Rule #38

Keep the Bevel and Emboss layer effects in Photoshop to a minimum.

An older rule harkening back to the days when certain features were new to Adobe Photoshop. This speaks to an earlier rule about monitoring trends and deciding whether to follow. When this rule was written, everyone it seemed was adding a beveled effect to text, to pictures, to … well, everything. At the time, as a graphic designer, seeing this effect churned my stomach—especially since I was one who introduced this particular treatment long before it became a point-and-click addition.