Apply transparent fade to photo edges

[Guest]

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....?

[Guest]

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

[Guest]

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.

[Guest]

Thanks for the help - a further question - this seems to be a way to add an even

fade all the way around a picture.  Is there a way to add an uneven fade?  Like

more fade in one corner, less in another - something like torn paper

shape but with the fade effect?

[Guest]

You can modify the layer mask by painting on it with a soft black brush with medium opacity.

(You select the mask in the layers palette and actually paint on the image.)

Doing the torn effect is a matter of your painting ability.

There are also plug-ins and actions for all sorts of other effects

[barpos]

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]

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.

[barpos]

Hello Pierre,

>it seems that you did not promote the background to a layer.<

I have no idea what that means.  My background image was copied into a separate layer, then I deleted my original background layer, if that's what you mean.

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

I clicked on the bottommost button of the toolbox.

Here's an excerpt of the link you provided:

1. Using any selection tool, select the part of the image you want to change.
2. Click the Quick Mask mode button in the toolbox.

   A color overlay (similar to a rubylith) covers and protects the area outside the selection. Selected areas are left unprotected by this mask. By default, Quick Mask mode colors the protected area using a red, 50% opaque overlay.

1.  Using the marquee selection tool, I select 85% of the image.

2.  I click on the Quick Mask mode button.  Then my selection become red, not the outside of the selection.  Well, actually if I double click on the quick mask button, I can reverse it by choosing Masked Area instead of Selected Area.

But, from then on, how do I apply a blur to make my edges transparent (not white)??  That image will be sitting on a pattern underneath in my website.

Ron

[PECourtejoie]

Yes, that's what I thougth.

In John's instructions in the third post, it is written to add a layer mask, from the layer panel, you added a quick mask from the toolbox.

It is the same icon, but in the layers panel. (I can see where the confusion comes from!)

So you double click to create a new layer

Create a new layer below the first one.

Target the former background layer, click on the layer mask icon if the layers panel, then modify it as you want.

You should not see any red, unless you click on the quickmask icon of the toolbox or if you clicked on the layer mask eye on the channels panel, or if you hit backslash.

[barpos]

Yes, I see my mistake now. <g>

Ok, I now have a white picture frame around my image.  John is not telling us how to apply that blur though.

BTW, I did find a way of doing the same thing, but with a completely different [lenghty] approach.  I'd like to do it John's way though.

Ron

[the_wine_snob]

Ron,

Your Blur (Filter>Gaussian Blur, or similar), can be applied to the Layer Mask. In the Layer w/ the Mask, click on the icon of the Mask, or with that Layer active, go to Channels Palette, and make it active.

Good luck,

Hunt

[Edit] Another similar method is to add Feather, when you have done your Selection, before you make it a Mask.

[JustLittleOlMe · Accepted solution]

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.

[Guest]

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!