Although Photoshop includes dozens of different gradient presets, you may want to create your own. Perhaps you’d like to create a gradient with your company colors or build one to match the predominant colors in an image. Or you might want to create a gradient that includes more than two colors. The Gradient Editor lets you create your own gradient preset, using two or as many colors as you want, which you can save and reuse at any time. The Gradient Editor has lots of options, but it’s easy to use when you know what all the controls and options do. This next section leads you through the steps for creating your own new gradient preset.
Follow these steps to create a simple two-color smooth gradient:
1. Select the Gradient tool from the Tools palette.
2. Click in the gradient sample window in the Options bar.
3. If you want to base your new gradient on an existing gradient preset, click that gradient in the Presets window.
4. Click the New button.
Photoshop appends a copy of the gradient you selected to the end of the Presets. If you didn’t select a preset, Photoshop uses the default Foreground to Background gradient as your model instead.
5. In the Name box, type in a name for your new gradient.
6. Choose Solid or Noise from the Gradient Type pop-up menu.
A Noise gradient is one containing random colors. Because the colors are random, each time you create a noise gradient the result is different. You can choose which color model to use and how rough the gradient is and select a range of acceptable colors.
7. Adjust the Smoothness slider. Drag the slider (click the right pointing arrow) or enter a value to determine how smoothly you blend your colors into one another.
If you chose Noise in the previous step, the slider changes to Roughness. This option affects how smooth or abruptly one color transitions into another.
8. You can set the following options only if you chose Noise in Step 6.
- Color Model: Select your desired color model or limit the range of colors by adjusting the sliders.
- Restrict Colors: Limits the colors to printable CMYK colors only.
- Add Transparency: Lets you include transparency in your gradient, if desired.
- Randomize: Changes the colors in your gradient. Click and each time you’ll get a new set of colors.
9. To begin defining the color of the starting point for your gradient, first click the left color stop button under the gradient bar.
The triangle on top of the stop turns black to indicate you are working with the starting point of the gradient.
10. Choose the starting color by using one of these methods:
- Double-click the left color stop and select a color from the Color dialog box that appears.
- Double-click the Color box in the Stops area of the dialog box and choose a color from the dialog box.
- Choose Foreground, Background, or User Color from the Color pop-up menu in the Stops area of the dialog box.
Keep in mind that if you select color with the Foreground or Background option when you change the foreground or background color, the color in the gradient changes automatically. The change doesn’t affect any gradients you’ve already created, but it does affect any future gradients. However, when you open the Gradient Editor again, you can revert to your original foreground or background color by selecting the User Color option.
- Position the cursor (it will appear as an Eyedropper icon) anywhere in the gradient bar to select a start color from the bar, or position the cursor anywhere within an image on your screen, and then click to select the color under the cursor.
11. Click the end point color stop at the right side of the gradient bar and use any of the methods described in Step 10 to choose the end color of the gradient.
12. Change the proportions of one color to the other by moving the starting or ending point’s color stops to the left or right. Drag the midpoint slider (a diamond icon) to adjust where the colors mix equally, 50-50.
You can also change the position of the midpoint by typing a value into the Location box. Because the center point of the gradient is halfway between the start and end points, the gradient will proceed smoothly from one color to the other, meeting to blend evenly in the middle. Moving the color stops and the midpoint changes the proportions.
13. Click OK to apply the settings to your new gradient.
Follow these steps to create a simple two-color smooth gradient:
1. Select the Gradient tool from the Tools palette.
2. Click in the gradient sample window in the Options bar.
3. If you want to base your new gradient on an existing gradient preset, click that gradient in the Presets window.
4. Click the New button.
Photoshop appends a copy of the gradient you selected to the end of the Presets. If you didn’t select a preset, Photoshop uses the default Foreground to Background gradient as your model instead.
5. In the Name box, type in a name for your new gradient.
6. Choose Solid or Noise from the Gradient Type pop-up menu.
A Noise gradient is one containing random colors. Because the colors are random, each time you create a noise gradient the result is different. You can choose which color model to use and how rough the gradient is and select a range of acceptable colors.
7. Adjust the Smoothness slider. Drag the slider (click the right pointing arrow) or enter a value to determine how smoothly you blend your colors into one another.
If you chose Noise in the previous step, the slider changes to Roughness. This option affects how smooth or abruptly one color transitions into another.
8. You can set the following options only if you chose Noise in Step 6.
- Color Model: Select your desired color model or limit the range of colors by adjusting the sliders.
- Restrict Colors: Limits the colors to printable CMYK colors only.
- Add Transparency: Lets you include transparency in your gradient, if desired.
- Randomize: Changes the colors in your gradient. Click and each time you’ll get a new set of colors.
9. To begin defining the color of the starting point for your gradient, first click the left color stop button under the gradient bar.
The triangle on top of the stop turns black to indicate you are working with the starting point of the gradient.
10. Choose the starting color by using one of these methods:
- Double-click the left color stop and select a color from the Color dialog box that appears.
- Double-click the Color box in the Stops area of the dialog box and choose a color from the dialog box.
- Choose Foreground, Background, or User Color from the Color pop-up menu in the Stops area of the dialog box.
Keep in mind that if you select color with the Foreground or Background option when you change the foreground or background color, the color in the gradient changes automatically. The change doesn’t affect any gradients you’ve already created, but it does affect any future gradients. However, when you open the Gradient Editor again, you can revert to your original foreground or background color by selecting the User Color option.
- Position the cursor (it will appear as an Eyedropper icon) anywhere in the gradient bar to select a start color from the bar, or position the cursor anywhere within an image on your screen, and then click to select the color under the cursor.
11. Click the end point color stop at the right side of the gradient bar and use any of the methods described in Step 10 to choose the end color of the gradient.
12. Change the proportions of one color to the other by moving the starting or ending point’s color stops to the left or right. Drag the midpoint slider (a diamond icon) to adjust where the colors mix equally, 50-50.
You can also change the position of the midpoint by typing a value into the Location box. Because the center point of the gradient is halfway between the start and end points, the gradient will proceed smoothly from one color to the other, meeting to blend evenly in the middle. Moving the color stops and the midpoint changes the proportions.
13. Click OK to apply the settings to your new gradient.
Creating a Two-Color Smooth Gradient in Photoshop
![Creating a Two-Color Smooth Gradient in Photoshop]()
Reviewed by Pepen2710
on
9:01:00 PM
Rating:
No comments:
Post a Comment