• Eric
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  • From: Carlsbad, CA
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Topic: Tapered Shadow?

How do you make a tapered shadow in photoshop? Like this page for instance. See how the shadow fades away? Thanks!

  • Gender: Female
  • From: Tenerife, Spain
  • Registered: 2008-12-29
  • Posts: 358

Re: Tapered Shadow?

Draw a rectangle the size you want the tapering gradient to be, duplicate the layer and fill new layer with white for example.
On bottom layer, use gradient tool and fill with grey foreground to transparent background gradient.
Next go to top layer and Com+T or Ctrl+T and expand top layer to hide the majority of the gradient layer.
I hope this is clear? If not let me know

  • Eric
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Re: Tapered Shadow?

Thanks a lot! I'll give it a try... If you have any free time it would be ever so helpful if you could make a little screencast for me? They're free and nothing to download - all done in the browser. Thanks!   

http://www.killersites.com/forums/topic … ell-known/

  • Gender: Male
  • From: Chico/Sacramento, CA
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Re: Tapered Shadow?

My usual solution to this usually involves creating the shadow by using the rectangular select tool, filling the area with black, and then applying a gassian blur. The tapered part is applied by going to Edit -> Transform -> Skew, and adjusting the shape.

I'll try to do a screencast on this, but I'm crazy busy at the moment and I am not sure when I will get to it.

  • Eric
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Re: Tapered Shadow?

Cool - thanks a bunch Ben! I'll give that a try. I actually have two clients at the same time - first for me. It's a start...

If you find the time, a screencast would forsurely help. If not, no problem, I'm sure I have enough to go on...

  • Eric
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Re: Tapered Shadow?

OK - stuck! I didn't know how to do a gassin blur, so I did it the only way I know how. So let's say I had this image. Can I taper the shadow on the left and right sides. Or no? Thanks!

  • Eric
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Re: Tapered Shadow?

OK I finally got that to work, thanks for your help!

Now, what's the easiest way to cut out the center section of a graphic image in order to reduce it's width. I don't want to just adjust it's size as that will distort it. Should I use the slicing tool?

Last edited by Eric (2009-05-14 22:28:44)

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Re: Tapered Shadow?

You could slice it. You could also flatten all layers, and simply use the crop tool.

  • Eric
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Re: Tapered Shadow?

Thanks Ben! I ended up doing this... With the Marque I tool I selected the outer sections >> then used the move tool to drop it into new doc >> moved them together >> then trimmed away the fat.

  • Registered: 2009-04-17
  • Posts: 97

Re: Tapered Shadow?

I looked at this post yesterday and tried it in photoshop but couldnt get the look i was looking for.
I too was looking to do this for a client..

Eric you could do a screencast?

  • Eric
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Re: Tapered Shadow?

Cashster09 wrote:

I looked at this post yesterday and tried it in photoshop but couldnt get the look i was looking for.
I too was looking to do this for a client..

Eric you could do a screencast?

Sure! But I didn't do the screencast. A very nice girl over at Sitepoint did. But here it is just he same...

http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stUk … m_gradient

  • From: Chicago, IL
  • Registered: 2009-08-20
  • Posts: 3

Re: Tapered Shadow?

I am a big fan of the 'Add Layer Mask' if I am looking to taper things such as these.
Masks are your friend.