Using the Gradient Editor

Creating and saving a custom gradient.

Clicking Edit in the Material Properties dialog opens the Gradient Editor. This is where we can edit an existing gradient to make a new one.

At the top of the Gradient Editor is a list of installed gradient types. Below that are 3 boxes: Fore, Back and Custom. The colors of these buttons are shown in the adjacent color bar. The Transparency bar is below that. When you make changes on these 2 color bars, the resulting gradient is shown in the bottom bar. Buttons to save a custom-made gradient are located at top right (along with Rename, Import, etc).

Choose Foreground-Background from list of gradient types. The Gradient bar displays the 2 colors that we've already selected. The transition midpoint between the 2 colors is indicated by a small diamond along the top of the color bar. Markers indicate points of solid color (they are located along the bottom of the color bar and look like a short felt-tip marker).

Add a third color to the center of the gradient by adding a Marker. Click below the color bar, halfway between the other 2 Markers, and a third Marker will appear. A second midpoint indicator will also appear (along the top).

Note that the selected Marker has a darker point than the others.

With the center marker selected, click the 'Custom' button under the Gradient section. Click the Color Picker next to the 'Custom' button. Cursor will change to Eyedropper and Materials palette will open so you can select another color. Select yellow #2 and OK.

You should now have 3 colors in your gradient: dark yellow on left, bright yellow in middle and pale yellow on right.

I would like to see more of the pale yellow in our gradient and less of the dark yellow. To do that, just slide the center Marker to the left. As you drag, you'll see the 'Location' number change. Drag it until the 'Location' box says 25%. Now the majority of the gradient is pale yellow and bright yellow with just a small portion in dark yellow.

We don't want to accidentally overwrite the foreground-background gradient, so we must save as a new gradient. Click the 'Save As' button and give your gradient a name. Name it whatever you like. I named mine 'sunshine'. Close the Gradient Editor. Click OK to close the Materials dialog. We now have a warm and sunny gradient filling the letters.

Note: The PSP X Help file will tell you to save a custom gradient by selecting the 'Copy' button in the Gradient Editor. This is an error, there is no 'Copy' button.