PLEASE help! how to slowly fade a photo into nothing

[sabavariagata]

As warned in my first post, i have some pretty basic questions and I have a deadline I have to meet soon, so im sorry if this topic has already been discussed.

I want to use Vellum section dividers in my portfolio for the same reason everyone else likes them: they're translucence.


Please look at the pictures i am talking about here: Saba's Blog: arts, culture, visual material, and good readin' - Photoshop Help Please



The first 2 photos are Illustrator files. They have a solid white background and the black text. Then, I pasted the fading images. I made these images fade on Photoshop, by using the gradient tool, and setting the fade on top of a mask.

But this doesn't work. It does not fade to nothing....but rather fades to white. I need it to fade to nothing so its somewhat translucent on my vellum.

So, i assume if print like this on vellum, the image won't fade into the transparent sheet vellum sheet, but would rather fade into a white square (which will print on the vellum and therefore not be translucent).

When I make the image fade on Photoshop, I want to see the checkered pattern underneath, not another layer of white.

Simply put, my image fades to white (the white layer beneath it). I want it to fade to nothing.....so i can paste it on something else, and can see through the faded, part to whatever is underneath.


THANK YOU!

 

[sabavariagata]

p.s.: i had to post the pictures on my blog (not because i want more hits) but because i couldn't figure out how to reduce images to smaller than the upload limit (19.5 bk) why is it so low?

 

[mfox]

What you need to do is a layer mask; and use a black to transparent gradient

Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting

 

[sabavariagata]

thank you...so i press "Add layer mask" (the third button from the left in my layers palette) and then how do I get the black to transparent gradient?? Gradient tool....then I see "Transparency" is ticked at the top along with "Reverse" and "Dither". but thats as far as i got.....Using the mask and gradient tool was able to make it fade to white....but im not sure if the white is what I want ! or is it??

Because i remembered....there is no such thing as white ink....so in the pictures I posted (i got that fading effect by using Masks and the Gradient tool).....do u think i will get the results I want? (Picture fades to nothing and i can see what is below the fading portion ?)

Thanks!

 

[mfox]

thank you...so i press "Add layer mask" (the third button from the left in my layers palette) and then how do I get the black to transparent gradient?? Gradient tool....then I see "Transparency" is ticked at the top along with "Reverse" and "Dither". but thats as far as i got.....Using the mask and gradient tool was able to make it fade to white....but im not sure if the white is what I want ! or is it??

Because i remembered....there is no such thing as white ink....so in the pictures I posted (i got that fading effect by using Masks and the Gradient tool).....do u think i will get the results I want? (Picture fades to nothing and i can see what is below the fading portion ?)

Thanks!

Its a gradient present just press D then G and its the third one; and reverse isn't ticked;
Well "white" isn't a color but if you offset it is slightly in levels the highlight bar, it will put some ink on the page; Once you created the layer mask and are using the gradient tool CLICK ON THE LAYER MASK not just the layer and use the tool until you like the results

 

[sabavariagata]

Thank you Mfox....i have followed your instructions but it still isn't working.
1) When I press D, the foreground colour automatically turns black and the background colour automatically turns white. Is this what you mean by "its a gradient preset"? Am I now using the black to transparent gradient?

2) When you say its the third one, do you mean i have to use the angle gradient? Do i use it by making my gradient line run horizontally at the bottom of my page? Why use the Angle gradient instead of the radial gradient?

3) I create a layer mask. Now in my layers pallette I have my regular layer thumbnail and the my layer mask thumbnail, with a paper clip in between. When I have my Layer mask thumbnail selected (as you suggested) and use the gradient tool, nothing happens! But, when i do the opposite of what u said (only select the layer thumbnail and NOT the Mask) only then does the gradient tool do anything.....


And why am I using black? I would think since I want it to to fade to nothing, I should use white as foreground AND background colours? Will using black and white not add a black tint to my image??

 

[mfox]

1) When I press D, the foreground colour automatically turns black and the background colour automatically turns white. Is this what you mean by "its a gradient preset"? Am I now using the black to transparent gradient?

No, Just use foreground to background( Black and White)

]2) When you say its the third one, do you mean i have to use the angle gradient? Do i use it by making my gradient line run horizontally at the bottom of my page? Why use the Angle gradient instead of the radial gradient?

no no no; Linear for your question; Third one is referring to the blk to trans gradient

]3) I create a layer mask. Now in my layers pallette I have my regular layer thumbnail and the my layer mask thumbnail, with a paper clip in between. When I have my Layer mask thumbnail selected (as you suggested) and use the gradient tool, nothing happens! But, when i do the opposite of what u said (only select the layer thumbnail and NOT the Mask) only then does the gradient tool do anything.....

.... Not sure but it should be showing something in you're layer palette if your doing it right

And why am I using black? I would think since I want it to to fade to nothing, I should use white as foreground AND background colours? Will using black and white not add a black tint to my image??

The Layer Mask Shows what is white, When you apply Blk it will not show that part of the image

 

[mfox]

http://i40.tinypic.com/2nklwfo.png

 

[sabavariagata]

AHA! got it....my problem is I was in "Screen" mode and not "Normal" Screen mode behaves SO differently from normal.....why and when would I use screen? Thanks mfox!

 

[sabavariagata]

alright....this is turning into the never ending thread! Since I can only add 1 Gradient per Mask, and I have to keep adding the gradients until I get the effect I want, I flatten the image after every gradient application, then add a new mask, then add another gradient.....and i repeat this until i get the desired gradient.... will this cause any problems? and once i get the fading effect I want.... whats the best way to transfer the image (or the layer?) to my Illustrator file to ensure its transparency?

 

[mfox]

alright....this is turning into the never ending thread! Since I can only add 1 Gradient per Mask, and I have to keep adding the gradients until I get the effect I want, I flatten the image after every gradient application, then add a new mask, then add another gradient.....and i repeat this until i get the desired gradient.... will this cause any problems? and once i get the fading effect I want.... whats the best way to transfer the image (or the layer?) to my Illustrator file to ensure its transparency?

no just keep using the gradient on the layer mask it will cover the old one up; Unless you're talking about another image but do not flatten; then u lose transparency; It depends what you're going to do once it is in AI how to transfer it the "best"

 

[sabavariagata]

oh ok....so flatenning is the last thing I want to do, right?

Yah, i noticed the way a new gradient line covers up the old one....instead of this, I'd like to ADD the the new gradient to the old one...is there a way to do this?

Once move it into AI, I want it to look like this: http://pics.livejournal.com/sabafarmand/pic/0004g3d1


I am printing it on vellum, and i want the image to fade into nothing....I am uassume i just add the layer to AI, and have nothing underneath this layer in my AI file?

And the reason why I want to keep adding more gradient is because, as you can see in the picture posted, the left boundary line of the image doesn't fade enough....there is too much of straight line that shows the image ends here.....i want it to fade more......

 

[sabavariagata]

ah this is so frustrating! What im trying to say is....referring to the screenshot you sent me mfox.... You see how you have the gradient (on the mask thumbnail) coming from the top left corner? I want THAT to happen, PLUS another gradient to come horizontally from the left, PLUS another gradient to come vertically from the top..... and if I want a stronger gradient, i want to be able to add another gradient on top of an existing one.....there must be a way to do this!

 

[mfox]

You can try the Radial gradient instead of linear;
or
You can use the Foreground to trans. gradient and drag from the corner to the center( OR hit reverse and drag from center out)x4 [one time for each corner]

im not an expert on printing but it might look bad if you print it without a bg;