GRADIENT TOOL
The gradient tool can fill your canvas or an
area you have selected with a gradual color. It does this by
starting with a single color and makes gradual changes into another
color. It can be found near the bottom of your control panel below
the text tool. The icon shows a gradual progression of color from
left to right. A gradient will start with a color and gradually move
into another. If you click and hold down your mouse button over the
gradient tool, you will notice a number of other patterns.
One thing you should notice about each of these patterns is that
they all have gradual shades of color. The color white always
symbolizes the first color, and black is always the ending color. In
some cases the first color will be yellow and the ending color will
be purple. To fill up a window with the gradient tool, you will
first want to select it from the control panel. After this, drag the
cursor over the canvas and pick the area where you want the gradient
to begin.
Press down on your mouse and hold it at the starting point, then
drag it to the location on the canvas where you want the gradient to
terminate. Once you've done this, you will now want to release the
mouse button. A gradient should now be present on the canvas. The
color in the foreground should be used to start the beginning of the
gradient, and the color in the background should be used to mark the
end of it. It is possible to reverse the direction of the gradient,
and if this is done, the colors will be on opposite sides.
If you bring the two points closer, the color
of the gradient will gradually change within a much shorter
distance. The other patterns available under the gradient tool will
perform the same function, but will show a different pattern. The
gradient tool can be used for a large number of projects, and it is
one of the most comprehensive tools to be found in Photoshop. While
understanding the basics of the gradient tool is simple, it can be
used to create some very complex designs.
The gradient tool also features an options menu. You can alter the
opacity setting of your gradient, or you can change the type of mode
you want to use. It is also possible to use both transparency and
dither. You can also make changes to your gradient under the
Gradient Editor. Here you can set the type of gradient you want, and
you can also alter the smoothness. There are five different
gradients available for you to choose from, and these are radial
gradient, linear gradient, reflected gradient, diamond gradient, and
angle gradient. These different gradients will allow you to create
an unlimited number of combinations.
Picking dither will allow your gradient to transition smoothly from
one color to another without stripes. The gradient is one of the
most impressive tools to use in Photoshop, and experimentation will
allow you to learn different techniques.
