27

Step 28

Now you get to duplicate the flare layer as many times as necessary to get a good number of flares over your shape. I resized certain flares here and there so they look slightly random and unique. Once you’re done with that, group all the flares layers so you can keep track of them if you’d like.

28

Step 29

Open up your paper layer and select a good portion that you want to use. This will serve as a vintage texture, and you can get creative by finding other images with an “old” look to them like scratches or grungy textures.

29

Step 30

Paste the selected portion at the top of your document and take a lot of the saturation out of it. We aren’t using this layer primarily for color really, but a slight tan/yellow/orangy color is nice for retro since it makes things look old.

30

Step 31

Set the blending mode of your texture layer to “soft light” and set the opacity down a bit to 75% or so.

31

Step 32

Now select your “V” shape in it’s entirety. This may involve you holding down ctrl/cmd or shift and selecting all your “V” layers.

32

Step 33

Now holding the option key, subtract half of your selection. Now you should only have one half of your “V” shape highlighted.

33

Step 34

Create a white to transparent gradient and make a short gradient off to the side that you’ve selected.

34

Step 35

Set the layer’s blending mode to “soft light” and bump down the opacity to around 75% or so.

35

Step 36

Create a new layer on the top, and using a large soft brush and the color black, paint over the upper corners of the “V”. You can use a gaussian blur if necessary to make them look right, but depending on the brush size you use you may or may not have to do this.

36

Step 37

Create a new layer adjustment for “levels” at the top of your document. You can do this by clicking the button on the bottom of the layers menu, or by going to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Levels. Now adjust the settings by moving the blacks in a bit, the whites in a bit and playing with the mids till it looks nice. Below are the settings that worked well for me. This will just give the image more contrast.

37

Step 38

Your wallpaper should now look similar to this. If you’re not satisfied with the level of intensity, then play with the levels adjustment layer more till it looks good to you.

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39 responses to “How to Create a Colorful Retro Poster in Easy Steps”

  1.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    step 9 isn’t clear to me how to cut out that half piece from that shape???

  2. Mukul Avatar
    Mukul

    Great tutorial!

  3. Sucks Avatar
    Sucks

    your instructions are awful and unclear every single step is a nightmare to complete.

  4.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    I got lost pretty much step 8 then i tried to follow until step 16 then gave up as you make it quite complicated.
    “Duplicate the top layer that you just put in screen mode. Remove the layer styles, we just want it to be white. Now set the layer blending mode to “Linear Dodge” or “Add”. Now you should see major highlights like below.”
    At what point did you change a blend mode to screen mode on one of the layers? I didn’t see any step for that.
    The tutorial may be ok for regular users but for novices, it’s just confusing.

  5.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    DON’T TRY THIS TUTORIAL. SPENT TOO MUCH TIME BEFORE GETTING STUCK ON STEPS 19/20. THERE IS A MISSING STEP OR ERROR AND THE PSD DOWNLOAD LINK IS BROKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Its hard to follow.

  7. Maidul Islam Avatar
    Maidul Islam

    wow ,its nice post.

  8. Maidul Islam Avatar
    Maidul Islam

    it’s a great work,thanks for sharing………………

  9. nomarP Avatar
    nomarP

    wow this sucks why

  10. Sandal Shukla Avatar
    Sandal Shukla

    Sir I am unable to understand the step no 20 as after invert the color from white the black the result is quietly different so plz help me.

  11. Grayson Avatar
    Grayson

    On step 9 I masked it and it did not create a triangle I do not know how you got to step 10

  12. mark Avatar
    mark

    how do you invert colours from white to black in step 19?

    1. Photoshop Tutorials Editor Avatar
      Photoshop Tutorials Editor

      Press Ctrl/Cmd+I

  13.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    This is hard!

  14. riz Avatar
    riz

    the instruction are really confusing , how many layers are we making, mine pic doesn’t even look like your’s

  15. lahiru Avatar
    lahiru

    wow very nice.
    THANK YOU !

  16. Ethan Avatar
    Ethan

    I don’t understand step 16 ._.

    1. Photoshop Tutorials Editor Avatar
      Photoshop Tutorials Editor

      Select the top layer then duplicate it by pressing Ctrl/Cmd+J. Remove the layer styles by going to Layer > Layer Style > Clear Layer Styles. Now, in the Layers panel, change the blending mode to “Linear Dodge” or “Add”. Hope this helps!

  17. Luis Avatar
    Luis

    Hey nice tutorial, and nice retro effect!
    This is what i do following your tutorial. And adding some other complements.
    http://prototype-da.deviantart.com/art/ArcHon-Retro-Lines-403478125?ga_submit_new=10%253A1380338295

  18. Sakanan Avatar
    Sakanan

    my layer doesn’t look like yours in step 12. I don’t know why.

  19. paul Avatar
    paul

    Sadly you totally lost me at 21.

    1. Aevion Avatar
      Aevion

      Step 21 is simply a repeat of step 20. You just duplicate that top layer one more time and then change the opacity from 50% to 100%.

  20. bill Avatar
    bill

    yo whadup your thang worked greaaat pardner.aye the feirce wind gods blow and wail outside yonder window

  21. Rupali Avatar
    Rupali

    First of all, thank you very for this tutorial. With the help of this, our presentation looks more shiny. Thank you.

  22. BAMWESIGA HILAY Avatar
    BAMWESIGA HILAY

    This is wow but need more knowledge on forming layers
    thx

  23. roshana Avatar
    roshana

    i did this work in photoshop CS but it did’nt work completely. very hard because i could’nt group it neither turn it to 40 degree or delete it…..so hard

  24. Marwa Avatar
    Marwa

    Wow!

  25. nik.m Avatar
    nik.m

    Which layer do you duplicate on step 20? The one with the “Linear Dodge” blending mode, the one with the mask or the one with the inverted mask colors?

    i duplicate the layer in which we inverted the colors (step 19), but i, on step 21, get a completely different result than you do.

    Any help please?

    1. Aevion Avatar
      Aevion

      On step 20 you should be duplicating your top layer

  26. Vijay Choudhary Avatar
    Vijay Choudhary

    It’s Superb! <3 Loved It :)

    Here is My Result :

    1. christine Avatar
      christine

      you know i cant do that

  27.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    i cant understand step 9 -.-

  28. Pppyhhh Avatar
    Pppyhhh

    Excellentay

  29. Quach Minh Avatar
    Quach Minh

    Thx!! easy and nice
    Author is good

  30.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    GOOD

  31. akhil sharma Avatar
    akhil sharma

    Too complicated procedure to create Colorful Retro Poster, actually it was confounding way to make it sans instances.

  32. mmmmmmmm Avatar
    mmmmmmmm

    mmmmmmmmmm

    1. mani Avatar
      mani

      pls mention the tools too

  33. akshadha Avatar
    akshadha

    Beautiful <3

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