Those who want to become a professional graphic designer are eager to learn how to create unique photos using the tools of the Adobe Photoshop graphic editor. Along with them, those who direct their efforts to improve the amateur photo also want to master the skills of working with this program.

Adobe Photoshop gives the designer a lot of possibilities.

Adobe Photoshop graphic editor is equipped with a sufficient number of various tools, applying which, it is possible to create photos, accompanied by a special originality and high aesthetics. One of these tools is Gradient, which is focused on creating a fill that combines several color shades that blend seamlessly into each other. Given the uniqueness of such a fill, novice designers seek to learn how to make a gradient in Photoshop.

Standard Gradient Process

Photoshop is aimed at users with different levels of practical skills. It has tools that can be used to simply fill with a gradient, and there are opportunities to create your own variations to emphasize the uniqueness of the corrected image. It is for this reason that it is important to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of experienced gurus on how to create a gradient in Photoshop, but it is useful to first learn the variations of the Gradient tool in order to use it as effectively as possible.

Gradient Types

Photoshop has a collection of ready-made gradients, represented by five popular varieties.

Linear gradient is enabled by default. It is used in the case when you want to create a transition of color shade or level of transparency, followed by a direction selected by the user and based on the transition relative to a straight line.

If you want to provide a color transition with the same distribution relative to the designated point, then the user can use the radial view of the gradient fill.

Gradient fill looks beautifully, accompanied by a color transition in a spiral. This type is called conical.

Also, relative to a straight line in one direction, a color hue transition can be performed, if you use a mirror-like view of a gradient fill.

The diamond-shaped variety is accompanied by a display of the color transition from the center of the diamond to all its diagonals.

Process of creation

So, focusing on what kind of gradient fill will be optimal for correcting a certain image, the user can proceed directly to practical work.

First of all, you should activate the tool “Gradient” on the panel, accompanied by an icon shaped like a rectangle with an uneven fill.

Now an additional horizontal panel appears at the top, allowing you to edit some settings. In particular, by clicking on the strip with an uneven fill, the user invokes a new window in which you can set the necessary parameters of the Gradient tool. It is in this window you need to specify the number of points, as well as choose the color shades that he would like to see in the gradient fill.

In the open window, the designer can visually observe the proposed examples, however, if such gradients do not suit you, you can view the following patterns. To do this, simply click on the arrow, which is located above the color samples. After clicking, an additional list of the gradient collection installed in Photoshop opens.

In practice, it happens that the desired gradient in the proposed list is missing. In this case, you should clarify how to set the gradients in Photoshop, then download it to your computer in grd format and move it to the Gradients folder, which is located inside the root folder of Adobe Photoshop, most often located on the system disk.

To directly fill the gradient, the user must select the area to which the adjustment will apply, then mark the direction of the gradient fill by dragging the mouse from the starting point to a certain direction. The longer this line is, the wider the gradient bars will be.

If the user did not like the selected color during the adjustment process, he can easily change it by clicking on the “Color palette” window, in which, by moving the slider, you can set a variety of colors.

Additional Modes

Experienced graphic designers, whose practical skills in working with Adobe Photoshop are perfect, do not limit themselves to the built-in features and collections. They are focused on creating unique images, trying to make such an adjustment that will cause complete delight in most people.

The process of applying additional tools

Of course, even novice designers, wanting to gradually develop their creative skills, tend to initially clarify for themselves how to apply a gradient in Photoshop or how to make a unique version of it?

Using the "Opacity" field, you can vary the visual display of the main background, setting the transparency parameters from 1 to 100%. It should be remembered that choosing the maximum indicator, the selected area after the fill will become completely opaque.

The checkbox “Inversion” allows you to change the display order of color shades. To set or disable the gradient smoothing mode, the user must use the "Dithering" checkbox. Using the “Mode” list, the user can set the desired gradient blending method.

So, to make an original any image becomes possible if the graphic designer masters the technique of applying a gradient to selected areas. Developing such practical skills is easy, if you have the desire, as well as diligently studying the recommendations of those who have already achieved a certain skill, who can make any picture truly masterpiece in a short period of time.