Make a None!

The Post-it® note has become part of our everyday lives. It’s simply amazing how commonly we see these little pieces of paper with their strips of sticky stuff. Not to mention the dozens of spin-off products. You can even find their electronic counterparts in many computer programs.

We can make out own sticky notes to include in various projects and artwork. Let’s start with a new layer (we don’t want to work on a Background layer for this project). Make a square selection and fill it with the note color.



Add some text or other visual content, using an appropriate font and color. (This particular font is called Kidprint.)



Wait! let’s make this an IMPORTANT note!



We’ll make a copy of the type layer and hide it, just in case we need to go back later and correct spelling or change a word. We can also add some doodles on a separate layer.



To put all of the note’s content on the same layer as the note itself, we’ll hide the non-note background layer and use the Layers Palette menu command Merge Visible. (This can also be done by arranging the layers in an appropriate order and using the command Merge Down or by linking the layers and using the command Merge Linked.)



To get some body in the note, to give it a 3D look, we can use the filter Distort> Shear. (This is the reason we don’t want to work on a background layer—it’s easier to work with Shear when your subject is surrounded by transparency.) Click to add an anchor point, then drag to bend the “paper.”



In this case, I’ve added a couple of anchor points near the top to keep that area straight. Remember that a Post-it note’s top section will be flat against the surface upon which it is stuck.

Now we’ll want to add a shadow behind the note. One simple technique is to select the Paintbrush, set it to an appropriate color and opacity, and use the blending mode Behind. With Behind selected, the paintbrush will add the shadow only where transparency appears on the target layer. This blending mode doesn’t allow the tool to paint over the layer’s existing artwork. (Remember that the top strip of the note lies flat against a surface, so it will have no shadow in that area.)



Voila! Ready to hang on the wall of our digital cubicle: