About The Gradient Editor - Adobe PHOTOSHOP CS2 User Manual

Note: The Gradient tool cannot be used with bitmap, indexed-color, or 16-bits-per-channel images.
You fill an area with a gradient by dragging in the image. 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 fill part of the image, select the desired area. Otherwise, the gradient fill is applied to the entire active layer.
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2 Select the Gradient tool
Choose a gradient fill in the options bar:
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• Click the triangle next to the gradient sample to pick a preset gradient fill.
Click inside the gradient sample to view the Gradient Editor. Select a preset gradient fill, or create a new gradient
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fill. Then click OK. (See "To create a smooth gradient" on page 494.)
4 Select an option for applying the gradient fill in the options bar:
Shades from the starting point to the ending point in a straight line.
Linear gradient
Shades from the starting point to the ending point in a circular pattern.
Radial gradient
Angle gradient Shades in a counterclockwise sweep around the starting point.
Shades using symmetric linear gradients on either side of the starting point.
Reflected gradient
Diamond gradient Shades from the starting point outward in a diamond pattern. The ending point defines one
corner of the diamond.
Do the following in the options bar:
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Specify a blending mode and opacity for the paint. (See "List of blending modes" on page 487.)
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• To reverse the order of colors in the gradient fill, select Reverse.
To create a smoother blend with less banding, select Dither.
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• To use a transparency mask for the gradient fill, select Transparency. (See "To specify the gradient transparency"
on page 495.)
Position the pointer in the image where you want to set the starting point of the gradient, and drag to define the
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ending point. To constrain the line angle to a multiple of 45˚, hold down Shift as you drag.

About the Gradient Editor

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.
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ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2 493
User Guide