Be sure to check off as you go along.
Make a Gradient
1) Go to File > New
> Blank File, or press Ctrl + n, to create a blank canvas.
2) Select the Gradient
tool.
3)
Open the Gradient Picker window, in the options bar, by clicking
the downward-pointing arrow.
You can also right click on your photograph to bring up the gradients
last used.
There are several preset gradients.
4) Select the Foreground
to Transparent gradient.
Foreground to
Transparent Gradient
5) Click elsewhere
on the screen to close the Gradient Picker window.
6) To make the gradient,
simply click, hold, and drag a line, on the blank canvas.
Here, the line was drawn from left to right.
When you release the mouse button, the gradient appears.
Linear Foreground to Transparent Gradient
As you can see, a Foreground to Transparent gradient starts with
whatever the foreground color is, black in this example, and fades to
transparent.
Gradient Tool Options Bar
Here's the entire options bar for the Gradient tool.
Let's look at the left side of the options bar.
Left Side
Left Side
Gradient Picker Window
You've used this already, above.
Edit
Click Edit to make changes to the gradient, such as color and opacity.
Go to Edit a Gradient.
Types
There are five types of gradients.
You'll use linear gradients most of the time.
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Linear Gradient:
Along the Line
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Radial Gradient:
From the Center Out
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Angle Gradient:
As If the Line Is Sweeping the
Gradient Like a Radar Screen
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Reflected Gradient:
The gradient is drawn twice in
each direction from the point
from which you drag.
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Diamond Gradient:
Drawn from the center out, the end
of the drag line creates a corner.
The gradient is duplicated at 90°
angles
around the center point.
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Now, let's look at the right side of the options bar.
Right Side
Right Side
Mode
You can change the blending mode from Normal to Color, Luminosity,
or Overlay.
If you're using an adjustment layer, you can leave the blending mode
of the gradient set to Normal.
You can change the mode of the adjustment layer.
This will be described in the next section.
Opacity
Change the opacity to reduce the effect of the gradient.
If you're using an adjustment layer, you can leave the opacity of
the gradient set to 100%.
You can change the opacity of the adjustment layer.
Reverse
Use Reverse to flip the pattern of the gradient.
Dither
Select Dither to prevent banding between color transitions.
Transparency
If a portion of a gradient is transparent, and this box is not selected,
the transparent portion will be filled with the neighboring color.
Gradient Facts
Gradients are usually drawn on masks in adjustment layers, and on
selections.
A shorter distance between the beginning and end of a gradient
will create a more abrupt transition.
A longer distance between the beginning and end, will
produce smoother transitions.
You can start or end a gradient outside of the image.
Reduce the size of the image with the Zoom tool until you can see
a gray border around it.
You can create more than one gradient.
Let's make a bright sky darker by drawing a gradient on a Levels
adjustment layer mask.
