My current fascination with glitter can be traced to Kate Spade’s color for the month of June: gold. Though it’s already July, they haven’t updated the color theme yet, so if you visit right away, you’ll see what I mean.
I was especially drawn to the gold glitter textures used throughout the site and I wanted — needed — to know how they accomplished this effect. So I set about trying to create my own glitter texture:
After innumerable attempts, this is what I came up with. Although it almost looks like the Kate Spade original, it doesn’t quite look like “glitter” — the grain is a little too fine and uniform. If any of you know the right technique, please let me know — I’d appreciate it.
Glitter inspiration:
edited to add 7/3/11 1:30PM:
My pal, Anilu, shared a link in her comment to a tried and true glitter tutorial. I played around with it this morning, and by jove, the results look like real coarse glitter. So, depending on the look you’re going for (fine or coarse), these are tutorials are worth a try. Thanks, Anilu — this was fun!
I hope you enjoy making your own glitter textures! As a bonus for my premium members, feel free to download my exercise files below (2 PSDs, 3 JPGs). If you have Photoshop, you can use the color picker to choose your own colors. And if you don’t have Photoshop, you’ll find the gold textures I made in this post as JPGs — ready to use and ready to go!
The Star Dust Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Glitter Eye Glass Frames
photo corners
tartan maker
stationery texture tutorial
faraco hand from dafont
bm harry from dafont
script bt from myfonts
britannic bold
| PREMIUM Glitter Made in Photoshop 1 PSD: fine glitter (choose your own colors) 1 PSD: coarse glitter (choose your own colors) 1 fine glitter JPG (1000 x 1000 px) 2 coarse glitter JPGs (1000 x 1000 px) DOWNLOAD |
{ 31 comments }
I think yours looks just as good as the original… No questions asked! Well done!
All this glitter is making swoon! I think this looks extremely close to the Kate Spade original! Lovely job! <3
KS has the best designer ever. I love all her campaigns.
I made my digital glitter in about a hundred colors, using this great tutorial:
http://www.scrapbook-bytes.com/a-tuts/publish/article_815.shtml
No idea why I can’t see their pics anymore, I hope you can, but the instructions are there. It’s very easy and it looks great.
Hope you like.
I’m gonna give yours a try also. Thank you!
this is great! thanks for sharing, I see red glitter in my future!
GOLD!!! This is a really good attempt Karina! I know you’ll get it- please share when you do! :)
Ooof very cool. I didn’t know it would be as easy to create a noise layer. DUHHHH. Loved this!
oohh i love the gold holga! i was just sent a diana mini, i haven’t tried it yet though. maybe today i will have the patience to teach myself!
looks great!! thanks for sharing :)
Katrina, I have to thank you for introducing me to the strangely addictive world of dafont. Once I realized how easy it was to install fonts, I quickly turned into a font fanatic! Also, thanks to you, I have a gazillion ways to play around with them. :D
Thank you so much for making designing so much more understandable. Your version of tech-talk is as fun and easy to read as a delicious cookie recipe that I can’t wait to try. ♥
p.s. I can’t afford Photoshop just yet, but I’ve found that a lot (not all) of your tutorials work in Pixlr and sumo paint!
wow, your projects and tips keep getting better. Although I’m not generally a huge fan, I really like her book on Style, esp. for her explanations of color.
love love love love love love this. DUH. I’m addicted to all things gold. And from what I can tell of their glitter texture, I think they either scanned some sort of glitter texture in, like your glitter tape. Or maybe they took a photo. But I think your version works pretty well!
Maybe try hardcore glittering some tape, and then put that tape in clear cellophane bag and then scan it (cellophane bag so that it doesn’t stick to the scanner.)
And I agree with what someone said previously, your tutorials and downloads do keep getting better and better and better!
xo Moorea
I knew you’d like that one. I searched high and low till I found it. You will have fun with it and I am aching to see what you make. :-)
I’m not a glittery type per se, but it amazes me how much effort (and I dare say love) you put into your projects. You are truly an inspiration.
THANK YOU for this amazingly fun & PS-addiction-fueling trick! I love all things glitter, so this was PERFECT :)
i’m glad you guys enjoyed this. ♥
@Valerie: you’re welcome! :D
I think I’m going to use this on party bags along with your sequins!
Sparle-tastic
Thank you for the inspiration
From lucy
YES!!!! Thank you!!! I will be glued to my comp for the foreseeable future!
Beautiful! So great and well done! Katrina…you always inspire and amaze me! x
Oh, I love how it turned out! You ruled it. Love all three shades. You gotta tell me what colors you used. Doesn’t it look just like that delicious vintage glass Glitter?
Such a cool thing! You always come up with great stuff Katrina :)
Love! Who doesn’t appreciate glitter? Can’t wait for the textures.
Here’s a link to the pdf of the tutorial Anilu suggested: (with pics)
So pretty!
oh how wonderful! yay glitter :) i must try this. i think yours came out great.
Wonderfully real looking! I’ve got to try it :)
Thanks for the idea and the tutorial! I used “Color Balance” to change the color of the glitter, silly shortcut…
@kate: thanks!
@coley: the download has a color adjustment layer which makes color editing a cinch. :) and the scrapbook bytes tutorial shows how to save a grayscale template for easy color selection.
Neither tutorials are working for me. I get stuck on your ‘linear dodge’ step. It wipes away the noise I’ve created. Am I missing a step?
Found the 2nd tutorial provided SUPER easy until I had to color it… I can’t get anywhere near a gold color. Hmmm… wonder what I’m doing wrong! Anyone have any ideas for a shade?
@bridgett: hmmm… for the first tutorial, the only snag that comes to mind is in step 1. did you duplicate the color layer?
@Nicole: I used #bc9d20. I hope this is helpful. :)
One of my blogfriends linked here, since I was making kitten and glitter layouts on my blog the other day, and I have to say: I love your glitter even better than the original! That would look awesome behind my awful kitten and bunny prints.