How to Work with Light and Dark Edges in Photoshop

by Lala C. Ballatan

How Do You Use The Photoshop Gradient Tool
by: Blur Loterina

There are different ways in eliminating opacity on images. One of the basic techniques is the use of the gradient tool. A gradient tool is used to edit or modify a part or the entire layer of an image. It is located in the tool bar and there is a window provided to customize your gradient.

Different gradient shapes include diamond, reflected, linear, etc. There is also the gradient blending modes for foreground and background colors. Just double click the tool bar in the color picker to change the color of the foreground or background. You can have your foreground transparent. its color fades so you will be able to see the layers below. Fading is done by swiping across the pixels.

Different locations for gradient include Adjustment Layer, Fill Layer, Layer Styles Menus and Tool Options Bar.

There are two gradient types or settings, solid and noise. Solid is a gradient generated algorithmically, while noise is from RGB values. Solid gradient is used for manually set colors, while noise is for numerous color bands.

Before you can use the gradient tool, convert first the background layer to a regular layer. Then, create a gradient layer. Choose any gradient style and make sure that the gradient layer is transparent. The transition between color bands can be determined by adjusting the smoothness. Short strokes result to sharper gradient and long strokes result to smoother gradient.

The Gradient Editor dialog, which can be extracted when you click the gradient itself, is used to modify gradient. Drag the top Opacity Stop if you want to lengthen the opaque portion of the gradient. To decrease opacity, just drag the white Opacity Stop. There is a small diamond that appears between the stop markers called the Gradient Midpoint. This midpoint can be used to adjust smoothness of the gradient by simply dragging it the left or to the right. If you drag it to the left the smoothness of the gradient is increased and when you drag it to the right the smoothness decreases.

To edit multiple layers, group them first by selecting them and then type Command-G or Control-G. If you want to ungroup multiple layers, just type Shift-Command-G or Shift-Control-G. If you want to modify you’re your work, use the Gradient Editor. Double click the gradient layer and choose new gradient style.

You can make your own gradient and add it to the pre-defined gradients by saving it and setting the style scale and angle of your gradient.

About the Author

Blur Loterina
You may wonder why I write articles. Besides from the fact that it’s my job, I used to write short stories when I was younger. I think it would be helpful if I said I’m a big fan of Zach de la Rocha and Rage Against the Machine. This would explain my own views about a lot of things. Their songs were about national issues, politics and human rights. They support the American Indian Movement and Che Guevara, the face you see on t-shirts. Not that it concerns me. I only like their music and idealism.

I like to read anything that contains words in the old English form, though I can’t understand it. You know, the King James Version of the Bible with words like thou, thy, thine, wilst, etc. The words used are different. The construction of the sentence is different, too, which makes sentences sound artistic. I also like gothic metal, a music genre, because most of the lyrics contain such words. It is not only the words that fascinate me; it’s the hidden meaning it contains. It’s like an abstract painting; you don’t get the real picture until you see through it.

I’m not an artist, I’m not a poet. I just love writing anything I want. I wasn’t born a genius, I just want to know and understand something I don’t. I like to find the difference between similar things. It’s like counting birthmarks on each identical twin.

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How to Work with Light and Dark Edges in Photoshop

About the Author