Glossy Button In Adobe Illustrator

Creating a glossy button in Illustrator is easy. Here is how you do it:

STEP 1

Create a new document in Illustrator. Make sure the document is set in RGB color mode (File-Document Color Mode-RBG Color)

STEP 2

Next, draw the shape that you want the button to be.

STEP 3

Add a color gradient to the button shape, with the color at the bottom a darker shade of the color at the top.

STEP 4

Select the button shape, copy it, paste it in the front (Edit-Paste in Front), add a stroke to it (about 2 pts) and send it to the back (Object-Arrange-Send to Back).

STEP 5

Next, draw an oval, centering it on the button shape and raise it so that the bottom of the oval is around the center of the button shape.

STEP 6

Select your button shape (the one without the stroke), copy, paste it to the front and then move the button shape to the front, above the oval (Object-Arrange-Bring to Front).

STEP 7

Next, select the oval and the top button shape and use the Divide action in the Pathfinder palette. After you have done this, ungroup  the pieces, and delete all of the shapes except the shape created by the division of the oval and the top button shape.

STEP 8

Select the new shape and fill it with a gradient, going from white at the top to black at the bottom. Then select the shape and using the Transparency palette, set it to Screen, at 80% opacity.

Your button should have a nice gloss finish to it.

This technique can be applied to different shapes and can also be used in Photoshop.

Glossy button tutorial file: