Interesting gradient mask technique

[Barbara Brundage]

<http://www.creativemac.com/2003/07_jul/tutorials/psgradient030723.htm>

[Susan S.]

It's a cool technique, but those blend-if tricks are full version only...I wonder if that's one of the things that Elements can do with an action recorded in the full version? got to take the kids to school now but I might have a go later.

susan

[Barbara Brundage]

I haven't actually tried it yet, but I was wondering if just adjusting the layer blend mode wouldn't give you a similar result.

[Richard Lynch]

Actually there are ways to work around this Blend If thing. One is to create use a duplicate of the type layer to create a mask. e.g.,

1. Makse the gradient mask.
2. Make the type layer and shut off the visibility (Adobe eye) on the new layer.
3. duplicate the type layer.
4. group the gradient mask and ONE of the type layers.
5. Merge the layers grouped in step 4
6. Load the duplicate type layer as a selection (press CTRL/Cmd+click on the type layer).
7. Invert the selection.
8. press delete. As long as the gradient layer is still active, this will delete the area around the type.

This is not an optimal use of Blend If, and really the selection using it accrding to the article seem a little random and awkward to me. If you are creating the elements (type in this case) better to use that element to make an exact selection.

I happen to like the blend if tool a lot. In fact it is the basis for Blend Masking, which you can do in Elements.

Richard Lynch

[Richard Lynch]

Actually, you really don't need the extra type...simplify this to:

1. Makse the gradient mask using the color you want the type to be (rather than using black).
2. Make the type layer and shut off the visibility (Adobe eye) on the new layer.
3. Load the type layer as a selection (press CTRL/Cmd+click on the type layer).
4. Invert the selection.
5. press delete. As long as the gradient layer is still active, this will delete the area around the type.

I knew something bothered me about that technique. I've noticed a lot of tutorials make things harder than they really are.

[Susan S.]

If any one is wondering, Elements will quite happily run blend-if actions. But only for particular settings - as different colours require tweaking of the blend-if settings it isn't very easy to implement the only advantage of the tutorial's method which is having *editable* gradient masking - ie one can come back and do colour changes in the text without redoing the gradient.

[Kenneth Liffmann]

Guess there is no free lunch.
Ken

[Chuck Snyder]

Tony, here's one way to do it.

1. Create a new canvas large enough to accommodate the pictures you want to
overlap.
2. Using the Move tool or copy and paste, put copies of your images to be
merged on the canvas and overlap them on the edge you want to fade.
3. Insert a Fill layer - Solid Color (White) between the two picture
layers; your lower picture should disappear for the moment.
4. Click on the upper layer picture and do a Layer>Group with Previous;
you'll see the down arrow appear on the upper layer, but no visible change
yet in the image.
5. Reduce the opacity of the Color Fill image so you can see the other
image below.
6. Set the Color picker to black foreground/white background, which is the
default.
7. Go to the Gradient tool; select Foreground to Background gradient. Now
put the cursor near the edge of the fully visible image and click and drag
toward the open white space over the partially visible image. Release the
mouse button. You will have created a gradient mask on the Fill Layer.
8. Restore opacity of the fill layer to 100%. Your composite image should
have a smooth overlap now. If it didn't work, it may be because of the
direction of drag for the gradient; back up with Undo History and drag the
opposite direction. Remember to start the drag near the transition point;
if you start at the far end, the fade will be too pronounced.

There are other ways, I'm sure, but this one works for me.

Chuck

[Richard Lynch]

BTW -- yet another way to do this fade thing:

1. Create the type as a selection.
2. Fill with the desired color to transparent gradient.

Blend If CAN be edited in Elements, but holy-cow it is a production. Like I said Blend Mask is a good work-around, and you can adjust it so it works for any color or tone -- just like Blend If.

Speaking of work-arounds...if you use Layer Masks (which you can get from the free tools on Adobe Studio <http://share.studio.adobe.com/axBrowseSubmit.asp?d=164028&dn=Richard+Lynch> ) You can do all sorts of things with masks to make them function like Blend If. For example:

1. Open an image (a frog or animal or something)
2. Select All
3. define a new pattern (Edit>define Pattern)
4. create a new layer
5. add a layer mask
6. fill the mask with the pattern (Edit>Fill>select the pattern just saved)
7. fill the layer (not the mask) with, say, blue.
8. Shut off the background view.

You should end up with a blue negative of the frog. Think about that one and you'll come up with some rather interesting methods for targeting color application. For example, say you wanted to turn just the midtones blue...you could duplicate the image and create a gradient map that has 3 tabs: black on either end and a white tab in the middle. Then apply this to the duplicate image, create the pattern from that and use IT for the mask fill. Miraculously, only the midtiones will be filled with blue.

Advanced stuff, but certainly in the realm of the type of thing you'd want to accomplish with Blend If -- and without reaching for anything but free tools.

That help?

Richard Lynch