Moho Forum

Hello,

Excuse the super-Nube question, but I'm having an issue with applying a simple gradient to a PNG.

So I scanned in a sheet of newsprint, as seen here:


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

Next, I played with the layer shading using these settings:


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

and achieved an effect like this:


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

Does anyone know how to make a clean, linear gradient across a PNG? I saw the tools for vector in the "Style" window, but it seemed like I was restricted to layer shading for a PNG.

Is that right or did I miss a cool feature to help with this?

Thanks for your help-

What I'd do is create a vector layer, put it on top of your PNG, then set a linear gradient in a rectangle shape the same size as your newsprint, set the vector layer to multiply, and set the alpha of the one side of the gradient to 0 so that its see-through (gradient goes from dark to see-through) then play with the layer opacity of the vector layer.

So you're making a shape on a new layer, filling that with a gradient, setting the blending mode to multiply. Not really touching anything to do with the PNG layer itself.

That's happening because you're applying a shadow to the layer (the PNG), and the PNG is rectangular...so your gradient will be rectangular too.

There are several ways you could achieve this effect, but the one I just did was:

1. Import your PNG as a layer.

2. Create a new vector layer and place it on top of the PNG layer.

3. In the vector layer, create a solid black rectange with a circular hole cut in it (see the user guide to learn how to create shapes with holes).

4. Edit the vector layer's properties to add a high blur radius (eg. 50)

This blurs the black rectangle into the cut-out circle, giving a nice circular fade around the newsprint. To tweak the effect, change the opacity of the vector layer, add a gradient to it, etc.

Cheers,
Muffy.

Aha, I thought you wanted a circular gradient, my quick-reading mistake.

Wow, great responses! Thanks Mikdog & muffysb - I'm gonna try the vector thing and report back... Sweet!

Very cool... I just did a sort of hybrid of both of your explanations, and it's working marvelously... This also indirectly (I think) answers another question I had - I can move that vector layer in the timeline, and indicate a sun going down behind a city for instance? Very cool...

Thanks for the help!