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A
Anonymous
March 24, 2010
Answered

Apply transparent fade to photo edges

  • March 24, 2010
  • 3 replies
  • 402513 views

I have found that I can apply a fade to transparent using the Gradient tool, and dragging it in to the picture.  Works great, but I can only apply fade to one side of the photo. If I try to do the other side of the photo, the previous fade is undone.  I have to save the changed photo and redo the Gradient tool to another side of the pic, and so on.  Goal is to apply an uneven fade to transparency around the edges of a picture.   I have also tried the Background Eraser, results have not been great - seems to leave a lot of pixels behind.  Is there a way to do this - without repeatedly fading one side, saving, fading a side, saving, etc....?

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Correct answer JustLittleOlMe

An even easier method (CS5):

Make your selection of what you wish to keep via the Marquee tool or thru a series of Select menu options (All - Modify border (lg) - Modify Feather (sm)- Inverse).

Choose Select - Refine Edges...

Before clicking OK:

1) Adjust the Feather slider (large)

2) Adjust the Edge (left)

3) Choose Output to: as Layer Mask

4) re-adjust as necessary

Click OK and there you go. Ready to Place it into another photo or onto a background where it can be Free Transformed to meet your needs.

If you also choose Remember Settings before you click OK after you have figured out what you like then it will be even easier yet the next time you need to do this.

3 replies

J
JustLittleOlMeCorrect answer
Participant
August 16, 2011

An even easier method (CS5):

Make your selection of what you wish to keep via the Marquee tool or thru a series of Select menu options (All - Modify border (lg) - Modify Feather (sm)- Inverse).

Choose Select - Refine Edges...

Before clicking OK:

1) Adjust the Feather slider (large)

2) Adjust the Edge (left)

3) Choose Output to: as Layer Mask

4) re-adjust as necessary

Click OK and there you go. Ready to Place it into another photo or onto a background where it can be Free Transformed to meet your needs.

If you also choose Remember Settings before you click OK after you have figured out what you like then it will be even easier yet the next time you need to do this.

A
Anonymous
December 15, 2011

Thanks so much. I t took me a minute to fiddle around with it but with your help and the preceding posts, I figured it out. Thanks!

A
Anonymous
March 24, 2010

Rename the Background layer by Alt-double clicking it.


Create a new layer, fill it with white and drag it below the other one.


With the Rectangular Marquee make a selection a bit smaller than the  image.


Make a layer mask from the selection, on the image layer by clicking on the mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette.


Apply a Gaussian blur to the mask and adjust to taste.

    barpos
    barpos
    Known Participant
    February 27, 2011

    Hello John,

    Sorry for jumping in, but I have followed your instructions (in Photoshop CS4), but without success.  I have read a lot about it, but I have never been able to make it work.  I presume the rectange marquee is done on the background image layer, right?  Once I create  the mask, the center of my selection become transparent red.  At that point only the red section becomes editable.  I don't want to shade the center of the image, but the edges.  What am I doing wrong??

    Rename the Background layer by Alt-double clicking it.


    Create a new layer, fill it with white and drag it below the other one.


    With the Rectangular Marquee make a selection a bit smaller than the  image.


    Make a layer mask from the selection, on the image layer by clicking on the mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette.


    Apply a Gaussian blur to the mask and adjust to taste.

    Regards,

    Ronald

    PECourtejoie
    Community Expert
    PECourtejoieCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 27, 2011

    Hello!

    Barpos, it seems that you did not promote the background to a layer.

    You then went in Quickmask mode. Did you click on the letter Q, or did you click on the bottommost button of the Toolbox?

    http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-76c1a.html

    Pierre.

    A
    Anonymous
    March 24, 2010

    Try a google search for photoshop vignette tutorial. There are a few different ways to go about achieving this.

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