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[mikethedj4]

NOTE: For this tutorial you will need a scanlines pattern, the codenstuff logo, and the "visitor" font. You can download the zip file below, which includes the project file, the scanlines pattern, the codenstuff logo, as well as the "visitor" font which we will be using.

Now lets being by making a new document with the dimensions of 350x19 (350 = width, and 19 = height)


Now right away lets give our canvas a gradient (you can use whatever colors you'd like).


Lets now name our "Background" layer "bg", then make a new layer. name it "scanlines" and make another new layer, and name it "border".

Select the "Bucket Fill Tool", and lets fill in our scanlines layer with our scanlines pattern. (you can change to patterns in the tools options)

Now set the opacity of the scanlines layer to 17%.


Now lets fill in the border layer with the color black.

Then go to Select/All
Select/Shrink
Shrink the selection by 1px, and go to Edit/Cut (or hit delete)

The reason we did this so we can give our userbar a nice border.

Now select the scanlines layer, and make a new layer.
Now name that layer "txtborder".

Select your text tool, and for the font select "Visitor TT2 BRK", and set the size to "14", and the color of the text to white.


Now right click your text later, and click on "Alpha To Selection"
Now select the "txtborder" layer and go to Select/Grow.
Grow the selection by 1px, and fill that selection in with black.

This is how we give our text it's border.


Now select your text layer, and make a new layer, and name it "gloss".

What you wanna do now is grab your "Ellipse Select Tool" and make a selection like the one you see below.


Now fill that selection with white, and change the "gloss" layers opacity to 20%. (20.8)

We pretty much now have our userbar, but we can't leave the left side all plain so I decided hey lets put the CodenStuff logo right there. (I decided to change my text to codenstuff member, but you can leave it how it is)

So select the "scanlines" layer and assuming have the logo already downloaded click and drag it into your gimp document. (This will put the codenstuff logo in it's own layer)


As you can see we got two problems here one the canvas is way to big, and the logo doesn't have a transparent background, well no worried we can fix this.

Well first rename the codenstuff's logo layer to "logo", and then grab the "Scale Tool", but just click on the canvas.
The Scale box should now pop up, and make sure the chain is connected, this way when we resize the edges the image is scaled just the way we want it. Now lets move the logo to a nice spot on our userbar on the left.

However we still have the white background so in order to get rid of it we could set our layer modes to multiply, soft light, or darken only, but what were gonna do is go to Colors/Color To Alpha. Now make the color white if not already (#FFFFFF) and hit ok.

We've now created our userbar, and were now done.


The project file is no longer available for download!

[DarkyKnife]

Very nice, I will try that next day, thanks

[mikethedj4]

Thanks! It's very easy, and simple, plus it's a great way to show people what software you use too.

[MrBrockWalker]

It's better to use the Visitor TT1, size 10, for the text. Great tut though cooll;

[mikethedj4]

Yeah you're right bro, nice tip, and thanks. I wouldn't of known of the font if it wasn't for your post.

[Agust1337]

Mike this is simple AWESOME!! This is really good for users that doesn't know how to create one ^^ Great job cooll;

[mikethedj4]

Thanks bro

[zachman61]

how do u find the scanlines?
i cant find them in gimp

[mikethedj4]

Their not pre-installed in Gimp you haft to download them, or make your own set. I included one scanline I made in the zip file above.

[Lewis]

Very good cooll;