3D Simcards Illustration

What We'll Be Creating

Lets Get Started, Creating Your Document

Create a new document (Ctrl + N) 800 x 600 pixels with any background color. Unlock your background layer by simply double clicking it via the layers window, once you've unlocked the layer add a gradient overlay using the settings below.

You should have something like this.

Creating The White Sim Card Shape

Select the "Rounded Rectangle Tool" (U) with a radius of 10px, also make sure the path type is set to "Shape Layers".

Drag out a rectangle onto your canvas, don't worry about the size as using shape layers will allow us to resize the shape as much as we want to without loosing quality.

Once your happy with the overall size of your rectangle we can start distorting it. Go to "Edit > Transform > Distort" then distort the shape so it looks like the rectangle is lying down, similar to the image below.

We now need to subtract a small area of the rectangle, select the "Pen Tool" (P) then select "Subtract From Path Area". Make a small selection over the bottom right corner of the sim card.

Once you've subtracted the corner of the sim card add a gradient overlay using the settings below.

Making The Sim Card 3D

Duplicate your sim card shape then clear the layer styles attached to the layer by right clicking the layer and going to "Clear Layer Styles". Select the "Move Tool" (V) then move the duplicated shape down a couple of pixels by using the down arrow on the keyboard.

We now need to join the two edges to complete the shape, to do this we use the same method as before when we subtracted the corner from the sim card. Select the "Rectangle Tool" (U) then from the top select "Add To Shape Area", now zoom into one of the corners and draw a square joining the two rectangles together.

You should have something like this.

Finish off the duplicated layer by adding a gradient overlay using the settings below.

Creating The Black Sim Card

Using the techniques learned above replicate another sim card only this time in black. Place the sim card underneath the white sim card. You should have something like this.

Creating The Sim Cards Shadows

We now need to cast a couple of shadows for both sim cards, we'll start with the white sim card first.

Select the "Polygonal Lasso Tool" (L) then start making a selection from the bottom left corner up to where the white sim card meets the black sim card.

Now fill (G) the selection on a new layer using the color black (#000000). To give the shadow a more realistic look lower the opacity to 46% and then blur the shape by around 1-3 pixels using the guassian blur filter "Filter > Blur > Guassian Blur".

On a new layer, using the same technique as above create another selection around the section of the white sim card which overlaps over the black sim card.

Fill (G) the selection with the color black (#000000) then blur the shape by around 2px using the guassian blur filter "Filter > Blur > Guassian Blur". Finally set the layers opacity to 29%, you should have something like this.

Once your happy with your shadows move onto the black sim card. The shadow for the black sim card is relatively easy, duplicate the bottom part of the black sim card then move the duplicated layer underneath its original. Right click the duplicated layer and go to "Rasterize Layer" then right click again and go to "Clear Layer Styles".

Shift the duplicated shape down a couple of pixels using the arrow keys on the keyboard then add a black (#000000) color overlay. Finally blur the shape by about 1-3 pixels using the guassian blur filter "Filter > Blur > Guassian Blur".

Adding The Sim Card Reflections

Duplicate the bottom part of your white sim card then shift it down a couple of pixels using the "Move Tool" (V) and the arrow keys on the keyboard.

Once your happy with the position right-click the layer and go to "Rasterize".

We now need to cut the excess of the duplicated layer so the reflection is just shown on the black sim card. Select your desired cutting tool then cut away the shape which exceeds past the black sim card.

Add layer mask to the duplicated layer then select the "Gradient Tool" (G) and drag a linear gradient over the bottom edges of the shape.

Once your happy with your masking work lower the opacity of the layer to around 54%. You should have something like this.

Repeat the same as above for your black sim card only this time we don't cut any of the shape.

Creating The Sim Card Chips

Select the "Rounded Rectangle Tool" (U) with a radius of 25px.

Drag out a rectangle onto your canvas, holding down the shift key whilst dragging will ensure the rectangle is nice and square. Once your happy with your rectangle, "Free Transform" (Ctrl + T) the shape using the distort and skew tools, the rectangle should be at the same angle as your sim card leaving equal amounts of white space all the way around. You should have something like this.

Repeat the same steps for your black sim card.

Once both rectangles have been added to both sim cards add the following layer styles to each of the layers.

You should have something like this.

Detailing The Sim Card Chips

Select the "Pen Tool" (P) Then draw 6 black 1 pixel lines on your sim card chip. Do not draw the lines all the across leave a nice even space between the two sets of lines.

Now finish off the lines by drawing one from the bottom to the top on the left set of lines. Then on the right side draw a line from the bottom up to the last line. You should have something like this.

Now add the following layer styles to your lines.

Repeat the steps above for your other sim card, you should have something like this.

Adding A Shine To The Sim Cards

For this last and final step we'll be adding abit of light/shines to out sim cards just to finish them off. Select the "Polygonal Lasso Tool" (L) then make a diagonal selection across your white sim card.

Fill the selection with the color white (#ffffff) then deselect the selection (Ctrl + D). We now need to cutaway some of the shape so that we just get the white shape within our sim card area, to do this click the little thumbnail on the white sim cards top layer whilst holding down the Ctrl key on the keyboard. Doing this will load a selection around the shape.

Now inverse the selection "Ctrl + Shift + I" or "Select > Inverse", once you've inversed the selection hit the delete key on the keyboard. Finally set the layers opacity to around 14%.

If you want to you can also apply a layer mask to the shine just so it blends in that little bit more, but its completely optional. Repeat the same steps for your black sim card, your finished illustration should look like this.