PE2: No opacity on gradient map?

BL
Posted By
Brad_Lesher
May 16, 2005
Views
177
Replies
5
Status
Closed
I have a black and white image (with grays tones) and I am trying to create a layer that is black and transparent (with the grays being semi-transparent.) I found the gradient map and thought this was the tool for the job, but I can’t get the opacity controls to do anything. Even when I set both the start and end controls to zero, the screen remains a solid color or colors. Even when I use the preset "black to transparent" setting in the gradient picker, the image turns a solid black. The image is in RBG, and I am not trying this on the background image, I either make a copy of the background or I change the background layer into a regular layer. What am I forgetting to do?
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JJ
Jim_J
May 16, 2005
Why not just change the opacity of a blank layer?

Cheers
BL
Brad_Lesher
May 16, 2005
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your answer: If the layer is blank (gray and white checkerboard "transparent") what would changing the opacity of it do? I’m missing something here.

What I’m trying to do is color a pin and ink drawing, but on top of the colors I want to put a copy of the original layer with the black lines black, the white areas transparent so the colors show through, and the gray areas that shade around the lines should be semi-transparent blacks. This is so I don’t lose the beauty of the fine line work of the original. This is what I assumed the second preset in the gradient editor would do, the one named "Foreground to Transparent" but nothing becomes transparent when I use it.
BG
Byron Gale
May 16, 2005
Brad,

I get the same results trying to use a Gradient Map adjustment layer, and don’t really understand why it works that way.

However, here’s a way you can get what you’re after…

– With your b/w image open, CTRL-A to select all, CTRL-C to copy. – Add a new Solid Color Fill adjustment layer, with the color set to black. – ALT-click on the Color Fill layer’s white mask icon in the Layers palette to show the mask in the image window (your image will show all white) – CTRL-V to paste the image into the mask. CTRL-I to invert b/w to w/b. CTRL-D to deselect.
– ALT-click the layer mask to restore normal viewing.

You can now toggle the image layer visibility to see the black/transparent rendition of the black Color Fill layer.

This works because black on a Layer Mask hides the associated layer, white reveals it, and grays are correspondingly semi-transparent.

HTH,

Byron
BL
Brad_Lesher
May 17, 2005
Fantastic! That worked wonderfully! I really needed the step by step instructions, I would have been lost without them. Thanks to both of you for your help, even though I’m too much of a novice to have understood the first answer (which I notice is now deleted.)

I’m a happy camper.
BG
Byron Gale
May 18, 2005
wrote
Fantastic! That worked wonderfully! …the first answer (which I notice is
now deleted.)

Brad,

I’m happy to know the advice helped!!

As for the "disappearance" of the first response to your question, it is still there.

If you’ve already read some responses, the forum software typically displays just the newest responses, but you can review them all by clicking the links (First/Previous/Next/Last/Show All) found beneath your original query – just after the heading "Messages".

Byron

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