How do I create a feathered square similar to Illustrator?

[A1_Leasing]

I am coming to this with good familiarity in Illustrator. I am learning Photoshop.

After I use the rectangle tool initially I am then not able to edit its size. Also, it seems to become a mask, which is an element I don't really understand. When I apply some feathering it seems to happen inside and outside the extents of the box.

In Illustrator I can easily create a square, choose a fill color, and feather the edges. The feathering happens WITHIN the shape extents.

How can I do a similar thing in Photoshop?

Thanks,

Mark

[george_austin-Tqrzuf]

Zeno,

Ah Yes! I see what you mean. The blur needs a surround to taper opacity. Good show. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

[george_austin-Tqrzuf]

"...3. When I go into the Select menu, both "Refine Edge" and "Modify" are grayed out and I can't use them..."

If the Refine Edge and Modify options are grayed out it must be because you have not selected the square. Those options are activated only when a selection exists.

[Paulo Skylar]

The main reason I suggested the refine edge approach was that the OP was interested in having the feather inside the rectangle. So using this approach  he can in one one dialog box set the feather, move the selection inside with the Contract slider and preview the result. So for him I figured it was a good place to start.

Paulo

[Semaphoric]

You can easily get the feather to go only 'into' the selection. Go to Quick Mask mode, and make sure the Quick Mask is active in the Channels Palette, er, Panel. Run Levels (Ctrl+L), and set the leftmost slider to 127. Exit Quick Mask, and you're done.

[george_austin-Tqrzuf]

Semaphoric

That sounds brilliant and makes sense, but I can't pull it off. I assume you're acting on a feathered mask and moving the Levels INPUT (not output) slider to move the zero opacity point to the edge which would otherwise be at 50% opacity, with a compressed tapering from there inwardly to the fixed 100% point. I think I need a step-by-step because I'm not getting the expected result. 

[Zeno_Bokor]

Semaphoric wrote:

You can easily get the feather to go only 'into' the selection. Go to Quick Mask mode, and make sure the Quick Mask is active in the Channels Palette, er, Panel. Run Levels (Ctrl+L), and set the leftmost slider to 127. Exit Quick Mask, and you're done.

you won't get a square by doing that but a rounded rectangle

Another method would be to just do it in Illustrator, select and copy the rectangle, paste it in Photoshop and chose Smart Object from the Paste dialog. When you want to change the square just double click on it's layer thumbnail and it will open it in Illustrator. Do note however that you need to have AICB enabled in Illustrator by going to Edit->Preferences->File Handling & Clipboard.

[george_austin-Tqrzuf]

Semaophoric,

A night's rest works wonders. Retrying today, I got your method to work.  It's fantastic!

You can reposition the zero-opacity point while holding the 100% point via the Levels left input slider. Specifically, if you want the zero point to be on the selection's edge, where by default the opacity would be 50%, you set the slider to 127, just as you said.  Anything less leaves some tapering outside the selection edge, anything greater extends the zero point inward and compresses the feathering even more.

Should you want to move the 100% point back toward the edge, you would do so by sliding the rightmost input slider to the left. If you move it to 127, the feathering is totally external. Hmmm! I'll bet the center (gamma) slider controls the shape of the opacity curve---will fool with that next.

Thank you for revealing that new (to me) and exciting approach.

[Semaphoric]

You can keep it more square than rounded by building your feather with Box Blur, rather than Gaussian.

You can also improve the appearance of the methoud I suggested by using Curves rather than Levels, and flattening out the 'toe' of the curve.

Also, it should be noted that, since you're 'throwing out' half of the feather, you have to make it twice as wide in the first place for it to be the correct final size.

[george_austin-Tqrzuf]

"...You can also improve the appearance of the methoud I suggested by using Curves rather than Levels, and flattening out the 'toe' of the curve..."

Very good point.

I must correct my suggested usage of the Levels Input right-hand slider. You can change the feathering profile with that slider but you cannot push it to be entirely outside the edge. I jumped to that conclusion too quickly because that seemed to mirror the left-hand slider's ability to push the feathering entirely inside the selection's edge.

The Levels gamma slider can also be used to alter the feathering profile but you have more flexibility in doing so using Curves, per Semaphor, rather than  Levels.

[Mohit Goyal]

Hi all,

Take a look at the following article to move designs between Photoshop and Illustrator for different workflow that suits your design objectives: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/move-designs-between-photoshop-illustrator.html

Also, if you are looking to work with Illustrator design in Photoshop? See this: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/use-illustrator-artwork-in-photoshop.html

Hope it helps.

Thanks,

Mohit