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How to blur or fade edges in Photoshop CC

How to blur or fade edges in Photoshop CC

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Lawrence Spear


One of the coolest techniques in Adobe
Photoshop is to use a gradient fade to fade out your pictures. Now this is used
a lot of times in movie posters or boxing event posters or truly
everywhere, but it’s not something that is commonly known how to do – or there’s
not a lot of tutorial videos or they’re kind of called something different or
they’re made a little bit more complex than I think you need. So in this video
we are going to do the really simple gradient fade effect. So if I look over here I just
want to show you a couple of examples of how this is already being used. So for
instance if we look at this picture – this character for the movie – notice that the
picture eventually fades out into another picture. Same thing with this picture of the ship, it fades out around the edges to fade into this
particular picture as well. If we move over here we can see each of these main
characters their photos will fade out so that we can end up seeing this smash. For the Shutter Island poster we see that gradient fade effect
happening here and also here with the actual Shutter Island it fades up into
the other photo of Leonardo DiCaprio. If we look at a boxing poster we can see this
from side to side instead of up and down, well actually we can see the up and down
right here but we can add a gradient fade this way as well. So in order to do
this what we need to do is first select a picture now you can have multiple
pictures in your document if you open a picture from scratch you just have to
make sure to unlock that layer so that you can add a layer mask to it and you
can do this to as many pictures as you want in your composition for now what I
want to do is I want to create a book cover and this is about the blood
countess Elizabeth Bathory. I don’t have anywhere to add the title and the name
of the author and the subtitle that kind of explains what the book is about but
we love this photo. How then can we make it so that we can fit it somewhere? Well
the top of her head is already cut off so we want to leave it up there, down here
this is probably the least important part of the picture but even if we
try to put our text if I turn on the text that I’ve already created here, it’s really hard to see it, so what we need to do is we’re going to use the gradient fade to fade out a portion of
this picture to give us space for the actual text. Now I also have a solid fill
color background and this is an easy way for me to change the background color
and see what I like so that is the first layer above it you should have your
photo and then you can have text if you need to. So in order to do the gradient
fade effect what we’re gonna do is click on our photo layer, add a layer mask,
and notice that the layer mask is all white. We’re gonna then grab the
gradient tool and if you hover over it you can hit “G” on your keyboard to get to
the gradient tool and it’s important that you select the right gradient. Click on
the gradient selector box and it’ll ask you to choose from one of the presets.
The one we want is usually the second one in the list if you hover over it it’s
called foreground to transparent, now you might not have black to transparent,
mine is black to transparent because my foreground color is black, whatever your
foreground color is it’ll show up here. In order to make this work we actually
want it to be black but if yours isn’t right now it’s ok, just click on foreground to transparent, come over here to foreground color and change it to black.
The reason why we’re gonna do this is because we’re gonna use the gradient tool not on the photo but on the mask that’s on the photo so that we can hide portions
of the photo using that mask without actually erasing it. So click on the
layer mask for this photo, grab our gradient tool and I’m just gonna start
from the bottom and click and drag up. You can choose how far you want it to go, it can be short, it can be tall, but I’m gonna go ahead and do about halfway up the page
and just see what it looks like. If you like it, keep it ,if you don’t hit
Cmd or Ctrl + Z and try it again. If I start later…up on the page notice that it’s all black down here now
and it’s gonna fade into the photo I don’t like that either so I’m probably
gonna start a little bit above the bottom and I probably want to go to about her chin and see if that works for me. so I can turn turn on my text
and see if that works. If I want to actually make this more solid color
instead of the photo I can undo that mask if I want to, delete that layer mask
or I can just come back here and paint a new mask. So that gives me a much better area or space to put my text in. It’s really easy to see but we can still have this
full, beautiful image. The last thing for us to
do is change the background color to whatever we want, so by having the solid
fill color layer I can choose black, I can choose red, I can do whatever I need
to do. Obviously those look hideous because I like the black one and that’s
the one I chose; and then we can do final things like we can add a gradient map to
turn it black and white we can even reverse that gradient map to come up
with something cool, but the whole point of this was to show you that gradient
fade effect. You can do this with all different types of gradients, if I were
to delete this layer mask and add it back in I can come over here and choose the
radial gradient and I can click and drag out now once I do that if I went the
opposite way I can undo it and either I can choose reverse on the gradient or
instead of moving from the inside out I can move my gradient from the outside in. So I think I need to reverse that and I
want to keep her face in there so there’s a nice radial gradient using
that gradient fade effect.

  • Adobe
  • adobe photoshop
  • and
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  • fade
  • gradient
  • gradient fade
  • image
  • images
  • layer mask
  • MCC
  • Morgan Community College
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  • 58 thoughts on “How to blur or fade edges in Photoshop CC”

    1. Kemen Dumas says:
      February 10, 2016 at 3:22 pm

      Thank You So much!

      Reply
    2. Nell Anitra Scannon says:
      July 21, 2016 at 7:58 pm

      Great tutorial – much appreciated!

      Reply
    3. Jose Munoz says:
      July 26, 2016 at 8:43 pm

      how do I do gradient transparency from the sides?

      Reply
    4. Rodrigo Rivas says:
      August 7, 2016 at 9:39 pm

      I love it. Exactly what I needed. You sound so professional. And the video quality is so refined as well. Such a delighful video. Thank you.

      Reply
    5. Neo Anderson says:
      September 4, 2016 at 7:30 pm

      Hi, and thanks for this video, but is there is away to make multiple gradient on one mask ? or more than one mask for the same effect you did ? i looked around and dint find a thing…

      Reply
    6. Glyn Lewis says:
      September 16, 2016 at 4:51 pm

      Thanks for this excellent video, clear and concise. However, I have an image on a transparent background and I am trying to simply fade one hard edge. I can fade it following your instructions but it lays a white fade across the edge which I don't want. Cannot work out how to make the white transparent!

      Reply
    7. Aaron Wayne says:
      October 2, 2016 at 6:36 am

      Thanks for the great tutorial.

      Reply
    8. Kala Smith says:
      October 6, 2016 at 3:19 pm

      Your Video is awesome. Everytime I drag my gradiant tool it makes the background white transparent. I made sure I had the black selected and it still is giving me the transparent background with  a harsh line. not fading. Do you know what I am doing wrong?

      Reply
    9. Haochen zhang says:
      October 13, 2016 at 9:16 pm

      how to apply a vertical fade edges like what u showed in 1:22?

      Reply
    10. Mo7aoo7 says:
      October 29, 2016 at 1:23 am

      thank you sooooooooooooooo much

      Reply
    11. Deb Flomberg says:
      November 3, 2016 at 7:22 pm

      HUGE help! Thank you!

      Reply
    12. Mylene Hillam says:
      November 10, 2016 at 2:21 am

      This worked a treat to transition from one colour to another on my background. Thank you!

      Reply
    13. christine says:
      November 20, 2016 at 6:50 am

      this was extremely helpful. Thank you so much!:)

      Reply
    14. Tunmise AK says:
      November 22, 2016 at 10:35 am

      Thank you, really appreciate you sharing your knowledge!!!

      Reply
    15. Yohan Arie says:
      December 4, 2016 at 9:08 am

      Thanks for this tutorial.

      Reply
    16. T hightower says:
      December 24, 2016 at 9:35 am

      thanks

      Reply
    17. Chris Tobin says:
      December 25, 2016 at 6:36 pm

      Thanks – This a easy way to mask multiple elements

      Reply
    18. chappe73 says:
      February 15, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      OMG! Thank you!!! I've been wondering what this was called and now I do! Solves alot and now my book cover will be complete!! Thanks! 🙂

      Reply
    19. BolivianFishKeeper says:
      February 24, 2017 at 10:28 pm

      How u do it all around the edges only?

      Reply
    20. Marc Bilbeny Vila says:
      March 14, 2017 at 6:49 am

      Thank you so much for this video. As a journalist I use to visit several training sites of software and let me say you explain so well. Just a suggestion, would you like to publish another one like that but inserting more images like in Star Trek poster?
      It should be so useful.
      Marc Bilbeny
      lamossegada.cat

      Reply
    21. Luqman Hakiim says:
      March 26, 2017 at 5:57 am

      So helpful thanks!
      tried it works!

      Reply
    22. Tennessee Drone Pros says:
      March 26, 2017 at 7:03 pm

      IN a world where everyone polutes You tube with video’s that are unclear or not to the point, you provide what needs to be in the video and leave out what doesn’t. Great job on this.

      Reply
    23. vicfromvic says:
      April 27, 2017 at 9:44 am

      really clear explanation, great techniques, super helpful video

      Reply
    24. Rachel Storm says:
      May 26, 2017 at 3:14 am

      Thanks so much for this! This has got to be the most straight-forward, clear explanation I've been able to find 🙂

      Reply
    25. dane wills says:
      May 28, 2017 at 3:35 am

      thanks for hitting every point equally not skipping & being very explanatory, unlike other how to vids haha.

      Reply
    26. Na'Kole Watson says:
      July 13, 2017 at 12:50 am

      Thank you so much for this! Everyone was telling me to use the wrong gradient. This just saved my life! Well, just my night, lol. Thanks!

      Reply
    27. Shanae Smith says:
      August 15, 2017 at 6:33 pm

      THANK YOU!

      Reply
    28. ahmed taha belmekki says:
      August 17, 2017 at 2:48 pm

      hi thank you so muchh i was just wondering what is the name of the pink font ? thanks

      Reply
    29. WaifuRacer says:
      February 12, 2018 at 1:11 am

      is ps 2018 a fucking bug party or Im just retarded? When I use gradient tool it removes the entire image and replaces it with solid colors. Im so pissed at this fucking shit.

      Reply
    30. Jinx La'rue says:
      February 22, 2018 at 10:51 pm

      Why does the layer I'm working on turn half white when I use the gradient? Any suggestions?

      Reply
    31. Felix K. says:
      March 6, 2018 at 12:36 pm

      very well explained !!!

      Reply
    32. Sifu Bogdan Rosu says:
      March 15, 2018 at 12:34 pm

      Thank you so much! 🙂

      Reply
    33. Milan says:
      March 22, 2018 at 6:02 pm

      In my case its only white fade and not the black..Can you help please?

      Reply
    34. Janice Rosanes says:
      April 6, 2018 at 12:14 pm

      Thank you. This was quite helpful

      Reply
    35. Tony Griswold says:
      April 8, 2018 at 6:10 am

      marvelous tutorial. thnx!

      Reply
    36. Tony Griswold says:
      April 8, 2018 at 6:21 am

      anyway to "replace" the areas shaded out with Ctrl Z?

      Reply
    37. Koh Bao Ren says:
      May 1, 2018 at 6:24 am

      Thank you so much !! This was extremely helpful and helped me achieve that "movie poster" look for my project. Kudos for giving a clear explanation about Layer Masks and Foreground Colors, it really helped me, as a PS novice understood how they worked. Your videos are such a rare gem among most other YouTube videos which only shows the results but did not properly explain the concepts. Please continue making videos like this. Cheers :))

      Reply
    38. xCaPz says:
      May 20, 2018 at 4:55 am

      How can i fade out the corners of a photo? like a circle around the pic fading out the edges

      Reply
    39. ice man says:
      May 22, 2018 at 3:51 am

      Excellent tutorial – thanks!

      Reply
    40. Ros Pendragon says:
      May 30, 2018 at 2:43 am

      Can I uh change the background to transparent?

      Reply
    41. Derry says:
      June 9, 2018 at 2:53 pm

      This tutorial was amazing! Kudos to you ❤️

      Reply
    42. Sally Sutton says:
      June 10, 2018 at 4:01 pm

      GREAT tutorial. You were clear and explained everything in detail. Thank you for taking the time to make and share this! I agree with many of the other comments here on how well this tutorial was!

      Reply
    43. Sid TheFilthyBastard says:
      June 14, 2018 at 6:01 pm

      Help, please, i don't know what's going on, i'm doing everything you are explaning, but when i use the fade tool over the mask layer nothing happens

      Reply
    44. Ivonnah Erskine says:
      July 3, 2018 at 4:22 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
    45. Kababalax says:
      November 23, 2018 at 5:02 pm

      Very long winded, just cut to the chase, jeez!

      Reply
    46. Darth Tribal says:
      February 11, 2019 at 1:40 am

      I love tutorials that don't work for me.

      Reply
    47. sakata gintoki says:
      February 13, 2019 at 7:04 am

      Thanks Masterr!!!

      Reply
    48. Lulu Lola says:
      March 12, 2019 at 3:07 am

      it worked once and now it just does nothing. im so annoyed with this thing

      Reply
    49. South Texas Bloodsport says:
      March 28, 2019 at 6:33 pm

      How do you get that font used in the Blood Countess title?

      Reply
    50. Meyer A Sakkal says:
      April 11, 2019 at 7:23 pm

      you talk to much

      Reply
    51. Epicneck says:
      April 24, 2019 at 12:46 am

      how about you get to the fucking point

      Reply
    52. No Commentary Gameplay says:
      April 25, 2019 at 11:29 am

      i don't know why this is so F*******G Difficult in CC 2018!
      I easily did this in Photoshop CS6, now i am paying for CC and can't fucking do this!

      Reply
    53. Rabbi Mangaoang says:
      April 30, 2019 at 8:48 am

      So clear to learn…thank you verymuch

      Reply
    54. The Swartz says:
      May 16, 2019 at 1:42 am

      Skip to @2:12

      Reply
    55. Dazzy White says:
      May 17, 2019 at 11:12 am

      V helpful and clearly spoken. I want to blur the edges of a photo and place it on another one. Do you have a video on this?

      Reply
    56. Dominik says:
      June 20, 2019 at 10:56 pm

      thank u, it worked

      Reply
    57. Donfred Erick says:
      July 1, 2019 at 9:51 pm

      what is the name of the font you wrote 'blood compess'

      Reply
    58. Yesterday's News Today says:
      July 2, 2019 at 3:06 am

      I watched a few gradient videos on YouTube but this was the first one that explained it well enough for me to actually make it work! Subscribed. Thanks. 👍

      Reply

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