Create a Login Widget

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a login widget in Graphic for Mac.

For starters you will learn how to setup a simple grid and how to create two, tiny icons using basic vector shape building techniques along with the Snap to Grid feature. Moving on, you will learn to create the main shapes and how to stylize them using the Effects pane.

Finally, you will learn how to add some simple text and how to stylize it.

Step 1

Go to File > New (Command + N) to bring up the New Document window. Select the Grid document style, set the document units to pixels, and set the document dimensions to 600 pixels wide by 600 pixels high.

Next, we'll set up the document grid. Switch to the Grid pane in the Properties panel. If the Properties panel is not currently visible, you can easily open it using the ruler icon that lies above the Layers panel. Change the grid X Spacing and Y Spacing to 1, set the Subdivisions to 0 and enable Snap to Grid (Command + Shift + ').

Keep in mind that you can quickly enable or disable the grid and the Snap to Grid feature using the Command + ' and Command + Shift + ' keyboard shortcuts.

Step 2

Focus on the Toolbar and notice that by default the fill color is set to white while the stroke color is set to black. Click the Fill color well and set it to R=0 G=0 B=0 (black) and then click the Stroke color well. Drag the Alpha slider to 0% and this will make your stroke invisible.

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool (Shift + M), focus on your Tool Options bar and set the Corner Radius to 5 pt. Move to your canvas and create an 8 x 11 px shape- the grid and the Snap to Grid feature will ease your work.

Switch to the Rectangle Tool (M), create an 8 x 4 px shape and place it exactly as shown in the second image.

Step 3

Using the Move Tool (V), select both shapes made so far, go to the Path Tools pane from the Properties panel and click the Subtract button. In the end your resulting shape should look like in the second image.

Step 4

Make sure that the Fill color is still set to black and pick the Ellipse Tool (O). Create a 4 px circle and place it as shown in the first image.

Select both shapes made so far, go ot the Path Tools pane from the Properties panel and click the Make Compound Path button.

Step 5

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool (Shift + M), set the Corner Radius to 2 px and create an 8 x 7 px shape. Using the same tool, create a 4 x 8 px shape and place it as shown in the second image.

Make sure that this second rounded rectangle stays selected and hit Shift + X to transfer the color properties from the Fill to the Stroke. Move to the Stroke pane from the Appearance panel and drag that Line Weight slider to 2 pt.

Step 6

Reselect the rounded rectangle with the stroke, focus on the Path Tools pane from the Properties panel and click the Outline Stroke button.

Select the resulting shape along with that tiny, rounded rectangle and click the Union button from the Path Tools pane.

Step 7

For the following steps you will need a grid every 10 px. Simply return to the Grid pane from the Properties panel and enter 10 px in both Spacing boxes.

Set the Fill color to R=40 G=42 B=44 and pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool (Shift + M). Set the Corner Radius to 5 pt and then create a 200 px rounded square.

Step 8

Make sure that your rounded square stays selected and focus on the Effects pane from the Appearance panel. If the Appearance pane is not currently visible, you can easily open it using the leftmost icon that lies above the Layers panel.

Simply check the box that stands for the existing Drop Shadow effect to activate it and then select it. Enter 1 in the Y box and 0 in the other two boxes and then click the color well that stands for this effects. Make sure that the color is set to black and drag the Alpha slider to 15%.

Step 9

Make sure that your rounded square stays selected, keep focusing on the Effects pane and add a second Drop Shadow effects using the plus button from the bottom, left corner of the panel. Select this new effect and enter the attributes shown below.

Step 10

Make sure that your rounded square is still selected, focus on the Effects pane and add a third Drop Shadow using that same plus button. Select this new effect and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 11

Make sure that your rounded square is still selected, focus on the Effects pane and add a fourth Drop Shadow. Select this new effect and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 12

Make sure that your rounded square is still selected, focus on the Effects pane and select the Stroke. Drag the Width slide to 2 pt, set the Position to Inside and the Blend to Soft Light and then click the color well that stands for this Stroke. Replace the existing color with white (R=255 G=255 B=255) and drag the Alpha slider to 50%.

Step 13

Make sure that your rounded square is still selected, focus on the Effects pane and add a second Stroke. Drag it below the existing Stroke and then enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 14

Make sure that your rounded square is still selected, focus on the Effects pane and add a third Stroke. Drag it below the other active effects and then enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 15

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool (Shift + M) and make sure that the Corner Radius is still set to 5 pt. Create a 140 x 30 px shape, set its Fill color to R=29 G=32 B=34 and place it as shown in the following image.

Step 16

Reselect the rounded rectangle made in the previous step and make a copy in the same place (Command + C > Command + Shift + V). Return to your Toolbar, make sure that the Stroke is still invisible and pick a random blue for the Fill color.

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M), create a 30 px square and place it exactly as shown in the first image. Switch to the Move Tool (V) and select both shapes made in this step. Go to the Path Tools pane from the Properties panel and click the Intersect button.

Make sure that the resulting shape stays selected and focus on the Effects pane from the Appearance panel. Lower the Opacity to 10%, change the Blend to Soft Light and then click that Fill color well. Replace the existing color with black and drag the Alpha slider to 100%.

Step 17

Select your smaller, rounded rectangle and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Drop Shadow and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 18

Make sure that your smaller, rounded rectangle is still selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Inner Shadow effect and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 19

Make sure that your smaller, rounded rectangle is still selected and focus on the Effects pane. Select the Stroke and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 20

Make sure that your smaller, rounded rectangle is still selected, focus on the Effects pane and add a second Stroke. Drag it below those active effects and then enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 21

Using the Move Tool (V), select your smaller, rounded rectangle along with the black, transparent shape and duplicate them (Command + C > Command > V). Select these two copies and place them as shown in the second image.

Step 22

For this step you will need a grid every 1 px. Return to the Grid pane from Properties panel and enter 1 px in both Spacing boxes.

Focus on the Layers pane, select the two, tiny icons made in the starting steps and hit Shift + Command + ] to bring them to front.

Select these shapes one by one and place them roughly as shown in the following image. Once you're done, select only the lock icon and focus on the Effects pane. Simply click the color well that stands for the Fill and drag the Alpha slider to 30%.

Step 23

Make sure that your lock icon is still selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Inner Shadow and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 24

Make sure that your lock icon is still selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Drop Shadow and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 25

Make sure that your lock icon is still selected, right click anywhere on your canvas and go to Copy Style. Select the other tiny icon, right click again and this time go to Paste Style.

Step 26

Return to the Grid pane and enter 10 px in both Spacing boxes. Focus on your Toolbar, make sure that the Stroke is invisible and then set the Fill color to R=254 G=145 B=79.

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool (Shift + M) and be sure that the Corner Radius is still set to 5 pt. Create a 140 x 30 px shape and place it as shown in the following image.

Step 27

Make sure that your orange shape stays selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Inner Shadow and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 28

Make sure that your orange shape stays selected and focus on the Effects pane. Add a second Inner Shadow and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 29

Make sure that your orange shape stays selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Stroke and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 30

Make sure that your orange shape stays selected, focus on the Effects pane and add a second Stroke. Drag it below the active effects and then enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 31

Make sure that your orange shape stays selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Drop Shadow, drag it below the effects and then enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 32

For the final step you will need a grid every 1 px, so return to the Grid pane and enter 1 px in both Spacing boxes. Pick the Text Tool (T), click on your canvas and focus on the Text pane from the Appearance panel.

Select the DIN Alternate font, make it Bold and set the size to 8 pt. Simply add the "Forgot Username or Password?" piece of text, set its color to R=29 G=32 B=34 and then place your text about as shown in the following image.

Step 33

Make sure that your piece of text stays selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Inner Shadow and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 34

Make sure that your piece of text stays selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Drop Shadow and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 35

Reselect the Text Tool (T), click on your canvas and return to the Text pane. Select the DIN Alternate font, make it Bold and then set the size to 10 pt and the Spacing to 4. Add the "LOGIN" piece of text, set its color to R=40 G=42 B=44 and place it roughly as shown in the following image.

Step 36

Make sure that your "LOGIN" piece of text stays selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Drop Shadow and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Step 37

Make sure that your "LOGIN" piece of text stays selected and focus on the Effects pane. Activate the existing Inner Shadow and enter the attributes shown in the following image.

Finished Design

Congratulations, you've finished the tutorial!

Hope you've enjoyed learning some of the techniques and processes presented in these steps. As always, feel free to adjust the final design and make it your own.