Folder Icon in 5 Minutes

I often see folder icons in web applications, so I thought I would write a quick and easy tutorial for creating one in Photoshop.

Create a rectangle with a tab using a gradient similar to mine.

Create a new layer, then make a lighter colored rectangle above.

Skew (edit > transform > skew) the second rectangle to an appropriate angle.

Then do the same to the bottom rectangle and give the top rectangle a white outline. I did this by simply duplicating the layer, moving the bottom one 1 pixel to the right, and 1 pixel up, then increasing brightness so it looks almost white.

I also fixed the tab in this stage.

Add a light shadow and you're finished!