Photoshop Tutorial: Window Previews

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Photoshop Tutorial step 1: Taking a Screenshot

Before proceeding with this Photoshop tutorial, open the Internet and go to whatever page you are creating a window preview for. With it open, click Ctrl + Print Scrn on your keyboard to take a screenshot. Next, open a new file in Photoshop and paste in the screenshot.

Photoshop Tutorial step 2: Resizing & Background

You then need to shrink the screenshot to create room for the reflection. Make sure the screenshot layer is selected and press Ctrl + T (for “Transform”) on your computer. Holding the Shift key (to maintain proportions), click and drag the corner of the image. When the image is the desired size, click Enter to end the transform. In order to better manipulate the image, remove it from the background layer. Right-click the layer and select “Duplicate Layer,” creating two identical layers in your Layers window. Select the layer labeled “Background” and paint the entire layer white.

Photoshop Tutorial step 3: Begin Reflection

The next step in this Photoshop tutorial is to create the reflection under your window preview. First, duplicate your window layer again. This will create a total of three layers:

1. White background
2. Window Screenshot
3. Window Reflection

With the reflection layer selected, flip the layer vertically (Edit >> Transform >> Flip Vertical). Move the reflection image down until it is against the bottom of the window preview. Now it looks as if your window were standing on a mirror. Before continuing, click and drag the reflection layer below the window layer in the Layers window. This way your window preview is the top layer in your list (with the reflection layer the middle layer).

Next, select the Gradient Tool, with a “Forground to Transparent” gradient. Make sure that your forground color is the same as your background color, white in the case of this photoshop tutorial.


With the reflection layer selected, click the bottom of the image and drag your gradient upwards to the top of the reflection. This will fade out the image. Do not worry if the reflection still seems too bright, as the next step of this photoshop tutorial will correct that.

Photoshop Tutorial step 4: Opacity and Linking

With the reflection layer still selected, click the Opacity option in the Layers window and drag the bar until the reflection appears as desired. Then Link the the window preview and reflection layers together. In older versions of the program, this is done by selecting one layer and clicking the empty box beside it. In newer versions, it's done by selecting both layers, right-clicking, and selecting “Link” from the menu.

With the layers linked, any changes made to one, applies to both. Which brings us to the next step in this Photoshop tutorial.

Photoshop Tutorial step 5: Angles

You could skip this section of the Photoshop tutorial, if you are happy with the angle of your image. However, for a slightly more designed look, alter its perspective (Edit >> Transform >> Perspective). Grab the corner of the edit box and drag upwards to put your window at an angle. Then use the Distort (Edit >> Transform >> Distort) tool and select the middle of the edit box and drag in (making a thinner preview).

Photoshop Tutorial: Crop and Save

Next, crop your image to remove excess blank space and save the file as a flattened image (.jpg, .gif, .png, etc). You have now finished this Photoshop tutorial and have a reflecting window preview.