Applying a gradient fill

You fill an area with a gradient by dragging in the image or in a selection. The starting point (where the mouse is pressed) and ending point (where the mouse is released) affect the gradient appearance, depending on the gradient tool used.

To apply a gradient fill:

1 To fill part of the image, select the desired area. Otherwise, the gradient fill is applied to the entire active layer.

2 Select the gradient tool ().

3 In the options bar, click the desired gradient type (linear, radial, angular, reflected, or diamond).

4 Choose a gradient fill from the pop-up palette in the options bar. To learn more about using pop-up palettes, see Using pop-up palettes.

5 Specify a blending mode and opacity for the paint. (See Setting options for painting and editing tools.)

6 To reverse the order of colors in the gradient fill, select Reverse.

7 To create a smoother blend with less banding, select Dither.

8 To use a transparency mask for the gradient fill, select Transparency. (See Specifying the gradient transparency.)

9 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.

Painting and Drawing > Using the gradient tools > Applying a gradient fill