Corel Painter Help | Applying gradients

Quick links to procedures on this page:

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Applying gradients

Corel Painter allows you to apply a gradient to an image by filling an area, such as the canvas, a selection, layer, or channel. For more information, see Selections and transformations, Layers, and Alpha Channels.

When applying a gradient as a fill, you can apply one of four gradient types: linear, radial, circular, and spiral.

Left to right: Linear, radial, circular, and spiral gradients.

You can also apply a gradient in a fluid way by painting it onto an image with a brush and dab type that support gradient painting. For more information, see General controls: Dab types.

To apply a gradient as a fill

Choose Window

Media Control Panels

Gradients.

Click the Gradient selector, and click a gradient from the Painter Gradients library panel.

Click one of the following gradient types:

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Linear Gradient

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Radial Gradient

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Circular Gradient

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Spiral Gradient

Perform a step from the following table.


To apply a gradient to	Do the following
The canvas	Click the Canvas in the Layers panel.
A selection	Click a selection tool from the toolbox, and drag in the document window to select an area.
A layer	Click a layer in the Layers panel.
A channel	Click a channel in the Channels panel.

Click the Paint Bucket tool

from the toolbox.

In the document window, click the selected area, layer, or channel.


You can also
Specify the range of colors to be filled	On the property bar, type a value in the Tolerance box, or adjust the slider.
Specify the gradient fill opacity for pixels outside of the tolerance range	On the property bar, type a value in the Feather box, or adjust the slider.
Soften the edges of the gradient fill	On the property bar, click the Anti-Alias button . Anti-aliasing is desirable when the Feather setting is set to zero or extremely low.

You can also apply a Gradient by choosing the Paint Bucket tool from the toolbox, choosing Gradient from the Fill list box on the property bar, then clicking the selected area, layer, or channel.

You can also modify the gradient fill opacity by choosing Edit Fill, and moving the Opacity slider in the Fill dialog box. Decreasing the gradient opacity increases the transparency of the gradient fill.

To paint a gradient

Choose Window

Media Control Panels

Gradients.

In the Gradients panel, click the Gradient Selector.

Click a gradient in the Painter Gradients library panel.

Choose Window

Brush Control Panels

General.

Click the Brush Selector on the Brush Selector bar.

In the Brush library panel, click a brush category, and a brush variant.

If the Source pop-up menu in the General controls panel is not available (appears gray), the selected brush category or variant does not support gradients. For example, the Pattern Pens brush category supports gradients.

From the General controls panel, choose a dab type from the Dab Type pop-up menu.

If the Source pop-up menu in the General controls panel is not available (appears gray), the selected dab type does not support gradients. For example, the Line Airbrush, Projected, and Rendered dab types support gradients.

From the Source pop-up menu in the General controls panel, choose one of the following options:

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Gradient — applies the current gradient across the width of the stroke

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Gradient Repeat — repeats the current gradient along the length of the stroke

Paint in the document window.

Painting with a gradient by using Gradient (left) and Gradient Repeat (right).

When painting with a gradient, only the Linear gradient type is supported.

Direction matters when you paint with a gradient. Corel Painter flips the gradient when you change direction. To achieve a uniform effect, apply strokes in the same direction.

Some features described in the Help are available only in Corel Painter 2015, and are not included in Painter Essentials 5. For more information about Corel Painter 2015, visit http://www.painterartist.com/.

To get started with Painter Essentials 5, see the Painter Essentials 5 Quick Start Guide.