now. Select the second layer

Figure 2: Cloned text layer.

The next step is to flip the text vertically. In order to do this you must go to the top menu and select either Edit > Transform > Flip Vertically or click on the Flip Vertical icon (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Flip Vertical icon.

With the duplicated text still selected, press the Down arrow on your keyboard until you can see the flipped text. You should end up with a canvas that looks like this:

Figure 4: The flipped text.

Keep on pressing the Down arrow on your keyboard so that the top of that layer is 1 pixel away from the bottom of the original text layer.

Figure 5: The flipped text.

Step 3: Final step

We are going to fade out the bottom part of the flipped text. To do this we need the Fade Image command that can do the fade out for you. Select the flipped text and Commands > Creative > Fade Image. A new dialogue box will popup giving you options of where you want the image to be faded out; either top, bottom, sides, etc. We want to fade out the bottom part, choose the right option.

Figure 6: Fade Image dialogue box.

Now it should look like this:

Figure 7: Mask with square gradient handle.

Figure 8: The selected masking layer.

To have a better understanding of what happened, the Fade Image command applied a vector mask on the picture. When a vector mask is selected (see Figure 8) the Property Inspector (see Figure 9) displays information about how the mask is applied. The bottom half of the Property inspector displays additional properties that allow you to edit the mask object's stroke and fill.

Figure 9: The Property Inspector .

Now, if you want to see the vector mask. Do as follows.

1. First, select the flipped text on the canvas and you will see the mask's move handle (the little blue flower).


Figure 10: The mask's move handle .

2. Then, Ungroup (Modify > Ungroup or Ctrl+U) the mask and you will be able to see the grey rectangle with a gradient, which acts as the vector mask.


Figure 11: The vector mask.

3. Then, Ungroup (Modify > Ungroup or Ctrl+U) the mask and you will be able to see the grey rectangle with a gradient, which acts as the vector mask.
4. Drag the square handle of the gradient handle to reveal more flipped text on the canvas until you are satisfied. And you are done!


Figure 12: The completed tutorial .

Due to a bug affecting the Fade Image command in Fireworks 8 and CS3 you cannot use rectangle, square or circle with a stroke.

Where to go from here:

The exact same principles can be applied to an image, logo, do not worry about any differences in approach as there are none!

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