Computer Graphics with Photoshop - Foreground to Transparent gradient not working

Author

Foreground to Transparent gradient not working

Jon Danniken

2005-11-24, 6:15 pm

Hello,

I've been driving myself crazy for the last couple of days trying to figure
this out. I've read the manual and searched this group but I cannot seem to
make this work.

I am trying to fade this outline to transparent on the outside edge:
http://66.36.231.224/~jonnycat/Border.psd (200 kb)

I can use all the gradient tools, but when I try the foreground to
transparent gradient it does absolutely nothing to the border. I know this
should be incredibly simple to do, but I must my brain must be missing
something very obvious.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated,

Thanks,

Jon

Peter Wollenberg

2005-11-25, 3:14 am

Derek Fountain

2005-11-25, 6:14 am

> I am trying to fade this outline to transparent on the outside edge:
> http://66.36.231.224/~jonnycat/Border.psd (200 kb)
>
> I can use all the gradient tools, but when I try the foreground to
> transparent gradient it does absolutely nothing to the border. I know this
> should be incredibly simple to do, but I must my brain must be missing
> something very obvious.

I'm not entirely sure what you want to do here. I think you're saying
you want to make what is basically a long line about 12 pixels wide go
fuzzy on one side - say about 3 pixels - and stay sharp on the other side.

Actually that's not a simple as it seems, at least not to me. But I did
work out a way:

Select the magic wand and set a tolerance of zero
Click the "add to selection" icon on the toolbar
Now click once in each area on the outside of the line - top left,
bottom left, bottom right and top right. Probably inside those holes
where the arms are too. You now have a selection of a set of empty areas
on the outside of the shape.
Select->Modify->Expand->3 pixels
Select->Feather->2 pixels
Edit->clear

Depending on how much fading you want, you will need to play with the
numbers in the penultimate steps, including missing out the selection
expansion completely.

Doubtless others with more experience will describe the obvious way that
neither of us can see... :o)

--
<a href="http://www.derekfountain.org/">Derek Fountain</a> on the web at
http://www.derekfountain.org/

Harry Limey

2005-11-25, 6:15 pm

"Jon Danniken" <jonREMOVETHISdanniken@yahoo.com> wrote in message

> I am trying to fade this outline to transparent on the outside edge:
> http://66.36.231.224/~jonnycat/Border.psd (200 kb)
>
Try this.

Create a copy of the image
Select colour range and click on the outline
Select inverse
Use paint bucket to fill the centre of the image
deselect and fill the tiny gap where the selection line was
Select colour range again (the whole of the image this time)
feather 1 or 2 pixels
and use a large eraser to go round the edge fading the outline at whatever
percent you wish.
Go back to the original image
drag the layer from the new image into the old image.
select colour range - the outline on the old layer
and then click on the new layer - the selection will still be active
Inverse and delete the centre - sound complicated but is actually easy!

Harry Limey

2005-11-25, 6:15 pm

Actually you don't need the new image stage - new layer will do!!

Peter Wollenberg

2005-11-25, 6:15 pm

"Jon Danniken" <jonREMOVETHISdanniken@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Hello,
>
>I've been driving myself crazy for the last couple of days trying to figure
>this out. I've read the manual and searched this group but I cannot seem to
>make this work.
>
>I am trying to fade this outline to transparent on the outside edge:
>http://66.36.231.224/~jonnycat/Border.psd (200 kb)
>
>I can use all the gradient tools, but when I try the foreground to
>transparent gradient it does absolutely nothing to the border. I know this
>should be incredibly simple to do, but I must my brain must be missing
>something very obvious.
>
>Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated,
>

Having read Derek's and Harry's answer to your question I think I
misunderstood you first. I think one way to achieve your goal is to
make use of the outer glow effect. Make a copy of the drawing on a
second layer, fill it with the outline color, apply an outer glow,
create an own layer from the effect, select the inner transparent area
from the untouched original and use the selection to cut out the inner
transparent area again on the effects layer. You have more options to
control the effect as compared to a feathered mask, as has been
suggested.

Peter

Jon Danniken

2005-11-25, 6:15 pm

"Derek Fountain" wrote:
this[color=darkred]
>
> I'm not entirely sure what you want to do here. I think you're saying
> you want to make what is basically a long line about 12 pixels wide go
> fuzzy on one side - say about 3 pixels - and stay sharp on the other side.
>
> Actually that's not a simple as it seems, at least not to me. But I did
> work out a way:
>
> Select the magic wand and set a tolerance of zero
> Click the "add to selection" icon on the toolbar
> Now click once in each area on the outside of the line - top left,
> bottom left, bottom right and top right. Probably inside those holes
> where the arms are too. You now have a selection of a set of empty areas
> on the outside of the shape.
> Select->Modify->Expand->3 pixels
> Select->Feather->2 pixels
> Edit->clear
>
> Depending on how much fading you want, you will need to play with the
> numbers in the penultimate steps, including missing out the selection
> expansion completely.
>
> Doubtless others with more experience will describe the obvious way that
> neither of us can see... :o)

Thanks for that, Derek. Your technique worked very well; I have never had
any success with the "Feather" command, since I never payed attention to the
"Clear" command (oops).

Thanks,

Jon

Jon Danniken

2005-11-25, 6:15 pm

"Peter Wollenberg"
> "Jon Danniken" wrote:
>
figure[color=darkred]
to[color=darkred]
this[color=darkred]
>
> Having read Derek's and Harry's answer to your question I think I
> misunderstood you first. I think one way to achieve your goal is to
> make use of the outer glow effect. Make a copy of the drawing on a
> second layer, fill it with the outline color, apply an outer glow,
> create an own layer from the effect, select the inner transparent area
> from the untouched original and use the selection to cut out the inner
> transparent area again on the effects layer. You have more options to
> control the effect as compared to a feathered mask, as has been
> suggested.

Wow, thanks for that, Peter. The Outer Glow gives me a lot of control over
the border now; thanks fot that.

Thanks,

Jon

Jon Danniken

2005-11-25, 6:15 pm

"Harry Limey" wrote:
> "Jon Danniken" wrote:
>
> Try this.
>
> Create a copy of the image
> Select colour range and click on the outline
> Select inverse
> Use paint bucket to fill the centre of the image
> deselect and fill the tiny gap where the selection line was
> Select colour range again (the whole of the image this time)
> feather 1 or 2 pixels
> and use a large eraser to go round the edge fading the outline at whatever
> percent you wish.
> Go back to the original image
> drag the layer from the new image into the old image.
> select colour range - the outline on the old layer
> and then click on the new layer - the selection will still be active
> Inverse and delete the centre - sound complicated but is actually easy!

Thanks Harry, I appreciate that.

Jon