Fade image to white at edges?

[Batbloke]

Very much a PS newbie and my first post on here so apolgies for any schoolboy errors or breaches of protocols. I'm also finding what I want to do hard to describe because I don't have the correct language. I'm a biologist, not a media man.

I have created a background (which will have some other images and text on it) as per the attached file. If I insert this image into (say) a Word document, there is obviously a hard outline between the edges of the image and the white background of the document page...just like in this posting!

What I woudl like to do is gradually transition the image (well, this layer of the image) to white at the edges, to avoid it looking like an obviously rectangular box which has been inserted into a document.

I am struggling to explain what I would like to achieve so I hope that's good enough for someone to get their head around what I'm trying to do. I have access to CS6.

Many thanks.

 

[MrToM]

Fairly simple to do and many ways to do it but...

As you can appreciate the 'transition' from image to white, (or whatever), will occupy a certain amount of space....now the question is do you need that transition 'space' to be on the outside of your image.....or encroach into the image?

If outside its just a case of adding it to what you have now, but if its inside then you'll need to start thinking about masking.

The results will be similar but it depends on 'where' in relation to the image you need it as to which method to use.

You may even want it to straddle the edge in which case that's yet another method.

Regards.
MrToM.

 

[Batbloke]

Thanks for the reply.

If the transition to white can be applied only to this layer (the other two layers are another image and some text) then the transition space can encroach on this layer of the image.

I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure I understand what you mean by 'straddling the edges'

Thank you

Denis

 

[MrToM]

No worries...in which case try this...

1. Create a new blank layer ABOVE the image and keep selected.
2. Select the BRUSH tool. Keep all the settings at default but make it fairly soft and adjust its size to approx twice the width of the 'transition' space you want.....this will be trial and error but it wont take long.
3. Set foreground colour to WHITE.
4. CLICK on a corner of the image....make sure to get the center of the brush over the corner. (You can opt to show the tool center in the preferences but its not that critical....by eye should be enough.)
5. HOLD down SHIFT and CLICK on another corner.....but not diagonally.
6. You should get a straight line between the two corners in white with a gradient edge.
7. Continue to hold shift and click around the other two corners.
8. You should now have a gradient from the image to white.

Once you've done this you may need to change the brush size but thats just a case of deleting that layer and try again.....or undo...or whatever.

If you can avoid it do NOT merge this layer with the underlying one.....you shouldn't need to but of course you may have reason to....this will mean you can change it later should you need to.

Any probs just ask.

Regards.
MrToM.



EDIT:

Its just occurred to me that using an 'Inner Shadow' set to white may be easier.

With the layer selected click the 'fx' icon at the bottom of the layers panel...select 'Inner Shadow'.
Set its colour to white and then just play with the settings till it looks right.

If you want to go 'outside' the image do the same but with 'Drop Shadow' instead.

 

[Batbloke]

Wow, that was quick. I'll have a go and let you know how I get on...thank you

 

[MrToM]

No worries...try the 'Inner Shadow' first....it should do the trick in the easiest way.

Regards.
MrToM.

 

[IamSam]

I normally use the Rectangular Marquis Tool and a fill for this type of effect, but the Brush Tool trick is much easier!
Thanks for reminding me of this technique MrToM!



The inner shadow is a good idea, but to me, it looks like a beveled edge.

EDIT: Sorry, the white was off in the first image!

 

[MrToM]

There's all sorts of ways.....I couldn't decide which would be the easiest for someone not familiar with PS.

Where's that cat?

Regards.
MrToM.

 

[IamSam]

There's all sorts of ways.....I couldn't decide which would be the easiest for someone not familiar with PS.

Where's that cat?

Regards.
MrToM.

Yes, you made the right choice, there's no doubt using the Brush Tool is the way to go for a newbie. I had forgotten all about that technique!

That cat was here just a second ago.........?

 

[Batbloke]

I'd already started on the bursh tool method so I carried on with that...and it's almost there but when I paste the picture into Word, I still seem to have a faint grey square background around the image. I set the background colour to FFFFFF which I hope is correct. Any suggestions? The image I have included is a screen shot of the Word document with the image included in it.

What IAMSAM posted is what I aspire to

Thank you.

 

[MrToM]

Yeah you may just be a little off with your 'center' when you click....this would mean the 'edge' isn't quiet 'White'.

Try the 'Inner Shadow' as it will always end in pure white....well I say 'will' it should always end in pure white....PS is not that accurate when it comes to gradients.

Make sure to use the 'Choke' slider to ensure the edge is white......this will also remove the 'bevel' effect that IamSam spoke of.

You could of course just use the brush again but err to the outside.

You can always use the 'Info' panel to check the colour of the edge pixels first to check they really are white...(255, 255, 255)

Your edges are looking a little rough too...not what I'd expect from using the brush tool.



Regards.
MrToM.

 

[dv8_fx]

As mentioned by MrTom, there are other ways...

Why not try a vignette effect?....

Add a new layer filled with white under the image layer.

Select the image layer and using the rectangular marquee tool, create a selection as shown.




Press Shift+F6 to feather the selection....




Finally, add a layer mask....






Ps.... Glad you're back in action, MrToM....

 

[IamSam]

dv8-fx Exactly! This is what I mentioned before.

I normally use the Rectangular Marquis Tool and a fill for this type of effect, but the Brush Tool trick is much easier!

 

[dv8_fx]

@dv8-fx Exactly! This is what I mentioned before.

That's what I was thinking you'ld use. But intended to let the op know of the effect and what its called... After re-reading the op's posts, I realize he might intend to have only the bottom part of the image showing and top faded to white like what he created....

If that's the case...... create a duplicate , rasterized layer copy of the edited layer. Hide the original. Add a mask to this duplicate layer and with the layer mask selected, apply a gradient fill set at default white/black. Repeat to get the look desired...

You can also apply the gradient on the unrasterized layer's layer mask.... press CTRL+clck layer mask icon to select the unhidden part of the image created earlier on. Then with the gradient tool, select your click point somewhere near the top and drag down/release at edge of image document.

Repeat applying the gradient but this time from center to edge of visible image. Repeat as desired.

Doing this will affect the mask thus hiding the upper areas but exposing a bit more of the image along the left and right areas. But the repeat use of gradient tool hides those sides....


ps... This is kinda for intermediate user level but no harm for OP to give it a try and a chance to learn more complex stuff....

..and my chance to poke MrT and use his "return to forum life" image in a tutorial... lol.

 

[zoe20]

Good one Iamsam and dv8_fx

 

[Batbloke]

I've got this sorted now thank you

As suggested, my aim waas off (I put it down to my age) so haveing zoomed in and set the cursor cross-hairs, it was fine. Thank you all for your help. I shall have a play with the other things suggested too - I've a lot to learn.

Best wishes from Wales.

Denis

 

[MrToM]

Good one Iamsam and dv8_fx

Yeah, thanks guys.

I've got this sorted now thank you. As suggested, my aim was off (I put it down to my age) so having zoomed in and set the cursor cross-hairs, it was fine. Thank you all for your help.

No worries, glad it worked for you eventually.

As you may have guessed that may not be the best solution but at least it's easy.

Now you've had several different techniques suggested you should see that the general 'aim' in all of them is virtually identical....they all do the same thing but in different ways. With time you'll get to know instantly why one method would be preferable over another.

As for age.....my monitor is in braille!

Regards.
MrToM.