Create a photo with a linear gradient transparency

[Christie in CZ]

Hello,

I cannot figure out how to add a transparent gradient to my photos in either Illustrator or Photoshop. Is there no "clear" setting I can add to a gradient?

Thanks!

[Kurt Gold]

Which version of Illustrator are you using?

Are you familiar with Opacity masks?

[Christie in CZ]

Hello,

No I am not familiar with opacity masks, although I am trying to be!! I am

using the trials of PS CS4 and Illustrator CS 5.1.

I don't know which program I should use to do these tasks either. I need a

jpg file to fade to transparency under another. Do you have any advice?

Thanks,

Christie

[Steve Fairbairn]

I need a jpg file to fade to transparency under another.

Do you mean you want one photo to blend smoothly into another?

If so, you can do this easily in Illie with a gradient opacity mask on one of the images. This works in pretty much the same way as a gradient layer mask in Photoshop.

You say JPG, so you should be working in RGB mode.

If on the other hand you are working in CMYK you should take great care to use 100% of all 4 colours at the black end of the gradient in the opacity mask. If you use just K (or some other combination of CMYK colours) you may get unexpected colour results. You can of course also play with these unexpected results to achieve pleasing effects.

[Christie in CZ]

Thanks for replying.

I need my jpeg to fade into my existing Illustrator file. I would like my

jpeg to become increasingly transparent from right to left.

Is that possible?

[Monika Gause]

Do you need a transparent image as the output format? To use it in a webpage for instance? In that case you cannot use JPG at all, but have to take PNG.

[Christie in CZ]

No, I just want my photo to fade to transparency, so that that the picture

that is behind can be seen progressively as the transparency is greater.

Pls let me know if that doesn't make sense!

[Monika Gause]

If you're doing a collage of two photos, use Photoshop (-> layer masks). In case you're combining photo and vector, use Illustrator ( -> opacity masks, as Steve said)

[Steve Fairbairn]

Pls let me know if that doesn't make sense!

That makes perfect sense. I was out but not looking at any Northern Lights. It was raining and blowing a gale.

Anyway, Jacob has got it right. Whether you are blending between two photos or a photo and other vector artwork, the process is the same.

An opacity mask over the (top) photo.

And Monika: You can make a collage of photos either way. Use layer masks in PS or opacity masks in Illie. And for doing special colour effects in the blend Illie is better, or at any rate it's easier in Illie.

[Jacob Bugge]

Christie,

Steve may be out looking at the Northern Lights.

You may:

1) Select the image (the photo);

2) Click with the Rectangle Tool somewhere on the Artboard and set the same W and H values (you can see them in the Transform panel);

3) Place the rectangle exactly on top of the image (you may use the X and Y values from the Transform panel, or the Align panel centre aligning, or snap it (maybe using Smart Guides), or some other way);

4) In the Toolbox (at the bottom) remove the stroke if any and click the Gradient Tab for the Fill (if the Document Colour Mode is RGB this is enough, otherwise set C=M=Y=K = 100%;

5) In the Transparency panel flyout (upper right arrow) click Opacity Mask>Make, click Invert Mask.