Photoshop Icons - Green Help Icon

In this Photoshop Tutorial I will show you how to create the green help icon in my image. This is a green square with a question mark on it. These are used all over the web as help icons. This icon is pretty easy to make. First, you make the icon background and then you add the question mark. I will write this tutorial in detail so that the new Photoshop users can create this icon too.

How to Create a Green Help Icon in Photoshop

Step 1 - Create a New Canvas

Click File > New at the top of your Photoshop window to create a new canvas. Create the canvas 100 pixels by 100 pixels. You can crop the canvas at the end. Select the background color that you need. Then click the OK button.

Step 2 - Create a New Layer

You will need to create a new layer to work on. Click the icon in the bottom of the Layers Panel that looks like a sheet of paper. That will create a new layer. Press F7 on your keyboard if you do not see your Layers Panel. Double click the name of the layer to rename it. Rename the layer Icon.

Step 3 - Drawing your Icon Background

Select the Rounded Rectangle Tool from your toolbar. Set the Radius to 10 px. Then draw your rounded rectangle on the canvas. You can draw it any size that you want.

Step 4 - Rasterize the Layer

You will need to rasterize the layer to make the edge of the rectangle smooth. Right click on the Icon Layer and click Rasterize Layer from the pop up menu.

Step 5 - Blending Options

Now you will need to apply the following effects to your icon through the Blending Options window. Right click on your Icon Layer and click Blending Options from the pop up menu. Apply the following effects.

Inner Shadow

Blend Mode - Multiply
Color - # 2b9532
Opacity - 80%
Angle - 90
Use Global Light - Unchecked
Distance - 10
Choke - 20
Size - 25

Inner Glow

Blend Mode - Multiply
Opacity - 50%
Noise - 0%
Color - # 014b45
Technique - Softer
Source - Edge
Choke - 0
Size - 8
Contour - Linear
Range - 50%
Jitter - 0%

Bevel and Emboss

Style - Inner Bevel
Technique - Smooth
Depth - 111%
Direction - Up
Size - 8
Soften - 4
Angle - 90
Use Global Light - Unchecked
Attitude - 67
Gloss Contour - Linear
Anti-aliased - Checked
Highlight Mode - Screen
Color - White
Opacity - 100%
Shadow Mode - Multiply
Color - Black
Opacity - 0%

Color Overlay

Blend Mode - Normal
Color - # 8bfe04
Opacity - 100%

Click the OK button on the Blending Options window.

Step 6 - Create a New Layer

Create a new layer the same way that you did above. Name this layer Question Mark.

Step 7 - Select and Draw your Question Mark

Click on your Custom Shape Tool in your toolbar. You will need to hold the Shape Tool down until the menu drops down and then select the Custom Shape Tool. Go to the top of your window and drop the Shape box down. Click the arrow on the right side of the box and click Symbols from the list. Double click on the Question Mark and draw your question mark on your rectangle.

Step 8 - Rasterize Layer

Rasterize the Question Mark Layer the same way you did the Icon Layer.

Step 9 - Blending Options

Right click on your Question Mark Layer and click Blending Options from the pop up menu. Apply the following two effects to the question mark.

Color Overlay

Blend Mode - Normal
Color - # ffffff
Opacity - 100%

Stroke

Size - 1
Position - Outside
Blend Mode - Normal
Opacity - 100%
Fill Type - Color
Color - # 35a011

Click OK on the Blending Options window.

Step 10 - Dropping the Opacity

In your Layers Panel you will see a window for Opacity. Click the arrow and drop the Opacity down to 88%. That will blend the question mark into the rectangle.

You're done! If you have any problems with this Photoshop Tutorial, please feel free to leave me a comment at the bottom of this page.