Apply a gradient fill
The
Gradient tool creates a gradual blend between multiple colors. You
can choose from preset gradient fills or create your own.
Note: The Gradient tool cannot be used with bitmap or
indexed-color images.
- To
fill part of the image, select the desired area. Otherwise, the
gradient fill is applied to the entire active layer.
- Select the Gradient tool
. (If
the tool isn’t visible, hold down the Paint Bucket tool.)
- In the options bar, choose a fill from the wide gradient
sample:
Click the triangle next to the sample to
pick a preset gradient fill.
Click 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.
- Select an option
to determine how the starting point (where the mouse is pressed)
and ending point (where the mouse is released) affect gradient appearance.
- 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.
- Angle
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:
Specify a blending mode and opacity for
the paint. (See Blending modes.)
To reverse the order of colors in the gradient fill,
select Reverse.
To create a smoother blend with less banding, select
Dither.
To use a transparency mask for the gradient fill,
select Transparency. (See Specify the gradient transparency.)
- Position the pointer in the image where you want to set
the starting point of the gradient, and drag to define the ending
point. To constrain the line angle to a multiple of 45°, hold down
Shift as you drag.
Manage gradient presets
Gradient presets allow you to quickly apply
gradients that you use often. You can manage your presets in the
Gradient Picker, Presets Manager, or Gradient Editor.
Save a set of preset gradients as a library
- Click
Save in the Gradient Editor dialog box, or choose Save Gradients
from the Gradient Picker menu in the options bar.
- Choose a location for the gradient library, enter a file
name, and click Save.
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.
Load a library of preset gradients
Do
one of the following in the Gradient Editor dialog box: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.
Note: You can also choose Load Gradients, Replace
Gradients, or choose a library of gradients from the Gradient Picker
menu in the options bar.
Return to the default library of preset gradients
Choose Reset Gradients from the panel
menu. You can either replace the current list or append the default
library to the current list.
Change how preset gradients are displayed
Choose a display option from the 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.
Gradient Editor dialog box
- A.
- Panel menu
- B.
- Opacity
stop
- C.
- Color stops
- D.
- Adjust
values or delete the selected opacity or color stop
- E.
- Midpoint
Create a smooth gradient
- Select
the Gradient tool .
- Click inside the gradient sample in the options bar to
display the Gradient Editor dialog box.
- To base the new gradient on an existing gradient, select
a gradient in the Presets section of the dialog box.
- Choose Solid from the Gradient Type pop‑up menu.
- To define the starting color of the gradient, click the
left color stop
under the
gradient bar. The triangle above the stop turns black 
, indicating
that the starting color is being edited.
- To choose a color, do one of the following:
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.
- To define the ending color, click the right color stop
under the gradient bar. Then choose a color.
- To adjust the location of the starting point or ending
point, do one of the following:
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 adjust the location of the midpoint (where the gradient
displays an even mix of the starting and ending colors), drag the
diamond
below
the gradient bar to the left or right, or click the diamond, and
enter a value for Location.
- To add intermediate colors to a gradient, click below
the gradient bar to define another color stop. Specify the color
and adjust the location and midpoint for the intermediate point
as you would for a starting or ending point.
- To delete the color stop you are editing, click Delete,
or drag the stop downwards until it disappears.
- To control how gradual the transitions are between color
bands in the gradient, enter a value in the Smoothness text box,
or drag the Smoothness pop‑up slider.
- If desired, set transparency values for the gradient.
- Enter a name for the new gradient.
- To
save the gradient as a preset, click New after you have finished
creating the gradient.
Note: 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.
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 gradient.
- To
adjust the starting opacity, click the left opacity stop above the
gradient bar. The triangle below the stop turns black, indicating
that the starting transparency is being edited.
- In the Stops section of the dialog box, enter a value
in the Opacity text box, or drag the Opacity pop‑up slider.
- To adjust the opacity of the end point, click the right
transparency stop above the gradient bar. Then set the opacity in
the Stops section.
- To adjust the location of the starting or ending opacity,
do one of the following:
Drag the corresponding opacity stop to
the left or right.
Select the corresponding opacity stop, and enter
a value for Location.
- To adjust the location of the midpoint opacity (the point
midway between the starting and ending opacities), do one of the
following:
- To delete the opacity stop you are editing, click Delete.
- To add an intermediate opacity to the mask, click above
the gradient bar to define a new opacity stop. You can then adjust
and move this opacity as you would for a starting or ending opacity.
To remove an intermediate opacity, drag its transparency stop up
and off the gradient bar.
- To create a preset gradient, enter a name in the Name
text box, and click New. This creates a new gradient preset with
the transparency setting you specified.
Create a noise gradient
A
noise gradient is a gradient that contains randomly distributed
colors within the range of colors that you specify.
Noise gradient with different roughness values.
- A.
- 10% roughness
- B.
- 50% roughness
- C.
- 90% roughness
- Select the Gradient tool .
- Click in the gradient sample in the options bar to display
the Gradient Editor dialog box.
- To base the new gradient on an existing gradient, select
a gradient in the Presets section of the dialog box.
- Choose Noise from the Gradient Type pop‑up menu, and
set the following options:
- 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.
- To create a preset gradient with the settings you’ve
specified, enter a name in the Name text box, and click New.
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