- Switch to the Background layer. That takes care of all the
shapes. My remaining concern with the design is that the
word ELECTION is too close in color to its background. So
I’d like to add a gradient just above the Background layer to
create more contrast. Click Background to make it active. - Change the foreground color. Press D to call up the de-
fault foreground and background colors and select black.
The active foreground color influences the gradient we’re
about to create. - Add a gradient layer. Press the Alt key (Option on the Mac)
and click the icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. Then
choose the Gradient command. This forces the New Layer
dialog box to appear. Enter the settings shown in Figure 11-43
and described below:- Name the new layer “Shading.”
- Set the Mode option to Multiply. You can always change
this later directly in the Layers panel, but we might as
well set it up properly in advance. - Lower the Opacity value to 50 percent.
Then click the OK button.
- Set the angle to 50 degrees. Photoshop next displays the
Gradient Fill dialog box (see Figure 11-44), which shows a
black-to-transparent gradient, perfect for our needs. (The
black comes from the foreground color, as set in Step 34.)
Change the Angle value to 50 degrees and click OK. The
result is an independent gradient layer that you can adjust
later by double-clicking its thumbnail in the Layers panel.
Figure 11-42.
Figure 11-43.
406 Lesson 11: Text and Shapes