Design it Yourself: Disco Heart Poster

Explore this collection with every asset used below

Hyo Song Last updated: May 7, 2024 · 3 min read

Welcome to another tutorial in our Design it Yourself series, where we empower you with the tools and techniques to bring vivid, eye-catching design ideas to life. This time, we’re gearing up to design an awesome poster that channels the disco era through a contemporary lens. We’re talking bold colors, gritty textures, and that irresistible disco ball sparkle.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

1. Gather Your Assets: Start by downloading assets. We’ll be using Risograph Swirls by Like Magic Studio, Postress, a Condensed Serif by bentype, and Disco Balls by Handmadefont. Each of these elements plays a crucial role in building our poster’s aesthetic, offering a blend of old-school disco and fresh vibes.

2. Setting Up Your Canvas: Launch Photoshop and set up your artboard. Choose the dimensions that best fit your vision. Drag the ‘Risograph Swirls’ onto your canvas and change the layer’s blending mode to “Linear Light”. This will let the swirls interact dynamically with other layers, setting a lively backdrop for your text and graphics.

3. Laying Down the Text: Using ‘Postress’, type out your chosen message. For a poster like this, think big and bold statements that resonate with energy. Adjust the font size, leading, and tracking to ensure your text is impactful and readable.

4. Placing the Disco Ball: Next, introduce the disco ball into the scene. Use a Layer Mask to seamlessly blend it into your background, removing any unwanted edges. Scale up the disco ball to make it a focal point of your poster. Set this layer’s blending mode to “Color Burn” to enhance the interaction of colors and lights.

5. Amplifying the Shine: Duplicate the disco ball layer and switch the new layer’s blending mode to “Color Dodge”. This will increase the luminance of the ball, making it appear as if it’s glowing from within.

6. Integrating Subtle Background Details: Now, add a white rectangle over the background layers but play with its opacity. You want just enough of the risograph swirls peeking through to create a textured, layered effect.

7. Text Effects for a Glass-like Finish: To give your text a sleek, glass-like finish, apply a combination of layer effects. Start with contour adjustments in Bevel & Emboss, add a stroke, layer on some satin texture, then an outer glow, and finish with a subtle drop shadow. These effects collectively create depth and shine, mimicking the reflective surface of a disco ball.

8. Bringing It All Together in a Mockup: Finally, place your completed artwork into a modern poster mockup. This step isn’t just about presentation; it’s about envisioning your work in a real-world context.

By following these steps, you’ll not only have created a stunning poster but also honed skills that apply to various types of visual projects. Whether for a party, a product launch, or your own wall, this disco-inspired poster is sure to catch eyes and light up rooms.