Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter Seven — Gradient Fill Layers
Overview
As I stated at the beginning of the last chapter, there are five basic types of layers that we
will be discussing in this and the next few chapters —
Image Layers, Text Layers, Fill Lay-
ers, Shape Layers,
and
Adjustment Layers
.
Fill Layers
are commonly used as backdrops for images and text. There are three types of
Fill Layers
used in Photoshop —
Solid, Gradient
, and
Pattern
.
In this chapter, I want to discuss
Gradient Fill Layers
. This subtopic of
Fill Layers
is
much more involved than
Solid Fill Layers
and therefore deserves some additional explan-
ation.
Pattern Fill Layers
are used as a backdrop and to add texture to an image and will not be
covered in this topic.
A
Gradient
is a gradual transition from one color to another. Photoshop has made it very
easy to create some rather complex variations on this theme. You can have a series of trans-
itions from multiple colors and you can vary the way in which those transitions occur.
We are going to use a very simple
Gradient Fill Layer
in the next chapter, when we repro-
duce the cover of this topic.
Gradients
are such a useful item that they warrant their own chapter before we get into the
broader topic of Layers.
Chapter Seven Video Lesson
