Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
TIP
Heavier, chunkier fonts show off gradients better than thin, spidery ones. Fonts with
names that end in Extended, Black, or Extra Bold are good choices, like Arial Black or
Rockwell Extra Bold.
First, make sure you've got some text in your image, and then follow these steps:
1.
Create a new layer for the gradient directly above the Text layer
.
You're going to clip these two layers together (
Clipping Layers Together
)
, which is
why they need to be next to each other. Click the Text layer to make it the active lay-
er, if it isn't already. Then, to create the new layer, press Shift+Ctrl+N/Shift-
⌘
-N or
go to Layer→New→Layer. In the New Layer dialog box, turn on the “Use Previous
Layer to Create Clipping Mask” checkbox to clip this new layer to the Text layer be-
low it, and then click OK.
Look at the Layers panel to be sure the new layer is the active layer and that it's right
above the Text layer. If it isn't active, give it a click in the Layers panel.
2.
Activate the Gradient tool
.
Click the Gradient tool in the Tools panel (or press G), and then choose a gradient in
the Tool Options area. (See
Applying Gradients
for more about how to select, modify,
and apply gradients.)
3.
Drag across your image in the direction you want the gradient to run
.
Because this layer is clipped to the Text layer, the gradient appears only in the text. If
you don't like the result, press Ctrl+Z/
⌘
-Z and drag again until you like what you see.
That's all you have to do, except of course save your work if you want to keep it. If you like,
you can also activate the Move tool and drag the gradient layer around till your text shows
the color range you want. You won't see the gradient layer itself as you move it, but the
text's colors will change.
