newbee question 1

[Ralph659]

Hello,

I just started using Photoshop and have been searching and searching for something but couldn't find it. I hope someone can help me...

How can I fade out the edges of a photo? I would like to put a photo on the top of my website and let the bottom of the photo fade out so it gradually gets the color of the background.

Can someone tell me how I can do this?
Thank you very much in advance!

Ralph

 

[blueark]

There are a few ways.

Method 1
Try double-clicking your image in the layer's palette to turn it into a layer, then add a layer mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All). Then, with the mask selected, use the gradient tool to draw a gradient from black at the bottom, to white a little further up. This will make your image fade to transparent. Now, go to File > Save for Web... and pick a suitable file format. If you pick JPEG, the transparent areas will turn white by default, but click on Matte and choose your background colour.

Method 2
Create a new layer, and draw a gradient from your background colour at the bottom, to transparent further up. Actually, you don't need to create a new layer to do this, but it's good practice as your original image is still should you want to change it later. Again, Save for Web... but you don't need to worry about the Matte colour.

...and there are probably many more ways to skin this cat.

 

[Ralph659]

Thanks a lot for your reply! The gradient tool is what I was looking for...

 

[JamesHanley]

Or you could have coppied pasted the image to a new project with a transparent background, then used the eracer tool around the image so that you will have transparent image on background it would blend with your background of your website.

 

[signal49]

It's generally better practice to use Layer Masks rather than the eraser. That way you don't alter the original picture and it's easier to go back and change something. Just toss the mask and make a new selection instead of starting all over with the eraser. You should give it a shot.