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How to use the Gradient tool

Beginner8 minutesUpdated

Quick answer

In Lil Cactus, open your photo and choose Layer then New then New Layer to add an empty layer above it. Press D for black, choose Gradient from the left toolbar’s gradient group, then set Gradient to Foreground → Transparent, Type to Linear and Opacity to 70%. Drag from where the color should be strongest toward where it should fade out; hold Shift to keep the line straight. For a separate gradient fill layer, choose Layer then New Fill Layer then Gradient…

The coffee photo before and after a dark fade was added across its empty left side
Black fades to transparency before the saucer. The cup and saucer keep their original appearance. Drag the handle to compare.
Time
8 minutes
Level
Beginner
You need
A photo with empty space where you want a fade
Works with
Photo layers from JPEG, PNG, WebP and other image files
Open the sample in Lil CactusUse your own photo

Free, no sign-up. Your photo stays on your computer.

A gradient is a gradual transition between colors. If one end is transparent, the image below shows through. Here you’ll darken the spare left side of the coffee photo while leaving the cup clear.

The Gradient tool paints pixels onto the selected layer. A gradient fill layer keeps the gradient as separate settings; the variation below shows that method too.

Draw a transparent fade in six steps

  1. Open the photo and add an empty layer

    Open the sample from this page, or choose File then Open… Choose Layer then New then New Layer. In the Layers panel, double-click the new layer’s name, type Fade and press Enter.

    Keep Fade selected above Background, so the gradient goes on its own layer.

    Layers panel with the empty Fade layer selected above Background and Fade’s eye button ringed
    The photo stays on Background. The ringed eye will hide or show the fade.

  2. Choose black and the Gradient tool

    Press D to reset the color squares: the front square becomes black. Right-click the gradient button above the text tool in the left toolbar, or press and hold it, then choose Gradient. Its group also holds Paint Bucket. You can also press G; if Paint Bucket comes up, press G again.

    The Gradient toolbar group with its button and Gradient choice ringed, alongside the neighboring Pen and Text tools
    Choose Gradient from the button above the text tool; enlarged view.
    The color squares at the bottom of the toolbar with the front black square ringed
    After D, the front square is black. Enlarged view of the bottom of the toolbar.

  3. Set a transparent end and 70% opacity

    On the options bar, choose Foreground → Transparent from Gradient. Type stays on Linear, Reverse stays off and Dither stays on. Set Opacity to 70%.

    Gradient choice set to Foreground to Transparent, ringed, beside the Edit button
    Foreground → Transparent keeps the far end clear. Edit… opens the custom color stops.
    Gradient options showing Linear, Reverse unchecked, Dither checked and Opacity 70% ringed
    These settings apply to the next gradient you draw.

  4. Drag across the empty left side

    Start at point 1, near the left edge and level with the lower half of the cup. Drag right to point 2, in the gap just before the saucer. Hold Shift while dragging to snap the line to horizontal, then release the mouse or pen.

    The coffee photo with point 1 near the left edge and point 2 in the empty space just before the saucer, at the same height
    Drag from 1 to 2. The dark end starts on the left.
    1. Start near the left edge
    2. End just before the saucer

  5. Compare the fade with the original

    Choose View then Actual Size (100%). Use the eye beside Fade shown in step 1 to hide the gradient, then show it again. Look at where the fade ends: it should clear before the saucer.

    The fade becoming clear in the empty space beside the unchanged coffee saucer
    Shown at 100%: the last of the fade, beside the unchanged saucer.

  6. Export the image and keep the layers

    Choose File then Export then JPEG… or File then Export then PNG…, then click Export to write a separate finished image.

    Choose File then Save As then Lil Cactus Project… to keep Fade and Background separate. After that, File then Save updates the project. If you choose File then Save before saving a project, it keeps the opened image’s format: the JPEG sample becomes a flat JPEG, with Save Image settings on the first save.

Make the fade with a gradient fill layer

To try the other method on the same photo, hide Fade and select Background. Choose Layer then New Fill Layer then Gradient… In Gradient Fill, choose Transparent Black from Gradient. Leave Type on Linear, set Angle to 0°, leave Scale at 100% and turn Reverse on.

Click the wide gradient preview at the top to open Edit Gradient. Each row is a color stop: a color at a position along the blend. In the first, transparent row, set Position (%) to 50 and leave Opacity (%) at 0. In the second, black row, leave the position at 100 and set its opacity to 70. Click Use gradient, then Apply.

This makes a similar left-side fade, ending halfway across the photo. For later changes, select Gradient Fill in Layers and choose Window then Properties. The two color squares change the stop colors; Type and Angle remain editable too.

Gradient Fill dialog with Transparent Black, Linear, Angle 0 degrees, Scale 100% and Reverse checked, with the wide preview ringed
Set the direction, then click the ringed preview to edit the stops.
Edit Gradient with the first stop at Position 50% and Opacity 0%, and the second at Position 100% and Opacity 70%, with the changed values and Use gradient ringed
The transparent stop moves to 50%; the black stop becomes 70% opaque. Reverse puts the black on the left.
Gradient Fill controls in Properties with the two color squares ringed, Type Linear and Angle 0 degrees
With Gradient Fill selected, Properties keeps the colors, type and angle available.

Choose the gradient shape

TypeHow the colors spread
LinearAlong the direction of your drag.
RadialIn a circle around the start point; the drag sets its radius.
AngleAround the start point, like colors around a wheel.
ReflectedThe same blend on both sides of the start point.
DiamondOutward from the start point in a diamond shape.

Fix common gradient problems

The fade gets darker every time I try again

Each drag adds another gradient stroke to the layer. Choose Edit then Undo before changing the options and drawing a replacement.

The transition looks like a hard boundary

A short drag squeezes the blend into a small distance. Undo it and drag farther to spread the transition.

What to do next

Gradients: questions and answers

Can a gradient have more than two colors?

Yes. In Lil Cactus, click Edit… beside the Gradient choice, then Add stop at widest gap. Give the new stop a color and position, set its Opacity (%) above 0 if you want to see that color, then click Use gradient.

Can I limit the Gradient tool to a selection?

Yes. In Lil Cactus, make a selection before dragging with the Gradient tool. Only the selected part of the active layer receives the gradient.

What does Dither do in a gradient?

In Lil Cactus, Dither adds fine variation to the gradient’s color values to make visible color steps less obvious. Leave it on for a photographic fade.

Can I paint directly on a gradient fill layer?

No. In Lil Cactus, a gradient fill layer holds settings rather than paintable pixels. Select a photo layer or a new empty layer for the Gradient tool; use Properties to change the fill layer.

Is Gradient Map the same as the Gradient tool?

No. In Lil Cactus, Gradient Map assigns colors according to the image’s light and dark tones. The Gradient tool places a blend according to where you drag.

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