Step one (Creating the shape) Create a new document, lets say 300×100 px with a background color of your choise, im using White (#FFF).
Next chose the Pen Tool (P) and draw a shape like you see in the image below :
You will need this shape later on in the tutorial, so its a good ideea to copy and paste this shape in a new Fireworks Document.
Next select the shape, and clone it. (Ctrl+Shift+D). Then move the selected cloned shape up 10px. You should end up with an image like the one below :
Now we need to join the ends of these to shapes, to generate one master shape. Chose the Subselection Tool (A, 1) and folow my steps :
1. Click the Top shape, when its selected you will see some points. Look at the image below :
2. Now click the 1st little square from the left, on the top shape. Click and drag it down so it joins the 1st little square from the left, on the bottom shape. Look at my image :
3. Now do the same on the ond of the two shapes. You should end up with an image like the one below :
4. Now we need to merge this to lines, and create one master shape, so we can add all our effects and color fills.
Select both lines then go to : Modify > Combine Paths > Join (Ctrl + J)
5. Now that we have our shape we can add a color fill. I am using #006699. Now that you added the color fill you may notice that your shapes has some bugs wrong curves. Using the Subselection Tool you can select every “dot” on you shape and bring it to a nice smoothe shape. Take a look at my shape after about 5 minutes of tweaking :
Step two (The effects)
1. Now to begin we need to change the fill from solid to Gradient > Ripples.
2. Now select the shape, Goto : Filters > Shadow and Glow > Drop shadow
The default drop shadow settings is not right for us, so you should use the settings like you see in the image below :
You should end up with an image like the one below :
Step three (Creating the text)
In this part of the tutorial we will be creating the curved text and apply it to the shape.
Using the text tool (T) enter your text, in this case im using “Tutorial5.com”.
Now remember in the start on the tutorial when i told you to save the 1st path to a new document ? This is the time you will use that shape.
Copy that new shape and paste in the stage (Curent documment). Now select both the shape and the text and goto : Text > Attach to Path (Ctrl + Shift + Y) :
Now do the same thing for the other part of the text, paste the shape in the document again, create a new text and attach it to that path.
For a better understanding of this tehnique you should check out our tutorial on TEXT TO PATH .
Now you may notice that your text is on the path but its not quite exact. In our original image the text looked alot better and thats becouse we tweaked it abit. For the sake of keeping this tutorial simple im not going to take screen shots of this proccess but i will explain it.
After you attached your text to the paths you can go ahead and Select the text you want to tweek and then goto: Text > Convert to paths (Ctrl + Shift + P). This will break up the text in paths, allowing you to edit the position and shape of every letter.
I played a little with my shapes and ended up with this
