Easy Vista Style Button and Menu

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In this step all we are going to do is cut off the bottom part of the layer we are on by using the rectangle marquee tool.

Now just take your tool and cut off the bottom and the guides really help on this part:

Just to show you what it looks like without the other layer I moved it to show you in this screenshot:

Now we are going to ad a gradient overlay by right clicking on your layer and go to blending options:

Once in there check gradient overlay and use these settings with colors: #595C60 (1st color) and #7F8385 (2nd color).

Just click ok on the blending options because that is all we need to do for that
layer.

Do the same method of cutting the other layer, except cut the top part of it off.
You won’t notice anything since the layers are together, but later in this tutorial
we are going to change the opacity on the layers, and it would be noticeable if
you didn’t cut it.

After that go to the same gradient overlay options except use these settings with
colors: #3A3A3A (1st color) and #333333 (2nd color):

After choosing these options if you want to move your guides you can see how the button is starting to take on the vista look. I will save you from having to move your guides and move mine to show you what we have thus far:

If you move your guides and want them to go back to their original positions,
you can just hit the key combination on windows ctrl+alt+z to step backward or
you can go to edit>>step backward on the photoshop menu.

Next we are going to do the bluish glow Vista has when you hover over a button.

First I will pick a vivid blue color in my tools to use in the next step: