This tutorial covers how to create a basic vector glass style button in illustrator CS.
Create a new document and save it. Choose the “Rounded Rectangle” tool.
Click once on the artboard, without dragging, to bring the Rounded Rectangle tool options dialog box. Set the exact width, height, and corner radius of your button.
Click “OK” or hit enter to make the basic button shape.
Apply a drop shadow by going to the “Effect” menu and choose Stylize > Drop Shadow.
Select the drop shadow settings. Note: Click “Preview” to see the settings live.
Now we have our basic button shape with a drop shadow.
Choose the fill and apply the default black-to-white gradient from the swatches palette. In the Gradient palette, with the fill selected, click on the left white box to choose the left gradient colour. In the colour palette, use the sliders to change that left colour to a grey, instead of white. Enter the values i.e. 210, 210, 210, or 190, 190, 190. Also, in the gradient palette, change the angle to 90.
Go to Preferences > General and make sure your keyboard (Nudge) increment is set to 1 px (1 pixel).
Using the Select Tool (black arrow), choose the button shape, and copy and paste it. Remove the effects that it copied. To do this go to the Appearance palette, drag the drop shadow of the newly pasted shape to the trash. Also, fill the newly pasted shape with white.
Use the Direct select tool (white arrow) to make the 2nd shape smaller than the original by selecting the points and moving them with the keyboard arrows.:
Use the Delete Point tool to remove the bottom 2 points in the 2nd shape.
Use the Convert Anchor Point tool to delete the curves on the bottom 2 remaining points. Then select those same 2 points and Nudge them up 4 pixels.
Your second shape should now look like this:
Choose both the shapes:
We are going to align these shapes together, but first make sure your align palette is not set to align to the artboard.
Align the 2 shapes horizontally and vertically by hitting these 2 buttons in the Align palette.
Choose the original shape and lock it by hitting “Command + 2″ Mac, or “Ctrl + 2″ PC.
Use the Rectangle tool to make a rectangle that completely covers your second shape. (The reflection shape)
Fill the shape with the default white-to-black gradient and an angle of -90
Choose the top rectangle with the gradient and the reflection shape at the same time. Then go to the Transparency palette and click on the little arrow in the upper right. Choose “Make Opacity Mask.” This creates a mask out of the top shape. White is visible and black invisible.
Now you have a glassy vector image. You can play with transparencies and all other options.
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