Learn how to create gradients of different types with Photoshop
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Applying gradients is one of the main workflows that constitutes the fundamentals of digital image manipulation. Gradient provides you the information about the change in the color intensity in your image in a given direction.
The Gradient tool creates a gradual blend between multiple colors. You can choose from preset gradient fills or create your own.
You cannot use the Gradient tool with bitmap or indexed-color images.
Select the Gradient tool . (If the tool isn't visible, hold down the Paint Bucket tool.)
Select the triangle next to the sample to pick a preset gradient fill.
Select inside the sample to view the Gradient Editor. Select a preset gradient fill, or create a new gradient fill. (See Create a smooth gradient.)
The Neutral Density preset provides a helpful photographic filter for sunsets and other high-contrast scenes.
Linear Gradient
Shades from the starting point to the ending point in a straight line.
Radial Gradient
Shades from the starting point to the ending point in a circular pattern.
Angular Gradient
Shades in a counterclockwise sweep around the starting point.
Reflected Gradient
Mirrors the same linear gradient on either side of the starting point.
Diamond Gradient
Shades from the middle to the outer corners of a diamond pattern.
Do the following in the options bar:
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With Live Gradients, you can create the color stops and edit your gradients from the canvas itself. Also, you can control the color, density, opacity, and blend mode of the gradient, see the mid-point and spread on the canvas, add multiple color stops, and change the color of the color stops to edit the gradient with this feature.
The Gradient Tool can decide which mode (Gradient or Classic gradient) is the correct mode based on the layer selected in your file. When you use the Gradient Tool in Gradient mode, it enables Live Gradients.
When a pixel layer is selected, you can choose the way you want to work, non-destructively (Gradient mode) or destructively (Classic gradient mode). When working on a gradient fill layer, the tool switches to the correct mode based on the layer selected, gradient fill or mask.
To use the new Live Gradients feature, do the following:
Use the gradient widget to adjust your gradient and see its impact in real-time. Add color stops and opacity stops, and move those to make the color, density, opacity, and blend mode adjustments to the gradients.
Tapping anywhere on the path adds a color stop to it. The color added will be the color active on the fill property.
To apply a gradient to text layers as a layer effect, do any of the following:
To apply a gradient to a shape layer as shape fill, do any of the following:
To apply a gradient to text layers or shape layer as a fill layer, do any of the following:
To apply a gradient to pixel layers, do the following:
To organize gradients under a new group:
To create nested groups:
From the Gradients panel menu, choose Legacy Gradients.
Choose Append Default Gradients from the Gradients panel menu to append the Gradients defaults to the list of Gradients presets.
Choose a display option from the Gradients panel menu:
Text Only
Displays the gradients as a list.
Small or Large Thumbnail
Displays the gradients as thumbnails.
Small or Large List
Displays the gradients as a list with thumbnails.
To display the Gradient Editor dialog box, click the current gradient sample in the options bar. (When you hover over the gradient sample, a tool tip reading "Click to edit gradient" appears.)
The Gradient Editor dialog box lets you define a new gradient by modifying a copy of an existing gradient. You can also add intermediate colors to a gradient, creating a blend between more than two colors.
A. Panel menu B. Opacity stop C. Color stops D. Adjust values or delete the selected opacity or color stop E. Midpoint
You can save the library anywhere. However, if you place the library file in the Presets/Gradients folder in the default preset location, the library name will appear at the bottom of the panel menu after you restart Photoshop.
Click Load to add a library to the current list. Select the library file you want to use, and click Load.
Choose Replace Gradients from the panel menu to replace the current list with a different library. Select the library file you want to use, and click Load.
Choose a library file from the bottom of the panel menu. Click OK to replace the current list, or click Append to append the current list.
You can also choose Load Gradients, Replace Gradients, or choose a library of gradients from the Gradient Picker menu in the options bar.
Double-click the color stop, or click the color swatch in the Stops section of the dialog box. Choose a color, and click OK.
Choose an option from the Color pop‑up menu in the Stops section of the dialog box.
Position the pointer over the gradient bar (the pointer turns into the eyedropper), and click to sample a color, or click anywhere in the image to sample a color from the image.
Drag the corresponding color stop left or right to the location you want.
Click the corresponding color stop, and enter a value for Location in the Stops section of the dialog box. 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.
To control the transition between color bands in the gradient, enter a value in the Smoothness text box, or drag the Smoothness pop‑up slider.
The smoothness describes how we pick the color in a given band as we go from color stop to midpoint to color-stop across the whole gradient. With a simple gradient with 2 stops and a default midpoint, theoretically, smoothness has no effect. The stop values are already in a line. The smoothness 0 value goes in straight lines connecting stops and midpoints, while a 100% value does a spline curve.
New presets are saved in a Preferences file. If this file is deleted or damaged, or if you reset presets to the default library, the new presets will be lost. To permanently save new presets, save them in a library.
Each gradient fill contains settings that control 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. The checkerboard pattern indicates the amount of transparency in the gradient preview.
Drag the corresponding opacity stop to the left or right.
Select the corresponding opacity stop, and enter a value for Location.
Drag the diamond above the gradient bar to the left or right.
Select the diamond and enter a value for Location.
A noise gradient is a gradient that contains randomly distributed colors within the range of colors that you specify.
A. 10% roughness B. 50% roughness C. 90% roughness
Roughness
Controls how gradual the transitions are between color bands in the gradient.
Color Model
Changes the color components you can adjust. For each component, drag the sliders to define the range of acceptable values. For example, if you choose the HSB model, you can restrict the gradient to blue-green hues, high saturation, and medium brightness.
Restrict Colors
Prevents oversaturated colors.
Add Transparency
Adds transparency to random colors.
Randomize
Randomly creates a gradient that conforms to the settings above. Click the button until you find a setting you like.
Julieanne Kost
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