How to create Apple style effects using Microsoft Digital Image Suite 10

It's somewhat an out of date software product now, actually MS have discontinued Digital Image Suite altogether.  However it is possible to replicate some of the amazing designs Apple have given us over the past few years, from the fab iphone icons to the stunning drop shadows on their products.  Like this:



This is a brief tutorial on how to accomplish Apple stlye mirror shadows in Microsoft Digital Image Suite 10:

1. Start a new project with a blank page.

2. Paste in your desired image.

3. Now copy that image and paste it in to the same document.

4. You should now have two images exactly the same.

5. Drag one of the images underneath the other and line it up.  Leave a small gamp between the two images, say no more then 1mm.

6.  Now with the bottom picture selected, on the top menu click on the 'Flip Vertically' button.  If you are not sure which one that is, hover your mouse over each icon until you get 'Flip Vertically'.

7.  It will flip the bottom image upside down.  You should now have two images, the one on top the right way around and the underneath it upside down, but perfectly lined up.

8.  Now with the bottom image still selected go to the drop down menus at the very top of the software and look for 'EFFECTS'.  Now look for TRANSPARENCY.  In this menu select EVEN and move the slider to 60%.

9. With the bottom image still selected go back to the TRANSPARENCY menu at the top (under the EFFECTS menu) and select GRADUAL.

10.  You are presented with several directions for which you want the transparency to fade to.  Select fade down.  Dark at the top, white at the bottom.

11.  Do this 3 times.  With image selected, go to EFFECTS > TRANSPARENCY > GRADUAL and select fade down.

12. You will now have an Apple inspired mirror shadow effect like this:



Microsoft Digital Image Suite 10 was used for all our graphics on the imove estate agents website at http://www.imovecornwall.org/

It just goes to show, you don't HAVE to be a photoshop genius to create great looking graphics!!