Hello all,

I'm a new member of the forums, a huge fan and user of Inkscape, and a money and time supporter of the FSF, though not a formally trained artist.

I've read many tutorials regarding creating gel and glass buttons, all very helpful. But there is an effect that I see on buttons and bars done in Photoshop, where there appears to be a layer of "clear enamel" on the button or bar, almost like the clear coat plastic on a new car.

This is not to be confused with the glass look we can create using white top layer sized down, then apply a linear gradient going to transparent, but more a look of end to end clear plastic (or enamel) on top of a colored button or bar, it almost looks like wet clear enamel, not dry yet.

Is there a way to create this in Inkscape, or get close to it? If not there, in the GIMP? I don't have Photoshop, so don't know if there is some raster effect in Photoshop that is being used that is not doable in vector (or the GIMP).

Thanks very much for any help. I've been able to do all I want in Inkscape, and love 0.46, but am having trouble on this one item.

jwwjr

you can draw in inkscape pretty much anything you see anywhere else. Can you please show us an example, find a button like you want (you can search google images or similar) then we can give you a tutorial how to achieve it in Inkscape. You can probably make the same effect in Gimp, I just find Inkscape easier to use and I like working with vectors. You might play with Gimp filters though, maybe one of them automatically does exactly what you want.

From your description I think what you're looking for are techniques built around the specular lighting filter. Since I don't have much experience with 0.46 I'm not much use other than to point you that direction. Sorry.

Hello all,

Let me first apologize for the delay in responding to both answers to my question. I really appreciate the responses.

After I asked the question, I went looking for the "wet clear enamel coated" tabs that I'd seen (not the various gel and glass effects that are out there) and couldn't find great examples of what I was looking for, then forgot about my post here.

I'll try the specular lighting tip to start.

Thanks again to both responders. I really love Inkscape, want to standardize on it if possible.

jwwjr

That wet enamel look that you want...is it like the Chili's logo?

Hello Heathenex,

Thanks very much for the reply.

The Chili's logo is really more of the standard inner glow with gradient highlights I've seen in various tutorials.

The effect I'm looking to create is as if that Chili's logo was dunked in molten clear enamel and pulled out, not only are the reflective highlights seen, but the perspective of the clear coating layer on the entirety of the piece, even the parts not highlighted, like clear coat finish on a car.

The closest effect I've seen to what I'm looking for is here -

http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo ... 0642EgmssB

- but I want to apply it to various web graphics. Before I sent the question, I'd seen three or four, now I can't find them. Driving me nuts.

By the way, your tutorials have been a great help for me learning Inkscape, thank you for them.

jwwjr

You might like to take a look at the filter effects listed in the guide at http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL ... lters.html

The emboss example at http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL ... mples.html might be what you are looking for. The example is black and what but you could overlay that onto the original image and change the blend mode to make it look slick and shiny.

There used to be a file in the inkscape svn that have some very nice effects that was create by this individual. The image with black appears almost to be what you are looking for.

Are thinking of equivalent of the photo shop plastic warp filter maybe? I got the PoC Photoshop elements version 6.0 when CostCo had a coupon for $30 off

The plastic warp filter:

Turns this


To


or this


to