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Create a Rainbow in Photoshop

From Sue Chastain,
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Set Up the Document

This tutorial shows you how to use a gradient fill and the polar coordinates filter to create a rainbow in Photoshop.

Software Used: Photoshop 7, but should work in all versions.
Tools used: Rectangular Marquee, Gradient Fill, Polar Coordinates Filter

1. Start with a new document. The dimensions must be square. Make the size a few pixels larger than the width you want for the finished rainbow. I'm using 400x400 pixels.

2. Make a new layer.

3. Make a rectangular selection about twice as tall as you want your rainbow width to be. Make this selection just a few pixels away from the bottom edge of the document, but not touching the bottom edge (see screen shot below).

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Set Up the Document
  1. Set Up the Document
  2. Add a Gradient
  3. Run Polar Coordinates Filter
  4. Finishing the Rainbow

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