PS Lesson 18 — Fill: Gradient

Photoshop · Lesson 18 · Fill & Adjustment Series

A Gradient You Can Change,
Reposition, and Re-Angle Any Time.

No flattening. No starting over. The Gradient fill layer keeps every setting live, editable, and adjustable for the life of the document.

♻️

Always Editable

Double-click the thumbnail to change colors, style, angle, or scale at any point — even months later.

🎭

Built-in Mask

Every Gradient fill layer comes with a layer mask already attached — hide any portion with a black brush.

🎨

Blend Mode Power

Multiply, Soft Light, Overlay — turn any gradient into a non-destructive color grade or vignette.

🌈 Gradient fill layer = live and repositionable. Painted gradient = pixels, fixed forever. Use the fill layer for anything compositional.

Concept

Fill Layer vs. Painted Gradient

✅

Gradient Fill Layer

✓ Non-destructive
✓ Colors, style, angle editable anytime
✓ Drag on canvas to reposition
✓ Built-in layer mask
✓ Blend modes + opacity adjustable
Layer → New Fill Layer → Gradient

≠

⚠️

Gradient Tool (Painted)

✗ Destructive — pixels painted
✗ Not editable after committing
✗ Cannot reposition
✗ No attached mask
✗ Fixed to layer blend mode
G key — use inside masks only

🧠 The Gradient tool is still useful for painting inside masks. For any layer-level gradient, the fill layer is strictly superior.

Workflow

How to Create a Gradient Fill Layer

1

Layer → New Fill Layer → Gradient

A naming dialog appears first — give it a useful name (e.g. "Sky Fade" or "Vignette"). Click OK to open the Gradient Fill dialog.

2

Or — Half-Circle Icon at the Bottom of the Layers Panel

Click the half-black, half-white circle → choose Gradient. Goes directly to the Gradient Fill dialog — fastest route.

3

Configure the Gradient Fill Dialog — Click OK

Choose gradient colors, style, angle, scale. Click OK. The layer appears in the Layers panel with a white mask thumbnail already attached.

4

Double-Click the Gradient Thumbnail Anytime to Reopen Settings

The layer stays fully editable. Change colors, style, angle, or scale at any point — no need to start over.

✅ Name your gradient layers descriptively — "Vignette" or "Sky Fade" tells you far more than "Gradient Fill 2" ever will.

Reference

The Gradient Fill Dialog — Every Control

G

Gradient Thumbnail — Click to Open Gradient Editor

Click the gradient preview to open the full editor for color stops and opacity stops.

S

Style — Linear · Radial · Angle · Reflected · Diamond

The shape of the gradient. Linear and Radial cover 90% of photography use cases.

°

Angle — Direction of Flow in Degrees

0° = left to right. 90° = bottom to top. 270° = top to bottom. Scrub the field by clicking and dragging on the label.

%

Scale · Reverse · Dither

Scale spreads the gradient across more canvas. Reverse flips start/end colors. Dither prevents banding — leave it checked almost always.

⚠️ Leave Dither checked. It adds invisible noise that prevents the banding (staircase effect) you'd otherwise see on smooth gradients over blue skies.

Reference

The Five Gradient Styles

→

Linear

Straight-line fade. The most common style. Controls direction via Angle. Workhorse for sky fades and color washes.

◎

Radial

Circular fade outward from center. Perfect for vignettes and spotlight effects. Your second workhorse.

⌀

Angle

Sweeps around a center point like a clock hand. Cone or wedge effect. Primarily graphic design use.

⇔

Reflected

Mirrored linear — fades from center outward in both directions symmetrically. Subtle highlight effects.

◇

Diamond

Four-pointed star from center to corners. Geometric, graphic look. Rarely used in photography directly.

90%

In Practice

Linear + Radial cover nearly all photography applications. Know the others exist — reach for them if a job calls for it.

💡 Linear for directional fades (sky, color wash). Radial for vignettes and center-focus effects. Master these two first.

Feature

The Gradient Editor

Click the gradient thumbnail inside the Gradient Fill dialog to open the Gradient Editor.

🎨

Color Stops — Bottom Row

Click a stop → use Color field below to change it.
Click anywhere on the bottom edge to add a stop.
Drag a stop off the bar to delete it.
Diamond between stops = blend midpoint — drag to shift balance.

👻

Opacity Stops — Top Row

Click a stop → use Opacity field below (0–100%).
Set to 0% = fully transparent at that end.
Essential for sky fades and vignettes.
"Foreground to Transparent" preset already does this.

⭐

Your Most-Used Preset: Foreground to Transparent

In the Presets panel at the top of the Gradient Editor, find "Foreground to Transparent." It creates a solid color (whatever your current foreground is) fading to nothing. Set your foreground color first by sampling from your photo, then choose this preset — the gradient instantly matches the scene.

🧠 Color stops = colors. Opacity stops = transparency. Set one opacity stop to 0% to create a fade-to-transparent gradient.

Technique

The Built-in Mask

Constrain the gradient to any portion of the frame — without changing the gradient itself.

1

Click the White Mask Thumbnail to Activate It

In the Layers panel, the white square next to the gradient thumbnail is the mask. Click it — a white border appears when active.

2

Paint Black to Hide — Paint White to Reveal

Brush tool (B). D = default black/white. X = swap. Paint black to hide the gradient in that area. Paint white to bring it back.

3

Common Use — Sky Only

Apply a sky-fade gradient, then paint black on the mask over buildings, trees, or people. The gradient now only shows in the sky area.

✅ The gradient thumbnail and the mask thumbnail are two separate clickable areas. Click the right one — the mask is the white square on the right.

Technique

Repositioning — Drag on the Canvas

🖱️

How to Reposition

With the Gradient fill layer selected (gradient thumbnail active, not the mask), click and drag anywhere on the canvas. The gradient moves with your cursor in real time. Release when positioned correctly. No dialog required.

↔️

Linear — Drag Shifts Origin

Moves the starting point of the fade. Useful when you want the transition to begin at a specific point in the frame.

◎

Radial — Drag Moves Center

Shifts the focal center point. Drag it over your subject for a spotlight effect, or off-center for a more cinematic vignette.

⚠️ If dragging doesn't move the gradient, check that the gradient thumbnail is active — not the mask thumbnail. Click the gradient swatch first.

Technique

Blend Modes — From Fill to Color Grade

M

Multiply — Darkens Everything Below

A dark gradient in Multiply darkens the image while adding a color cast. Perfect for vignettes and moody edge darkening without the flat gray look of Normal mode.

O

Overlay — Adds Contrast and Saturation

Warm-to-cool gradients in Overlay create dramatic split-tone color grades. Bright areas brighten, dark areas darken. Start at 30–40% opacity.

SL

Soft Light — Subtle Color Wash

Gentler than Overlay. Adds a subtle color tint and slight contrast. Great at 25–50% opacity for a natural-looking split-tone grade.

🎨

30-Second Color Grade

Create a Gradient fill layer above your photo. Set a warm orange (top) to cool blue (bottom) gradient. Change blend mode to Soft Light. Drop opacity to 30%. Result: a split-tone color grade. Adjust opacity to taste. Change gradient colors to shift the grade entirely.

🧠 100% opacity almost always looks too heavy. Most gradient color grades live at 20–50% opacity — dial down and adjust by eye.

Practical Use

Sky Fade — Adding Depth to a Flat Sky

1

Sample the Sky Color — Alt/Option + Click with Eyedropper

Hold Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) to temporarily switch to the Eyedropper. Click a deep blue area of the sky. That color is now your foreground — and your gradient will match the scene.

2

Create Gradient Fill Layer — Foreground to Transparent

In the Gradient Editor, choose the "Foreground to Transparent" preset. Style: Linear. Angle: 90° (top to bottom). Click OK.

3

Set Opacity to 60–80% — Mask Out the Foreground

Lower opacity so the gradient looks like part of the sky. Paint black on the mask over any foreground (trees, buildings) that shouldn't be darkened.

✅ Sampling the sky color is the professional move — it ensures the gradient is invisible and native to the scene, not obviously added on top.

Practical Use

Vignette — Radial Gradient in Multiply Mode

1

Gradient: Black to Transparent — Style: Radial — Check Reverse

Foreground to Transparent preset with foreground set to black. Style: Radial. Check Reverse — this puts the transparent area in the center and the black on the outside.

2

Scale: 130–150% — Pushes the Dark Edges Outward

Higher scale spreads the dark area to the corners while keeping the center clear longer. Start at 130% and adjust.

3

Blend Mode: Multiply — Opacity: 50–70%

Multiply darkens without adding a flat gray cast. The transparent center is completely unaffected. The corners and edges darken naturally.

4

Drag on Canvas to Center Over Subject

Click and drag to reposition the bright center. Slightly off-center positions look more natural than perfectly centered vignettes.

💡 Reverse must be checked — without it the black is in the center. Multiply is the key — Normal mode at low opacity adds a gray cast, Multiply doesn't.

Challenge

Build a Radial Vignette from Scratch

Use any portrait or landscape photo. Complete all five steps without peeking at the dialog settings.

1

Create the Layer

Layer → New Fill Layer → Gradient, or use the half-circle icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.

2

Set the Gradient

Black to Transparent. Style: Radial. Reverse: checked. Scale: 130–150%. Click OK.

3

Blend Mode: Multiply

Change blend mode to Multiply in the Layers panel. Drop opacity to 50–70% — adjust until natural.

4

Reposition

Click and drag on the canvas to move the center point over your subject.

5

Refine the Mask

Click the mask thumbnail. Paint black to protect any area that should stay fully bright.

+

Bonus

Stack a second gradient fill layer in Soft Light mode with a warm-to-cool gradient below the vignette for a color grade.

Lesson 18 Recap

Six Things. Every Gradient Job.

G

Fill Layer > Tool

Fill layer = live, editable, repositionable. Gradient tool = pixels, fixed.

5

Five Styles

Linear + Radial are 90% of photography. Know Angle, Reflected, Diamond exist.

Ed

Gradient Editor

Color stops (bottom) = colors. Opacity stops (top) = transparency. 0% = transparent.

⇄

Drag to Reposition

Drag on canvas with the layer selected. No dialog needed. Real-time movement.

M

Mask + Blend Mode

Built-in mask constrains where it shows. Multiply = vignette. Soft Light = color grade.

★

The Two Recipes

Sky fade: Linear, 90°, sampled color to transparent. Vignette: Radial, Reverse, Scale 130%, Multiply.

Up Next — Lesson PS-19

Fill Layers: Pattern

PS Lesson 19 — Fill any layer with a repeating tile. Textures, overlays, graphic treatments — all non-destructive.

Start Lesson 19 →