Photoshop - Adding Gradient to a layer
A gradient is a
gradual transition between one or more colors. You can control the type of transition
using the gradient tool. Photoshop tool box includes the following gradient
tools.
(1)
Linear gradient (
)
Shades from the starting point to the ending point in a straight line.
(2) Radial
gradient (
)
Shades from the starting point to the ending point in a circular pattern.
(3) Angular
gradient (
)
Shades in a counterclockwise sweep around the starting point.
(4) Reflected
gradient (
)
Shades using symmetric linear gradients on either side of the starting point.
(5) Diamond
gradient (
)
Shades from the starting point outward in a diamond pattern. The ending point
defines one corner of the diamond.
To
apply a gradient fill
To
fill only part of the image, select the desired area. Otherwise, the gradient
fill is applied to the entire active layer.Select
the gradient tool and draw a gradient by dragging in the image from a starting
point (where the mouse is pressed) to an ending point (where the mouse is released).
To constrain the line angle to a multiple of 45°, hold down Shift as you drag.
Double-click
the gradient tool to display its Options palette.
1
Specify the opacity and blending mode. See
how the gradient fill changes for different opacity.
2
Select a gradient fill from the list.You can define a new gradient
fill or modify an existing one.
3
To use a transparency mask for the gradient fill, select Transparency. Each
gradient fill contains a transparency mask that controls the opacity of the
fill at different locations on the gradient. For
example, you can set the starting color to 100% opacity and have the fill
gradually blend into an ending color with 50% opacity.Turn off the mask by deselecting
Transparency in the Gradient Options palette.
By
default, the transparency mask is set to 100%. To edit the
gradient transparency mask do the following.
4
To create a smoother blend with less banding, select Dither.
5
To reverse the order of colors in the gradient fill, select Reverse.
To
edit the gradient transparency mask do the following.
|
Click
Edit button in the gradient tool Options palette. Then in the gradient
editor select the gradient whose transparency mask you want to edit(ie
in the fig Foreground to Background is selected). For Adjust,
select Transparency.
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To
adjust the starting opacity, click the left transparency stop under the
transparency gradient bar.
For Opacity, enter a value. The bar at the bottom of the Gradient Editor
dialog box lets you preview the effects of the mask on the gradient fill.
To adjust the opacity of the endpoint, click the right transparency stop
under the transparency gradient bar. Then set the opacity as explained
in the previous step.
To adjust the location of the starting or ending opacity, do one of the
following: Drag the corresponding transparency stop to the left or right.
OR Select the corresponding transparency stop, and enter a value for Location.
To adjust the location of the midpoint opacity (the point midway between
the starting and ending opacities), do one of the following: Drag the
diamond above the transparency gradient bar to the left or right. OR Select
the diamond and enter a value for Location.
To add an intermediate opacity to the mask, click under the transparency
gradient bar to define a new transparency stop. You can then adjust and
move this opacity as you would for a starting or ending opacity. To remove
an intermediate opacity, drag its transparency stop down and off the gradient
bar.
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Creating
and editing gradient fills
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Double-click
a gradient tool to display its Options palette . Click Edit button
in the gradient tool Options palette. For Adjust, select Color.
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 |
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To
create a new gradient: click New. Enter a name for the gradient, and
click OK.
(1)To
define the starting color of the gradient, click the left color stop
under the gradient bar. The triangle above the stop turns black, indicating
that the starting color is being edited.
To choose a color, do one of the following:
(a) Double-click the color stop, or click the color swatch below the gradient
bar. Choose a color and click OK.
(b) Click the foreground selection box to use the current foreground color.
(c) Click the background selection box to use the current background color.
(d) Position the pointer over the gradient bar (the pointer turns into
the eyedropper), and click to sample a color.
(2)To define the ending color, click the right color stop
under the gradient bar. Then choose a color as described in the previous
step.
(3)To adjust the location of the starting point or ending point,
(a)Drag the corresponding color stop left
or right to the location you want, OR (b)
Click the corresponding color stop, and enter a value for Location. A
value of 0% places the point at the far left end of the gradient bar,
a value of 100% at the far right end.
(4)To adjust the location of the midpoint (where the gradient
displays an even mix of the starting and ending colors), drag the diamond
above the gradient bar to the left or right, or click the diamond and
enter a value for Location. Gradients with different midpoint locations
(5)Click
OK to add the new gradient fill to the list.
To
edit an existing gradient, select it in the list and follow the above
1-4 steps and click OK.
To base your gradient on an existing one, select it in the list,
and click Duplicate. To name the copied gradient, hold down Alt as you
click Duplicate.
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To delete a gradient, select the gradient in the Gradient Editor dialog box,
and click Remove.
To append gradients that have been stored in a file to the current list, click
Load in the Gradient Editor dialog box.
To save gradients in a separate file for later use, select the desired gradients
in the Gradient Editor dialog box (Shift-click to select multiple gradients).
Then click Save.
To return to the default gradient list, choose Reset Tool from the menu on the
Gradient Tool Options palette. You can either replace the current list or append
the default gradients to the current list.
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