Home / Computers / Software

Working with Gradients (Continued)

Mode and Opacity work the same way they do with the Brush, Pencil, and Paint Bucket tools.

Reverse, when checked, applies the gradation beginning with the background color and ending with the foreground color. Normally, the gradation begins with the foreground color.

Dither, when selected, prevents colors of different shades in the gradation appearing as bands, ensuring a smoother transition from one color to the next by mixing the pixels of the differing colors.

Transparency, when selected, can make lighter portions of the gradation transparent so an underlying image is visible.

You can use the Gradient tool to fill a selection made with one of the marquee tools or an entire layer. If you don’t make a selection, the gradient fills the entire layer. Below, we’ve created a new Photoshop image 200 x 200 pixels. We’ll experiment with the Gradient tool by applying a gradient to the background layer:

1. On the toolbox, select the Gradient tool.
2. Use the Color palette or the color boxes on the toolbox to select foreground and background colors. Unless you select Reverse on the Options bar, the gradient will begin with the foreground color and end with the background color.
3. On the Options bar, we’re leaving most of the defaults. Dither is selected and Reverse and Transparency aren’t. We selected the Reflected gradient style.
4. To apply the gradient, click where you want the gradient to begin and drag to the place where you want the gradient to end:

When you release the mouse button, the gradient is applied to the area in the direction that you clicked and dragged:

5. If you undo the gradient and then click and drag in a different direction, the gradient will follow that direction:

6. Above, we’ve been drawing the gradient across the entire canvas, so the gradient fills the layer. Try drawing just a small line representing the gradient:

The gradient is limited to the width of the line you drew:

However, the gradient still fills the layer—from one end of the canvas to the other.

7. Use the Rectangular Marquee tool to draw a rectangular selection marquee smaller than the canvas. Then use the Gradient tool to draw a gradient from one side of the marquee to the other: