Directional Gradient on the Outer Glow?

[PekkaLuhtala]

Hi, I have a question regarding a feature that seems to be bugged in Photoshop CC when compared to CS6.

I'm working on covers for some graphic novels, and to add some spice to the logo I'm including a glow with directional gradient on it, which looks like this in action.

To get the effect, I applied a gradiented clipping mask to a layer group which included a layer with glow applied, and then finally regular text layer on top of all of that. Both of the text-layers are unrasterized, with actual layer grouping looking like this:

So, this is with Photoshop CS6. All is well and good, and all included layers can still be edited if needed. But when I opened the same file, with exact same layers in latest version of Photoshop CC, this is what I see.

Basically, the glow is cut off at the outer borders of the object which it is applied to. No, there are no hidden masks applied, or anything else. These are the exact same layers as in the first image, simply opened in Photoshop CC instead of CS6.

The weird borders for the glow persist even if the image is exported as PNG, JPG or in any other format.

I believe this is an error with how the clipping masks work, because if I do delete the layer which has gradient applied, this is what end result looks like:

With this being what layers look like for that image:

Only way that I have discovered for getting around this in Photoshop CC is to merge together the layers with glow and gradient, which then removes the border, making it display like in the first CS6 image. But if that is done, the glow-gradiented layer can no longer be edited.

For the record, version of CC that I am using is 21.0.2 20191122.r.57 2019/11/22: e3e4068e635 x64

So in conclusion, I have few questions:

1. Is this simply an error with my machine, or is it a wide-spread problem with way CC is programmed?

2. Is it possible to fix it?

3. Rather than keeping this roundabout way of adding in glow with directional gradient, would be it possible to add in built in setting for that to the Outer Glow layer style? As it is, glow can be gradiented, but it can only go from inside to outside, or reverse.

Thank you!

[Ussnorway]

share the file and we can test it to answer if the issue is just your machine or not

note, we just need a small part of the artwork which tests busted at your end... [to me] & going just from the screengrabs it looks like your Gpu driver is the underlinning issue

[PekkaLuhtala]

Sure, here you go. https://www.dropbox.com/s/attyv54n3w4c540/DemonLord-layersample.psd?dl=0 

Uploaded to Dropbox since I'm don't think there's a way to include PSD files in the posts here.

[Ussnorway]

I confirm the effect and that the cause is this clip so no its not your machine or Gpu

as for workarounds

ungroup the text layer and hand paint the mask is what I would do... moditfy selection is a simple way to control have many pixels the stroke comes out

I will ask the ACP, perhaps one has a better option

[PekkaLuhtala]

Yeah, I noted earlier that the clipping mask applied to group with glow was causing the border.

But I feel that having to hand-paint the clipping mask for this is pretty poor solution. Seeing how this is a consistent error no matter what file or circumstances it is done with, it's an oversight that the feature worked fine in CS6, but not in latest version of CC.

Easy way to replicate the issue is to make a new file, draw something on a blank layer, add a glow(or drop-shadow, anything that adds an element outside the base dimensions) style to it, then group it, and then apply a clipping mask to a group. Doesn't matter if the clipping mask is empty, the moment it gets applied to a group several of the styles for the layers in that group become messed up.

[PECourtejoie · Accepted solution]

Hello, this sounds like a bug in the compositing engine.

Did you try on 21.0.3?

Go to preferences>Preformance and check "Legacy Compositing"

IF this fixes the issue, please go to https://feedback.photoshop.com and post a thread with the images, maybe a link to the document, but prominently (title?) state that legacy fixed it. That's where bugs and feature requests gets posted.

Do post another thread on feedback for a directional gradient for outside glow, it seems like a good idea!

[Guest]

Ah I didn't see your post before replying 😃

[PECourtejoie]

Happens to me all the time: I open a bunch of threads, reply one by one, to see that someone did it just before, when I could have spent the time helping someone else. I'll set yours too as best reply as you took the time to post images.

[Guest · Accepted solution]

Hi

Go into the Photoshop preferences and enable Legacy Compositing and restart Photoshop

[PekkaLuhtala]

Hi, thanks for the input! Reverting to Legacy Compositing does fix this, but I do have a question.

If I send a PSD file saved like this to somebody who does not have it enabled, will it display properly, or will the borders still be in? My work involves sending files to different people, all of whom should be using CC. If this only works for me, it's not really a proper fix in the end.

I'm not really sure what the difference between current and legacy compositing is, but I imagine current one should be more advanced, given that is an upgrade to legacy one. So having to stick to legacy due to this one issue feels a bit silly.

[davescm]

Compositing is being updated to put more of the load onto the GPU. The legacy compositing option is there to revert back if you encounter a bug. The bug could be in the Photoshop code, or in the GPU and driver code (e.g AMD or NVidia).

As to whether such bugs might show on other machines, it depends on what GPU and driver versions they are using.

Dave

[Guest]

I have the legacy option enabled since the new compositing engine was first introduced as it caused other issues as well, can't really tell the difference between the two to be honest, when I downloaded your file I was able to replicate the issue, using the latest Nvidia driver