As customization is always loved by everyone, everyone wants his/her things to be unique, beautiful and attractive. That's why at SoftwareWanted we regularly include articles related to Desktop Customization. In today's post we are focused to "How to Create Windows 7 Start Orb in Photoshop". This the Easiest and Quick Photoshop Tutorial to create Start Orb "Own Customized Start Orb". Following this Photoshop Tutorial everyone can "Design Windows Start Orb/Button" in less than 20 minutes.

Let's Begin The Creation!

Create Windows Start Orb

A Quick & Easy Photoshop Tutorial

We have created a "Start Orb Photoshop Template" to ease your Start Orb, which contains 75% work done ALREADY. You can Download Template File by Clicking the Button.

Download PSD Template

Once you have downloaded the file, Unzip it and Open the "Start Orb Template by SoftwareWanted" PSD file.

For creating the Start Orb we are using this image.You can use the same image or choose any one of your own choice.

Open "Ctrl+O" the desired image in Photoshop.
Duplicate the image on "Win Start Orb Template" by Right Click on Image Layer "Layer 0" (in our case) and select Duplicate Layer as shown in the image below.
Close the recently opened image file, not the Win Start Orb Template, from Photoshop platform, and move to the Template file, where you recently duplicated your image.

As shown in the image below, Rename the duplicated image layer to "Active Image".
Place it just above the "Active" layer as shown

Now re-size the image of "Active Image" layer so that it completely fits in-front of the white circle of "Active" layer, shown in the image below.

Re-size Method. To re-size"Active Image" hold from the corner and drag down to left side so that it cover the white circle as shown in image 2

Now again Duplicate the layer "Active Image" Two Times.
Rename "Active Image Copy" to "Hover Image" and "Active Image Copy 2" to "Normal Image".
Place "Hover Image" layer just above "Hover" layer and "Normal Image" just above the "Normal" layer.
Now Select "Hover Image" and Drag the image in-front of middle white circle circle.
Select "Normal Image" layer and Drag it the same way in-front of top white circle.
Be sure that Normal Image is covering Top Circle, Hover Image is covering Middle Circle and Active Image is covering Bottom Circle.
Now Delete all three layers named "Active", "Hover" and "Normal" (not the image layers)
Your Image should be similar to following.

Select the "Hover Image" layer
From Menu Bar go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast
Set the Brightness to 60 and Contrast to 80, as shown in the image.

Select the Active Image Layer
Double Click to Open Layer Style Dialogue Box.
In Structure Box

Select Bevel and Emboss
Select Style "Pillow Emboss"
Set Depth to 21

In Shading Box

Set Angle to -108

That is All. Your Final Image should look like this.

Windows Start Orb Button

Now Select All three Layers "Normal Image, Hover Image and Active Image". (Press Ctrl+all three layers)
Right Click and Select Merge Layers

Once the layers are merged, Right Click at Merged Layer Thumbnail.
Click Select Pixels

Now select Channels and click the Red Encircled icon to Create New Channel
Press Alt+Backspace, Alpha 1 Channel will be filled with 3 white circles. (if some other color, set Foreground Color to White and repeat the step)

We Are Done With Creation of Windows 7 Start Orb.

From File Menu select Save As (Shift+Ctrl+S)
Set your desired File Name
From Format drop down select BMP (*.BMP;*RLE;*DIB)
From BMP Options dialogue Box Mark Windows, then 32 Bit and then Tick Mark Flip Row Order.