By: Michael Murphy
June 30 2006 • 10:53 AM
Episode 24: You Can’t Do That In InDesign…or Can You? (VIDEO)
I usually stick to things that can be done automatically within InDesign, but every now and then, you can’t avoid the fact that some things just haven’t made it into the product yet. In this episode, I demonstrate two methods for getting a solid-to-transparent gradient into your layout. It should be a lot more simple than this (Adobe, are you listening?), but where there’s a will…there’s a workaround.
This episode is available in the standard 672×450 size, as well as an iPod-compatible format.
Hi Mike, that’s a great
workaround for a feature lacking in InDesign … but is it just me,
or does feathering leave a sharp edge rather than a smooth transition
to it’s zero point as a gradient would?
Like so many things, your results
may vary based on the specifics. It could be a combination of display
performance settings on-screen, your output device, etc. A feather
SHOULD be a smooth transition, and adding some noise to it (about two
to three percent) should make it a more naturalistic effect. A soft
feather shouldn’t give you a hard edge, but it does give you a
harder edge than you may want. Test it out on your printer first
before sending sending out a job as final. The on-screen display may
be much more jarring than the printed result. The plain fact is that
a feather isn’t a gradient. You have no real control over a feather
other than its size, whereas a gradient can be controlled precisely
at multiple points.
3. I have another way
to create a color-to-transparency gradient in
InDesign:?r?n?r?n1.Create your gradient going from color to
white.?r?n2. Change the blend mode in the transparency palette to
Multiply. ?r?n?r?nThis will turn the white part of the gradient
transparent. Granted, you won’t get a solid color in the rest of
your gradient (unless you use black) but it’s an effect that might
come in handy.
Yes, Chris. You’re absolutely
right. But the missing piece of the puzzle (at least as far as this
episode was concerned) is the “solid” part. A yellow-to-white
gradient using Multiply would have (a) not been opaque at any point,
and (b) not have been the yellow I wanted, because the Multiply mode
would have mixed it with the colors in the photograph behind it.
I understand. I just
thought that others might want to know that this option is available
for them.
Thanks, Michael! I needed this video today and found it easily using InDesignsecrets search feature. I was pretty peeved with myself because I couldn’t find out how to set one of the gradient color stops to transparent. My Quickstart guide didn’t cover it, so I turned to you next! Now I have the effect I had envisioned, so thanks.
Glad it helped you, Jessica. Bear in mind that everything in that episode is based around limitations in InDesign CS2. In CS3, the Gradient Feather effect accomplishes the exact same thing with a fraction of the effort.
Thanks, Michael. I’m using CS2 with no plans to upgrade soon.