Gradients in 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.

Improved Gradients

Updated in Photoshop 24.5 (May 2023 release)

The Gradients feature has been significantly improved and the workflow has been expedited with the introduction of new on-canvas controls and a live preview, that is created automatically and that can be edited non-destructively.

You can now quickly draw, preview, and modify beautiful gradients with an improved Gradient Tool in the Photoshop desktop app. 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 Gradients feature is the default (no action is required unless you want Classic gradient).

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 Gradients feature, do the following:

Add a Gradient to a mask

Introduced in Photoshop 24.5 (May 2023 release)

Follow these steps to learn how to add a gradient to a mask:

Add a Gradient to a smart filter (mask)

Introduced in Photoshop 24.5 (May 2023 release)

Follow these steps to learn how to add a gradient to a smart filter:

Gradient Tool context menu and shortcuts

Use the shortcuts to verify the correct context menu is displayed the a color stop is selected and when it’s not selected. To deselect all color stops, simply click anywhere on the canvas.

Select a gradient in the Gradients panel

Apply gradients to layers

To apply a gradient to text layers as a layer effect, do any of the following:

• Select one or more text layers in the Layers panel and then click any gradient in the Gradients panel to apply it.
• Drag a gradient from the Gradients panel onto the text content on the canvas area.
• Drag a gradient from the Gradients panel onto a layer in the Layers panel.  

To apply a gradient to a shape layer as shape fill, do any of the following:

• Select one or more text layers in the Layers panel and then click any gradient in the Gradients panel to apply it.
• Drag a gradient from the Gradients panel onto the text content on the canvas area.
• Drag a gradient from the Gradients panel onto a layer in the Layers panel. 
  

To apply a gradient to text layers or shape layer as a fill layer, do any of the following:

• Hold Command (Mac)/ Alt (Win) and drag a gradient from the Gradients panel onto the text content on the canvas area.
  
• Hold Command (Mac)/ Alt (Win) and drag a gradient from the Gradients panel onto a layer in the Layers panel.  

To apply a gradient to pixel layers, do the following:

1. Drag a gradient from the Gradients panel onto a pixel layer in the Layers panel.
2. Photoshop automatically creates a fill layer on top of the pixel layer.  

Organize gradient presets into groups

To organize gradients under a new group:

1. In the Gradients panel (Window > Gradients), click the Create New Group icon. 
2. Specify a group name and click OK. 
3. Drag a gradient or use the Shift key to select multiple gradients to drag them inside the Group.

To create nested groups:

1. Select a group in the Gradients panel.
2. Now, drag and drop that group under another group.

Show legacy gradients

From the Gradients panel menu, choose Legacy Gradients.

Return to the default gradient presets

Choose Append Default Gradients from the Gradients panel menu to append the Gradients defaults to the list of Gradients presets.

Change how preset gradients are displayed

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

Rename a preset gradient

• If the panel is set to display gradients as thumbnails, double-click a gradient, enter a new name, and click OK.
• If the panel is set to display gradients as a list or text only, double-click a gradient, enter a new name inline, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS).

Gradient Editor overview

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.

Save a set of preset gradients as a library

Load a library of preset gradients

• 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.

Create a smooth gradient

Specify the gradient transparency

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.

Create a noise gradient

A noise gradient is a gradient that contains randomly distributed colors within the range of colors that you specify.

How to use gradient presets

Julieanne Kost