Tutorial request for making gradients in Photoshop CC

[Mike Buckley]

I've reviewed several tutorials about how to make and apply a gradient in Photoshop CC including one by Adobe's Julieanne Kost and one on the official Adobe website. The problem is that they are out of date enough that Photoshop no longer does things exactly as explained in the tutorial. Any recommendations about up-to-date tutorials would be appreciated.

 

[Russ_]

Have you tried searching and restricting the time period for the results? In Google click Tools at the top right.
Still may not have recent enough results though.

 

[alexf]

Depends on how complex and maybe textured you want to do it.

See: https://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/new-ways-to-add-gradients-in-photoshop-cc-2020/

The way I do it for simple gradients is using Camera Raw which you can call from the PS menu: Filter->Camera Raw (Ctrl-Shift-A) in Windows, then press "G" for graduated filter. Simple and effective for non-complex tasks.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Have you tried searching and restricting the time period for the results? In Google click Tools at the top right.

I hadn't tried that because I didn't know about it. Thanks, because it might be useful in the future.

 

[Mike Buckley]

I found the following two tutorials, one of which Alex also found:

Creating gradients: https://www.photoshopessentials.com...nts-and-gradients-panel-in-photoshop-cc-2020/
Applying gradients: https://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/new-ways-to-add-gradients-in-photoshop-cc-2020/

Both tutorials are far superior to the others I initially found.

However, see my next post for a related issue.

 

[Mike Buckley]

I'm simply trying to create a layer that is a black-to-grey gradient. My problem is that whether I switch to ACR to manually make one or create one using a Gradient Fill layer in Photoshop, I get noticeable banding. That's true even when I enable dithering when using the latter method.

 

[Growltiger]

I'm simply trying to create a layer that is a black-to-grey gradient. My problem is that whether I switch to ACR to manually make one or create one using a Gradient Fill layer in Photoshop, I get noticeable banding. That's true even when I enable dithering when using the latter method.

Work in 16 bit mode, then you won't get banding.
On the PS menu: Image/Mode/16 bits

 

[Mike Buckley]

Work in 16 bit mode, then you won't get banding.
On the PS menu: Image/Mode/16 bits

It was already set to 16-bit mode apparently by default. Maybe 32-bit mode would help.

 

[Growltiger]

Your video card/driver/monitor almost certainly only supports 8 bit so that may be the limitation you are seeing. If you print it, I don't think you will see banding. (No, 32 bit will do nothing to help you.)

What are you actually trying to do? Is this actual blackness that you seek, or a layer mask with blackness?

 

[Mike Buckley]

What are you actually trying to do? Is this actual blackness that you seek, or a layer mask with blackness?

I want a background made of a black-to-grey gradient whether it is achieved by using a gradient filter or not.

 

[JW53]

Maybe i'm not completely undestanding but can you create an empty layer and then with your colors set to default "D" (black as foreground and white as background) Using the gradient tool, drag a gradient over that empty layer. Then using command T (transform) shape or move that gradient

 

[Mike Buckley]

Maybe i'm not completely undestanding but can you create an empty layer and then with your colors set to default "D" (black as foreground and white as background) Using the gradient tool, drag a gradient over that empty layer. Then using command T (transform) shape or move that gradient

I'll try that. Thanks!

 

[Growltiger]

I did exactly the above, which is an easy way to do it. I did it in 8 bit mode. The banding is still very slight, most people wouldn't notice it.
So we can be sure we are talking about the same thing I have made the .psd file and the ,jpg file available for you to download.
They are 5000 pixels wide by 3000 pixels high and sRGB.
If these look OK to you then we can try to work out why yours didn't look good.
(Is your monitor calibrated?)
Black-grey.jpg
Black-grey.psd

 

[Mike Buckley]

Black-grey.jpg
Black-grey.psd

Both of those look fine. Yes, I'm using a calibrated monitor.

 

[Mike Buckley]

I'll get back to everyone but it will be awhile and possibly not until tomorrow. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Mike Buckley]

Apologies that it has taken so long to get back to everyone, as I got caught up in a project that took a lot longer than I could have imagined.

create an empty layer and then with your colors set to default "D" (black as foreground and white as background) Using the gradient tool, drag a gradient over that empty layer.

I did exactly the above, which is an easy way to do it. I did it in 8 bit mode.

Unfortunately, I still get banding that is immediately noticeable. This isn't worth anyone spending any more time on, as I've never needed to do this in the past and don't have any reason to think I'll need to do it in the future. That's because it's generally not my style of photography.

Even so, thanks for all your help!

 

[Growltiger]

So when I do it and send you the files you don't see banding, but when you do it you see banding? Weird.

 

[Mike Buckley]

So when I do it and send you the files you don't see banding, but when you do it you see banding? Weird.

Correct on all three points.