Gradient Button

Open a new image

   width > 200
   height > 100
   background color > white
   image type > 16.7 million colors (24 bit)

Click the rectangle tool

with these settings
selection type > rectangle
feather > 0

Make a rectangle in the center of your image 88 pixels wide, 31 pixels high
gb1

NOTE: 88 x 31 seems to be the standard size for web page button

Select image > rotate and use these settings
   direction > right
   degrees > 90
   click OK

Select foreground color

and select a dark color

Select background color

and select a lighter shade of the color above

Click the fill tool

with these settings
   match mode > none
   tolerance > 200
   fill style > linear gradient

Now click inside the selected area
gb2

Click selections > select none

Click the rectangle tool

with these settings
selection type > rectangle
feather > 0

Now make a rectangle inside the first one
gb3

Select image > flip
gb4

Selections > select none

Selections > select all

Selections > modify > transparent color
   transparent color > white
   tolerance > 0
   click OK

Select image > rotate and use these settings
   direction > right
   degrees > 90
   click OK

Select edit > copy

Select edit > paste > as new image

Select foreground color

and select a color between the two earlier colors

Select the text tool

   type in text ( I used cartoon > bold > 10)
   floating & antialias checked

Select image > special effects > drop shadow
   color > black
   opacity > 180
   blur > 20
   vertical > 1
   horizontal > 1
   click OK

Selections > select none

Select colors > decrease color depth > 256 colors... (8 bit)

   file > save as >
   TYPE: GIF - CompuServe
   type in a name and click OK

This is also nice for circles,
gb7

and ellipses, (ellipsi ?)
gb8

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