scriptygoddessThis is a technique I use a lot at work. Mostly for times I have to show a screenshot – Just to make it look a little more interesting rather than just pasting it squared up and flat against the background.
Part of this tutorial is similar to one I found here: designsbymark.com (the Software Box with reflection) however, I also add a shadow which helps give more "realism".
(click thumbnails in tutorial to see a bigger image)
Start with your screenshot on it's own layer with a canvas that's larger than your screenshot.
Step 1:
Duplicate the layer and go Edit -> Transform -> Flip Vertical.
Line up the new flipped layer directly beneath the first layer.
Step 2:
Create a layer mask for the (flipped) layer by going Layer -> Add layer mask -> reveal all. Make sure you're working on that layer mask by clicking on it in the layers palette. Set your foreground to black and your background to 50% black. Select the gradient tool from the tool bar. Select the (solid) foreground to (solid) background color gradient.
Then click and drag a gradient starting from the middle of the copied image to the top (where the two images meet). Change the opacity of the flipped layer to where you think it looks good (70%?)
Step 3:
Now lets create the layer that will be the shadow. Create a new layer and select a copy of the shape on the original layer and the flipped layer by holding down the shift and command key (on pc: ctrl key) and clicking on each of those layers consecutively. Fill this shape (on the new layer) with black.
Organize your layers like this:
Top: Original
middle: shadow
bottom: flipped
Step 4:
Hide the "shadow" layer. Click on the original layer, and link it to the reflection layer. Create a "perspective" by distorting the images – go Edit -> Transform -> Distort – then move the top corner (down) and bottom corner (up) on one side to be a little closer together. (hold the shift key to keep the movement only up and down)- then move that side in until it looks right.
Step 5:
Now back to work on the shadow. Add a layer mask. Select the gradient tool, and pick a solid (black) to transparent gradient.
On the layer mask, make one gradient from the top to the center, and another one from the bottom to the center.
Distort this shape (NOT using the corner handles – only the middle handles) so that it's at a sharp angle to the screenshot, but the same width as the original, and keep the middle "handles" on the corners of the original.
Change the opacity of the layer to be very light (10%?) and then apply a gaussian blur on it.
You can move this layer around to get just the right shadow effect.
