ptg GRADIENTS IN THIS CHAPTER Creating a Gradient fi ll layer . . . . . . .367 Using the Gradient tool . . . . . . . . . .369 Creating and editing gradient presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370 22 A gradient is a soft blend between two or more opaque or semitranspar- ent colors. Gradients can be used to enhance the background behind imagery or type or to add color to objects. In this short but fun chapter, you will learn how to apply gradients via a Gradient ll layer and the Gradient tool, and how to create and modify gradients via the Gradient Editor. Creating a Gradient fill layer A gradient that you apply via a Gradient ll layer appears in its own layer, complete with a layer mask that can be used to control how much of the gradient is visible. Like an adjustment layer, this type of gradient is editable, restackable, and removable — unlike a gradient that you apply directly to a layer. A good use for a Gradient ll layer is to add color behind silhouetted imagery or type. To apply a gradient via a fill layer: 1. If you want the gradient ll to display behind sil- houetted imagery or type, click the layer directly below the image layer or type layer. A 2. Optional: To conne the gradient to an area of the layer, create a selection. 3. From the New Fill/Adjustment Layer menu on the Layers panel, choose Gradient. e Gradient Fill dialog opens. Continued on the following page A  e o r i g i n a l i m a g e c o n t a i n s a s i l h o u e t t e d i m a g e l a y e r a n d a separate white Background. We clicked the Background. ptg 368 Chapter 22 4. Click the Gradient picker arrowhead at the top of the dialog, click a gradient preset on the picker, A then click back in the dialog and keep it open. ➤ To load in more gradients, open the preset picker menu, choose a library name from the assortment at the bottom, then click Append in the alert dialog (see also page 401). 5. Choose a gradient Style of Linear, Radial, Angular, Reected, or Diamond. B 6. Do any of the following optional steps: Change the Angle for the gradient by moving the dial or by entering a value. Use the Scale slider to scale the gradient relative to the layer. e greater the scale percentage, the more gradual the transition between colors in the gradient. Drag in the document window (with the dialog still open) to reposition the gradient. Check/uncheck Reverse to swap the order of colors in the gradient. EDITING THE GRADIENT FILL LAYER MASK If you create a selection before creating a Gradient fi ll layer, the selection will be represented as a white area within the layer mask thumbnail for the Gradient fi ll layer on the Layers panel. To reshape the mask, click the layer mask thumbnail, then with the Brush tool, paint with white to enlarge the white area or with black to enlarge the black area. Via the Masks panel, you can adjust the density of the black area in the mask or feather its edge. B After clicking the Background and opening the Gradient Fill dialog, we chose the “Light Purple” preset (in the Simple library) and the settings shown above. C We reduced the opacity of the Gradient ll layer to 80%. A In the Gradient Fill dialog, click the Gradient picker, then click a preset in the picker. Check Dither to minimize banding (stripes) in the gradient on print output. If you created a selection in step 2, check Align with Layer to t the complete gradient within the selection, or uncheck this option to have the gradient stretch across the whole layer. With this option unchecked, only part of the gradient will display within the selection area. 7. Click OK. C Note: If the Gradient ll layer is now obscuring all the layers below it, do any of the following: lower the opacity of the the ll layer, restack it below the layers you want to keep visible, or lower the opacity of some of its color stops (see page 370). ➤ To edit the settings for the Gradient ll layer, double-click the Gradient ll layer thumbnail. e Gradient Fill dialog reopens. ➤ To apply a gradient as an editable Gradient Overlay layer eect, see pages 362–363. ptg Gradients 369 Using the Gradient tool With the Gradient tool, you create a gradient by dragging in the document window. Each time you drag, an additional gradient is applied. Although you can’t edit the results in the same way that you would edit a Gradient ll layer, if you use the tool on a separate layer, at least you will be able to change the layer blending mode or opacity. To apply a gradient with the Gradient tool: 1. Create a new, blank layer for the gradient. Optional: To conne the gradient to an area of the layer, create a selection. 2. Choose the Gradient tool (G or Shift-G). 3. On the Options bar, do all of the following: Click the Gradient picker arrowhead, then click a preset on the picker. Click a Style button: Linear, Radial, Angle, Reected, or Diamond. Choose Mode: Normal and Opacity 100%. 4. Do any of the following on the Options bar (optional): Check Reverse to swap the order of colors in the gradient. Check Dither to minimize banding (stripes) in the gradient on print output. Check Transparency to enable any transparency that was edited into the gradient, or turn this option o to apply a fully opaque gradient. 5. For a Linear gradient, drag from one side or corner of the image or selection to the other. For any other gradient style, drag from a center point outward (Shift-drag to constrain the angle to a multiple of 45°). A–C Drag a long distance to produce subtle transitions between colors or a short distance to produce abrupt transitions; this has the same eect as chang- ing the Scale value in the Gradient Fill dialog. 6. Change the gradient layer mode or opacity. ➤ To delete the last results of the Gradient tool, click the prior state on the History panel. ➤ For a gradual transition between the masked and unmasked areas, click the mask thumbnail for an image, editable type, adjustment, or ll layer, or for a Smart Filter, then drag in the document with the Gradient tool. See pages 244–245 and 350. B  i s i s t h e L a y e r s p a n e l f o r t h e i m a g e s h o w n b e l o w . C  i s i s t h e  n a l i m a g e . A With the Gradient tool (Diamond style chosen), we dragged diagonally from the middle to the lower right on a new, blank layer. ptg 370 Chapter 22 You can create a variation of any gradient preset in the picker or create new, custom presets. When you edit a preset, Photoshop forces you to work on a copy automatically so the one in the library is pre- served. We’ll show you how to add and change the colors in a gradient, adjust the color transitions, and make individual colors semi- or fully transparent. To create or edit a gradient preset: 1. Open the Swatches and/or Color panels (they can be collapsed to icons). 2. To open the Gradient Editor, do either of the following: Choose the Gradient tool (G or Shift-G), then click the Gradient thumbnail on the Options bar. A Double-click the thumbnail for an existing Gradient Fill layer, then click the gradient thumbnail at the top of the Gradient Fill dialog. 3. Click the preset swatch that you want to create a variation of. (When you begin editing the gradient, the Name will change to Custom.) Keep the Gradient Type as Solid and the Smoothness setting at 100%. If you want to create a gradient that uses whichever Foreground and Background colors are in eect when the gradient is applied, click the Foreground to Background preset.* 4. For any gradient except Foreground to Background, click the starting (left) or ending (right) color stop under the gradient bar, then do either of the following: Click a color on the Swatches panel, or on the color ramp at the bottom of the Color panel, or in any open document window (the pointer becomes a temporary Eyedropper tool). Click the Color swatch at the bottom of the Gradient Editor, choose a color from the color picker, then click OK (you can also open the picker by double-clicking a color stop). 5. Do any of these optional steps: To add an intermediate color to the gradient, click below the gradient bar to produce a stop, then choose a color for that stop, as described in the preceding step. To control the abruptness of a transition between colors, click a color or opacity stop, then drag the midpoint diamond (located on either side of the stop) to the left or right ( A , next page). e diamond marks the point at which two adjacent colors are evenly mixed. To add an opacity stop, click above the gradi- ent bar, then use the scrubby slider to change the Opacity percentage. You can also click any existing opacity stop and change its Opacity percentage ( B–C , next page). Transparency is represented by a checkerboard pattern. To change the location of a color or opacity stop in the gradient, drag it to the left or right. To delete an unwanted opacity or color stop, drag it upward or downward o the bar. ➤ Use Ctrl-Z/Cmd-Z if you need to undo the last edit (some edits can’t be undone). 6. Don’t click OK yet! To create a preset of your custom gradient, type a name in the Name eld, then click New ( D , next page). Note: Your new presets will be deleted from the picker if you allow them to be replaced by another gradient library or if the Photoshop Preferences le is deleted or damaged. To save all the presets currently on the picker as a per- manent library, click Save, enter a name, keep the default location, then click Save again. See also page 401. 7. Click OK to exit the Gradient Editor ( E , next page), and then the Gradient Fill dialog. e gradient displays on the Gradient picker. ➤ To delete a gradient preset from the picker, Alt-click/Option-click the preset thumbnail. ➤ To rename a gradient preset, double-click the swatch in the Gradient Editor; the Gradient Name dialog opens. Creating and editing gradient presets A We are opening the Gradient Editor by clicking the Gradient thumbnail on the Options bar. *Foreground to Background is the rst preset in the default gradient library. To reload that library, choose Reset Gradients from the Gradient picker menu, then click Append or OK. ptg Gradients 371 E We applied our custom gradient via a Gradient ll layer (above an image layer). e dialog settings we chose are shown above. Note that we chose the Reected style. D We lowered the opacity of the rst and last opacity stops. Finally, we named our custom gradient, clicked New, then exited both dialogs. C We added two more color stops. B We clicked above the bar to add a couple of intermediate opacity stops (note the checkerboard pattern in the bar). We also lowered the opacity of the second stop. A In the Gradient Editor dialog, we clicked below the gradient bar to add an intermediate (third) color to our two-color gradient, chose a color for that stop, then moved the midpoint diamond to make the transition between the middle and end colors more abrupt. A color stop An opacity stop An added stop ptg 372 Chapter 22 USING BLENDING MODES TO ENHANCE A GRADIENT B Color Burn blending mode C Luminosity blending mode D Linear Light blending mode E Dierence blending mode F Pin Light blending mode G Multiply blending mode A In all the images on this page, the gradient is supplied by a Gradient ll layer below a silhouetted image layer. A dierent blending mode is chosen for the image layer in Figures B through G . . option to have the gradient stretch across the whole layer. With this option unchecked, only part of the gradient will display within the selection area. 7. Click OK. C Note: If the Gradient. dialog reopens. ➤ To apply a gradient as an editable Gradient Overlay layer eect, see pages 362– 363. ptg Gradients 369 Using the Gradient tool With the Gradient tool, you create a. variation of any gradient preset in the picker or create new, custom presets. When you edit a preset, Photoshop forces you to work on a copy automatically so the one in the library is pre- served.