500+ Galaxy Background Vectors, Photos and PSD files 2021: Does It Work for Web Design?
We are all fascinated by those breathtaking pictures taken from space. In fact, the space is so mysteriously beautiful that we cannot help but be hypnotized by the fabulous images of galaxies, nebulas, and star collisions. These images indeed represent the magnificent space art, which is actually unreachable and extremely dangerous for humans and this is exactly what makes them so stunning.
A Brief History of Space Images
Despite the fact that space images are considered to be art the reason they actually appeared was science. Astrophysicists watched the night sky through telescopes as a part of their investigations that were supposed to prove or bust theories of the universe birth. So they took lots of pictures of space objects by means of powerful telescopes because needed those images for their researches.
Source: DepositPhotos
The fun fact about space images is they are actually black and white simply because you cannot take color high definition pictures and videos of the objects that are thousands and millions of light-years away. Thus, the black and white space images are being colored by scientists after they have been taken. Certainly, the scientists do not just randomly color these pictures just to make them look fancy. They actually color the images according to the chemical elements that a particular space object consists of as well as according to the temperature of an object. What is more interesting that blue spots on these fancy galaxy images are the hottest and the red ones are the coldest.
As you can see, creating a pretty space image that you can use as your desktop background is actually a big deal and a lot of work. So next time you see a fancy galaxy image, have a moment of appreciation for those who took and colored that picture.
Where and How to Use Galaxy Background in Web Design
Different textures are rather popular in web design for the reason that they can really make a site special and unique. Certainly, with no exaggeration, fabulous space textures are among the most popular ones in the field of web design. Perhaps the most common (and probably the only) way to use space images in web design is galaxy background.
Source: DepositPhotos
In fact, galaxy backgrounds can work for various types of websites from personal blogs to online shops. Such a background will not only make your website fancy but a little mysterious and magical as well. Remember just a couple of years ago when Tumblr was at its best, space backgrounds and galaxy images were the ultimate must-haves for fancy and mysterious blogs? Well, Tumblr might not be as popular today as it was earlier, but space textures still got it.
At the same time, such a background will not work for such websites as a baby clothing online store or a huge corporation official website, yet it will definitely suit a tattoo salon site, a creative portfolio, or a personal blog. While working with space textures you have to make sure that they will suit a particular website, its style as well as its main message. Space background can both ruin and bring your site to the top and it only depends on how and where you use it, so you want to be careful with it.
How to Create a Star Field
Well, using actual space images in your projects might be a problem, since some of them can be subject to copyright. Yet it should never scare you or stop you from using galaxy backgrounds in your projects since you can create them by yourself in Adobe Photoshop. So let us figure out how to do that.
- Create a new document in Photoshop.
- Fill the document with black color (Edit > Fill > Color > OK).
- Add noise (Filter > Noise > Add Noise), choose the 100% amount, and check Monochrome.
- Head to the layers panels and select your background layer.
- Duplicate the layer and hide the new one.
- Blur your first background layer (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) using the amount of 0.5 pixels.
- Make little stars (Image > Adjustments > Levels > Input Levels) and then enter the following values 200, 0.42, 255.
- Make large stars (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) using 2 pixels value.
- Adjust your stars (Image > Adjustments > Levels > Input Levels) and enter these values – 170, 1, 172.
- Add more blur using a radius of 1px.
- black
- silver
- white
- grey
- a variety of stars and effects to them
- spaceships
- different flying objects with funny effects
- astronauts in open space
- rockets of take-off
- space dust in the starry sky, etc.
- Article about Galaxy. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy)
- What Is a Galaxy? (https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/galaxy/en/)
- Galaxies—facts and information.
(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/universe/galaxies/) - Our Large, Adult Galaxy Is As Massive As 890 Billion Suns.
(https://www.livescience.com/our-galaxy-is-so-big-good-lord.html) - Chris Hadfield. An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth. Back Bay Books; 2015.
- Neil deGrasse Tyson. Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries. W. W. Norton & Company; 2014.
- Carl Sagan. Cosmos. Ballantine Books; 2013.
That is pretty much it. You are done! Congratulations!
Here is a short video guide if you need some visuals.
Galaxy Brushes for Photoshop
If you want to create something more elaborate, you might be interested in some galaxy brushes for Photoshop. These pre-made brushes will help you create a more or less accurate galaxy images for your space background as well as save you a lot of your precious time. You can find both free and premium brushes on such resources as MyPhotoshopBrushes. So if you are interested in creating some galaxy backgrounds for your projects or just for fun, go ahead and get some fancy Photoshop brushes.
Free Space Backgrounds
Another way to get a free space background is to download one from a stock images website like Unsplash, for example. These images are royalty-free, which means that you can use them in your projects or just enjoy having them as your desktop background. So go ahead and check some dope free space backgrounds on stock images resources.
10 Free Galaxy Background Images: Download HD
Galaxy Background Bundles
If you are really fond of dope fancy backgrounds, you might want to check out some premium, yet rather affordable, space background bundles from MasterBundles. So here are some of the best space bundles for web design.
Galaxy Backgrounds Collection
Price: $4
This bundle contains a pretty decent for its price amount of high definition space images for all occasions, so you might want to give it a try.
Purple & Pink Galaxy Backgrounds
Price: $4
This very space bundle has lots of high-quality galaxy backgrounds that will simply stun you with their beauty. The bundle is quite affordable, so it will be a great option for beginners.
Galaxy, Space Navy Backgrounds
Price: $4
Another cool and affordable galaxy bundle in navy colors. This very bundle is the ultimate must-have for all the web designers out there.
877 Detailed Alien Overlays
Price: $24
If you want to spice up your space background just a little bit, then why not add some aliens to it? Well, this very bundle is the way to go for that. It comes with over 800 detailed alien overlays, which gives you a pretty wide choice. So do not hesitate and give it a shot.
Galaxy, Space Purple Backgrounds
Price: $4
This one is another affordable option just out of space. Designed in purple colors, the images within this very bundle will definitely make you fall in love with them. So make your future projects magical with some dope backgrounds from this very bundle.
Brown Galaxy, Space Backgrounds
Pink Galaxy Space Backgrounds
Price: $4
Last, but surely not least, Pink Galaxy Space Backgrounds bundle. This is another affordable option that contains dozens of fancy pink space backgrounds that will definitely make your website simply awesome. So why not give it a shot?
Well, there are a lot of cool and what is more important affordable space web design bundles for your current and future projects, so go ahead and get some.
Galaxy Colors Collection: 1604 Elements
Price: $29
Galaxy Colors Collection is a really huge bundle with more than 1500 elements for literally all occasions. So if you are a web designer who has a whole bunch of creative projects, this very bundle is definitely the way to go for you.
More info
Showcase of Websites Where Galaxy Background Is Used
Well, we have already talked about how popular space backgrounds are, which means that it is the very time to check out some real websites that have this very background. So here they come – websites where galaxy background is used.
Air Social
12 Wave
Alessio Santangelo
Brandon Johnson
As you can see, space background is a great solution for personal websites and portfolios, especially if your occupation is connected with space science or if you are a creative person who loves space.
Galaxy and stars as a popular web design trend
In the past few years, humanity has made great progress in space and star research. People are only talking about the flight of Pluto, the first landing of the Falcon 9 orbital rocket and so forth. Not surprisingly, the latest design trends are also directly related to the theme of space and constellations.
The galaxy trend is not only popular among scientists and lovers of looking at the night sky. Designers are also keen to be inspired by research into the universe. The galaxy theme is everywhere: in graphics, interiors, fashionable outfits, website designs. Galaxy trend is gaining momentum and not going to stop. True creative individuals will certainly appreciate this trend in design.
What is “Galaxy design”?
Each design is unique, in this case galaxy is no different from other trends. However, you should not think that it is only about black space depths.
First of all, it is the exploration of the undiscovered. Most of the space is still unknown to us, and design uses this greatest mystery, playing on our desire to know the mysteries of the universe. It is also a great opportunity to stimulate the imagination, because the less you know, the more you think.
Finally, the galaxy and stars theme is integrally connected with technical progress, which is developing in seven-mile steps. Whether it is the latest features of Smart Homes or the improvement of drones, the future is what makes us think. The new galaxy trend is pushing us to do the same. So, the galaxy theme is exciting and thought-provoking, it is a blessing for the development of new design concepts.
The first distinctive feature of space design is color. Black in the first place, of course, but this is just the beginning. The trend tends to be towards neutral pure colors, because the space is full of all shades:
Neutral colors are perfectly combined with the rest of the palette, creating harmonious color combinations. Moreover, they are not too “emotional”.
However, in galaxy design there are not only neutral colors: the trend may boast a small, but interesting set of completely new shades. For example, mineral tones that emphasize lightness, and even a certain simplicity of design. These colors include many different variations.
And most importantly, all shades refer to the cold part of the color palette, giving the galaxy design cool, and relaxing character.
In general, the colors in this trend are very specific, causing associations with the mystery of the cosmic depths and the starry sky.
Space backgrounds, abstraction, and dynamics
The only thing we really know about space is that we know almost nothing about it. So the space design is very abstract. It is directly designed for abstraction. The idea of the movement also plays a significant role in the trend of space and stars. Whether it is graphic design or interior elements, you can see the movement more or less clearly everywhere.
Movement in design is closely associated with the idea of dynamics, action. Dynamic design is always more interesting, it makes the audience focus: focus on the movement.
The effect of the dynamics is created by using the following elements:
Space backgrounds, textures and patterns
Look at the galaxy design and you will immediately notice the amazing variety of textures. Texture is a powerful design element. It not only provokes unpredictable emotions, but also creates a fascinating effect that cannot be ignored. Space textures in web design can imitate the surface of the moon in hills and craters, creating a recognizable effect of the celestial body. Other texture backgrounds can be linked to the constellation theme and display a contrasting effect. Here are a small number of very bright, and unique bundles, which contain a huge number of elements.
Space Vector Clip Art
20 Space Backgrounds
Cosmic Graphics Bundle with Extended License
Final Word
Space images will never stop fascinating us because what else can be more beautiful, more sophisticated, more magnetizing, and more hypnotizing? Certainly, such a stunningly beautiful thing as a space background is widely used in web design and I do not even have to explain why. In fact, there are many great resources like MasterBundles where you can find some drop-dead beautiful space backgrounds for your web design projects. So next time you start a new project, consider using some space patterns in order to make it truly special and unique.
Have you used galaxy backgrounds in your projects? Share your experience in the comment section below!
FAQ
Is contrast important in galaxy design?
Contrast is extremely important: it allows the eye to “grab” the basic elements at once, and catch the balance. Contrast is also present in space design: in developing backgrounds, designers use dark tones of neutral colors, so that objects in the foreground become more visible and eye-catching.
Why has space been a trend for so many years?
The fashion for using space motifs in web design is not losing its position. And this is not surprising! First of all, space is beautiful. Secondly, it is a mystery that attracts the eye. It is synonymous with a happy future, a symbol of the latest technology.
Can I create the cosmic background myself?
I don’t think that this is a problem. You can use tutorials that are on the Internet. Or if you know Photoshop well enough and have some ideas, you can implement them! The most important thing is to be sure and take risks !
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What are your concerns?
Thanks for your response!
Space theme today is popular and in demand in web design. Space is quite a fashionable element in design. There is a lot of talk about space in the news, especially after the discovery of a new planet – the ninth. In addition, many other projects, whether it is a design studio site or a business company, in one way or another used separate elements of the space theme. There are many different articles about galaxy on the Internet, and the way space elements are used in web design and other areas. Therefore, a lot of interesting and scientific information was processed to write this post.
