Why are most buttons a circle shaped design? Who decided that the button needed to be designed circle shaped?

In today’s tutorial, we’ll use the most advanced technology in the world of vector graphics. The methods described here will allow you to work faster and more efficiently. I bet in this tutorial you will discover information which you have not heard of before!

To create a CD Cover Design, I’ll use a standard template of Adobe Illustrator which is designed for these purposes. Start Adobe Illustrator and select the option From Template… in the Start Window. If the application is already open, go to File > New From Template… and open the CD Print Items.

Ait file (Templates > Blank Templates). Using a template allows us quick access to the outline shape and dimensions of CD and cover, as all the shapes already exist in the template as guides. I’m not sure that all versions of Adobe Illustrator have similar templates, and if you cannot find it, follow this link illustrator-templates.

Now we need an idea. I think it would be nice if the cover design will be somehow connected with the design of the CD. After some thought I decided to design a cover as a record player, and create CD as a vinyl record.

Let’s proceed to creating the cover design. Turn on the Smart Guides mode (Cmd / Ctrl + U), take the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a rectangle based on the template guides. At the first step, I always create basic objects and fill them with different colors in order to place them in the correct sequence.

Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a few circles. The centers of these circles must coincide. Take the Scissors Tool (C) and cut the bottom of the large circle at points A and D.

Remove the right side of the circle, take the Pen Tool (P) and continue path creating straight-line segments AB, BC and CD. Now let’s create the shapes of a few buttons and switches. Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle in the bottom of the record player.

Drag this circle to the right, holding down Shift + Opt / Alt keys while duplicating it. In order to spread identical objects at an equal distance from each other, I always use the Blend Tool. Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options… and set the number of Specified Steps in the Blend Options window.

Now go to Object > Blend > Make. In the same way create a vertical row of buttons. Later we will be coloring the buttons — that is why they must become separate objects.

Select the blend object and go to Object > Blend > Expand. Create a few small items of the record player’s controls. Take the Pen Tool (P) and create two angled segments, as shown in the figure below.

Using the Ellipse Tool (L) create two circles at the ends of these segments. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a frame around the vertical row of buttons. Create another circle, which will become a light bulb and line markings around it.

When I need to round the corner quickly, I use the Dynamic Corner Tool (Window > VectorScribe > Dynamic Corner panel), which is one of the tools of the VectorScribe plugin. To do this, simply pick the specified tool and click or click-drag on the corner that is supposed to be rounded. Now create a large button in the lower left corner of the cover.

Such shapes are easily created with the help of the Dynamic Shapes Tool (VectorScribe plugin). Choose this tool and open its panel (Window > VectorScribe > Dynamic Shapes panel). Now choose the type of shape — Dynamic Rectangle — and create a rectangle.

After its creation, you can specify the required dimensions, radii of rounding corners, and the angle of the shape. Now create another shape like the first one, but of a smaller size. Deform another rectangle with rounded corners with the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) or PathScribe Tool (if you are using the VectorScribe plugin) to get the shape shown in the figure below.

An attentive reader might have noticed that the latter shape contains fewer points than the first two rectangles. In order to make it easier to edit this shape, I removed the two points with the help of the Smart Remove Point command. This feature is present in the VectorScribe and DrawScribe plugins and allows you to delete the path point with minimal effect on the path’s profile.

Let’s create another type of switch which is not hard to make. To create a slider-button scale, I used the Blend Tool, and then after Object > Blend > Expand command I reduced the height of the central lines of the scale. Now with the help of the Rectangle Tool (M) create two rectangles, as shown in the picture below.

Proceed to the creation of a tone arm. Using the Dynamic Shapes tool (Circle) or Ellipse Tool (L), create three concentric circles. With the help of the Rectangle Tool create a shape of tone arm lock.

To create a tone arm, I’ll be using the InkScribe Tool (DrawScribe plugin), because I believe that this tool is ideal for these purposes. So, take the InkScribe Tool and open its panel (Window > DrawScribe > InkScribe panel). In the Draw panel, turn on a straight segment, Smooth points and Connector modes and create a path, as shown in the picture below.

Using the same tool bend the straight-line segment by dragging its center. The Connector mode present in the InkScribe Tool allows us to obtain a smooth transition between straight-line and curved segments. When the Connector mode is enabled, at the moment the Bezier handle is within a threshold value of the angle of the straight-line segment, a letter C will appear next to the point.

If you release the mouse button and then resume the manipulation on the handle, the movement will be possible only in the direction of the straight-line segment. By controlling the handles of the curved segment while using this technique, we obtain the shape shown in the picture below. Now let’s create other elements of the tone arm, such as the tone arm balance and cartridge with stylus.

All these elements represent simple shapes such as rectangles, but they must be created at different angles, which must coincide with the axes of the tone arm. It is quite difficult to do it with the standard means of Adobe Illustrator. To solve this problem, I’ll use the VectorScribe plugin.

Take the Dynamic Measure Tool and open its panel (Window > VectorScribe > Dynamic Measure panel). Now measure the angle of inclination of tone arm where the tone arm balance will be located. As you can see, the angle of inclination of the straight-line segment is -117.880°.

Open Protractor panel (Window > VectorScribe > Protractor panel) and set the measured angle. Note: if you perform this measurement / constrain angle adjustment operation regularly, you may use an option present within the Dynamic Measure preferences to make this operation automatic. Now all the newly created objects will be located at an angle of -117.880°.

Using this technique, create the other elements of the tone arm. For the second straight segment, where there is a cartridge with stylus, new measurements need to be done and keyed in into the Protractor panel before creating shapes. Before proceeding, you may need to first ensure the Constrain Angle is reset to 0° via the Protractor panel.

As all the basic elements of the record player are created, let’s proceed to coloring and the creation of the other smaller items. Take the Gradient Mesh Tool (U) and create a simple mesh based on the rectangle that you created in step 2, as shown in the figure below. Color nodes of this mesh into different shades of gray in order to reproduce the play of light on the surface of the record player.

Create a rectangle and with this, create a gradient mesh using the Gradient Mesh Tool (U). Place it below the shape created in step 3. Select the rectangle and green shape and press the shortcuts Cmd / Ctrl + 7, creating a Clipping Mask.

Create light and shadow on the buttons the same way, using the Gradient Mesh Tool (U). Create glares of light on small items such as indicator light-bulbs with the help of ellipses. To create a socket, use simple shapes — a few circles and a rectangle.

Fill the switch handle with a linear gradient. Apply the Drop Shadow effect to create a shadow from it (Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow …). Color the vertical row of buttons using the techniques described in the previous step.

We proceed to coloring of the turntable. Select the bottom circle and fill it with a linear gradient which consists of rotating shades of gray. Fill the next circle with a linear gradient which consists of a darker shade.

Fill the next circle with the conical gradient. “Conical fills are not available in Adobe Illustrator” you would say, and would be absolutely right. But there is a trick that allows you to do so.

You can read more about this in my article by clicking on the following link Quick Tip: Create a Conical Gradient with Adobe Illustrator, in Two Minutes!. Fill the uppermost circle with a random color. There will be a hole in the CD cover which will be covered with a transparent film.

Design a label at the centre of the record. Using the Ellipse Tool (L), create a circle and fill it with a linear gradient which consists of two shades of blue color. Now create an axis on the turntable.

Draw a new circle and create a conic gradient on it, as it is shown in the picture below. Create another circle on top of the axis and fill it with a radial gradient from white to gray color. Now let’s create grooves on the circumference of the turntable.

With the help of the Dynamic Shapes Tool, create a rectangle with rounded corners, as shown in the picture below. Using the Pen Tool (P) create a shape filled with black color. Set 0% opacity for this shape in the Transparency panel.

Now create an ellipse filled with black color. Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options… and set the number of the Specified Steps in the Blend Options window. Now go to Object > Blend > Make.

Thus, we have created a shadow. Using this technique, create glare and shadow in the center of the deepening. Group up all the elements of the groove and drag the group to the Brushes panel.

Save a new brush as a Pattern Brush. Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle with no fill and a stroke of any color, then apply the brush that you created in previous step to it. Now proceed to the coloring of the big button.

The stages of its creation are shown in the pictures below. I will focus only on the techniques that have not yet been described in this tutorial. Use Opacity Masks to create glare on the button.

Create an arbitrary shape. The color of this shape should match the main color of the glare or light and shadow. Now create a blend object, which consists of a black and white shape.

Select the gray shape and blend object and choose Make Opacity Mask from the menu of the Transparency panel. With the help of simple geometric shapes create a “Play” symbol on the button. No matter what you do, pay attention to details.

Let’s work on the reflection in the symbol and the play of light on its edges. Now take a look at the process of coloring the tone arm. As you can see, in many cases in order to reproduce the light and shadow, it will be enough to simply use the gradient fill.

But in the cases of complex shapes this type of fill is not suitable. The curved segment of the tone arm has this kind of complex shape. Let’s take a look how to create light and shadow on such objects.

For this, we will only need the center area of the tone arm, so take the Scissors Tool (C) and cut the path at the points A and B and remove the beginning and end of the path. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a rectangle. The height of this rectangle must equal the width of the tone arm, in my case it is 10 px, the length does not matter.

Keep the rectangle selected, go to Object > Create Gradient Mesh… and set the number of columns and rows. Color the nodes of the created mesh into different shades of gray. For further work we will need the free third-party Mesh Tormentor plugin plugin.

Once installed, you can access the plugin’s panel via (Window > Mesh Tormentor). Select the gradient mesh and click on the “Create mesh grid for Brush” button in the Mesh Tormentor panel. Now the mesh has become a group of regular vector objects.

Drag this group to the Brushes panel and save the new brush as a new Art Brush. Apply this brush to the curved segment of the tone arm. Now, turn the brush back into the gradient mesh.

Keeping the path selected, go to Object > Expand Appearance. Click on the “Get the mesh from brush grid” button in the Mesh Tormentor panel. As you can see, this resulted in a perfect shaped gradient mesh automatically.

Fill the rest of the elements of the tone arm with regular gradients. Create glares and reflections on the curved segment with the help of Pen Tool (P), then fill the resultant shapes with linear gradients. Create the shadows of some object using the Blend Tool.

Now we need to label buttons and finish the record sticker. Proceed to the CD design. As I said at the beginning of this tutorial, we are making CD surface in the style of a vinyl record.

With the help of the Dynamic Shapes Tool (VectorScribe) and its Donut shape mode, create basic shapes of CD using the template guides. Now, fill the bottom circle with a linear gradient which consists of alternating shades of gray. Based on the circle, create a conic gradient.

Create two more dynamic Donut shapes filled with black. These shapes will represent areas at the centre and edge of the record. Fill the top-shape with a linear gradient.

Create grooves on one of the parts of the record. Take the Ellipse Tool (L) and create two circles with no fill and a stroke of gray color. Based on these circles create a blend object.

Copy the circle to which the conical gradient was applied and paste it in front, then place above all the objects of the CD. Replace light gray color of gradient sliders with white color. Now select the blend object, shape with a conical gradient and apply the Opacity Mask.

Using this technique, create the grooves in the main area of the record. The CD design is ready; group up all of its elements. Place the CD below the elements of the central label.

Select the light gray circle, which corresponds to a hole in the cover and CD, then press the shortcuts Cmd / Ctrl + 7 creating a Clipping Mask. There is your stylish imitation vinyl record CD cover design! Several Illustrator plugins have been used in the tutorial, so in conclusion I would like to provide the links to where you can find detailed information about each.