Have you always wondered what a Photoshop drop shadow is and how to add one? Well, what if I told you that I could teach you all of that and more in this Photoshop tutorial?
With Photoshop, you can easily add a drop shadow to your image or any object, making your design more attractive.
In this article, I will show you how to add a drop shadow in Photoshop and how to apply it to text, giving you all the information you need to start using this layer-style effect.
What is drop shadow?
If we were to define it, drop shadows are simply the process of casting a shadow behind an object. They are effects that allow you to add depth and dimension to an underlying image. Drop shadows also help to remove the background surface and can be used to change the size and appearance of an image, resulting in a more polished and professional look.
At first glance, this task may seem complex and time-consuming. However, with a little effort and interest, it is entirely possible to master drop shadow editing in a short period.”
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How to Add Drop Shadow Under Object?
Now that we know what drop shadow is, let’s learn about it. Here is a step-by-step framework.
First, change the background. Adding a drop shadow to a product on a white background can be a great alternative for making your product photos look natural, professional, and stand out on screen. You can of course adjust the background tones to match the characters in the photos you need to send. However, changing the background is necessary to blend the drop shadow correctly.
After that, you have to isolate the selected object. To get started, insert the image you want to add a drop shadow to.
Then open the layers panel and use tools like a background eraser or a magic wand to crop the image. To make your product photos more attractive, isolate them from the background and place them on a distinctive and eye-catching backdrop.
Then using the Layers palette, separate the object from your shot and place it on a new layer.
To avoid confusion, rename the newly generated layer. You should now see an eye icon near the background layer selection.
You can change the visibility of the background by clicking on this icon.
If you disable the visibility option, your object will appear on a transparent background. Background color can also be selected from the drop-down option. You also have complete control over the color palette.
Canvas size adjustment: In Adobe Photoshop, working with the canvas means working with the entire area, including shapes, sizes, images, and everything in between. You can modify the elements of the canvas at any time, but you can never go beyond the edge of the canvas. Instead, you need to adjust the size of the canvas.
You will have no problem expanding the size of the canvas, but be careful when shrinking it. This may cause images or objects on the canvas to disappear. Canvas elements are not deleted, but hidden. For a better experience, go by the following instructions.
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To proceed, pick the canvas size from the image menu.
Choose a unit and enter the expected size of the canvas.
You can also use the Relative checkbox to specify the canvas size.
Attach the object to the freshly formed canvas. Finally, change the blending mode from Multiply to Normal and the Fill percentage to 100%.
Then go to the Distort option and use tools like a rectangular selection to make them fit your liking.
When you’re done editing, work on erasing and cleaning the edges of the shadows as needed. Then go back to the multiplier vote and fill up to 75%. I hope you notice a change you’ve been waiting for. Once you’ve given your product color its intended shape, focus on making it more realistic.
In reality, when a shadow moves away from an object, it becomes more fleeting and faint. To counter this, the alpha channel is activated. By using alpha channels, you can make your photo look more sophisticated and professional than ever.
Open the channel palette to see the dialogue. Then select a new channel from the palette. Then create a new channel dialogue and rename it to alpha-1. Make sure the colors match the selected locations.
Now, we have to add a gradient. If one area of your object is closer to the light source than another, you can apply an alpha channel gradient to make it more elegant and clear. Things become more complicated when there are multiple light sources, each with its color. As a result, specialists must play a role in the startup.
To get started, go to the Channels palette and select the Alpha 1 channel. Enable the visibility of all channels by clicking on the eye icon next to the background option. Set the foreground color to black and the background color to white at the bottom of the palette using the gradient tool.
Check that the gradient is set to black to white in the settings palette and that the gradient type is one-dimensional. Finally, drop the shadow in Photoshop, and draw the gradient on the selected part of the shadow to create a red gradient on the image.
It’s time for opacity now. Adjusting the opacity is one of the best techniques for blending your image with the background in drop shadow in Photoshop.
A fully opaque layer means that the object is fully visible and everything underneath is hidden. It affects the transparency of the layer by decreasing or increasing the opacity.
For example, a 1% opacity layer is nearly transparent, while a 100% opacity layer is completely opaque.
Choose the level.> Select the Style tool from the side toolbar.> Enter the opacity percentage. (ranging from 0% to 100%). You can always increase or decrease the layer opacity, which makes things easier and more fun for you.
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Things to do for the realistic drop shadow.
Refining Edge is a fantastic tool for separating a subject from its surroundings and dealing with difficult edges. Hair, twigs, or other parts of an image with edges, especially the more complicated ones, can be selected with the Refine Edge tool. Follow the instructions to adjust the brim.
First, go to Photoshop’s menu bar and choose your file. Select Refine an Edge from the context menu when you right-click on the item.
If you can’t find it this way, go to the choice menu and select Refine the Edge. A white backdrop will be visible beneath your object.
Now, click the arrow button to see all of the possibilities for making effective modifications to your object. Using Marching Ants to select the animations for the displayed images is one of the alternatives available here.
o choose the background color, and try on black and white. When you use black and white, the selection is white and the background is black. On Layers to assist you in visiting the Layer. Use Reveal Layer to display the entire Layer without any masks. Select the customizable brush shape and category from the Brush drop-down menu. Be as flawless as possible.
The value of the Radius slider can be changed to make your object more natural and unique. The Decontaminate Colors check box allows you to change the contrast of the background color. As a result, the Refine Edge tool in Photoshop can help you shape the object and shadow.
Now, add a layer mask. A layer mask is one of Photoshop’s most basic features.
Using a layer mask gives you full control over transparency. You can use these masks to make an image visible or invisible, for example. Select> Add Vector Mask from the drop-down menu. Select a shadow level from the drop-down menu and try the radio option.
As a result, you now have the darkest section of the gradient. Now invert by choosing select>select inverse.
Then, while using the shadow, click on the Layer Mask button and it will appear faded and more natural. Your drop shadow should be realistic enough to incorporate people into the environment. And to achieve this, every detail must strive for excellence.
Consequently, location is one of the most important aspects of photo editing and visual representation of something valuable. It also shows how to create a drop shadow in Photoshop. You need to use Photoshop’s distorted tool to reshape the object and move it to the right place. Choose Transform from the Edit menu, then Distort from the drop-down menu.
You are now in an area filled with black. Drag this area diagonally and reshape the black area using the top transform handle. To get a more real and realistic atmosphere than the original image or object, make it as perfect as possible. You can also work with the bottom half of the image as needed by dragging the handles in the bottom corner. Other approaches can be used to achieve perfection. Insert your chosen image and choose the appropriate shadow setting.
Create a layer by selecting the FX icon from the layers menu, then selecting Wave from the top toolbar. To make it appear correctly, use adjustable measurements on the elements. Check that the size of the shadow makes sense and looks realistic. Go to the Layers palette and make sure the drop shadow layer is active.
Here you will see a dialogue box. The blur option allows you to make any adjustments you want. Make the focus distance blue zero, the high radius, and the rest of the parameters intact, then click OK. Create a new layer if you want to reproduce the shadows.
First, paint in the shadows with the Brush Tool. Change the layer blending mode to Multiply and adjust the opacity to match the shadows closest to you.
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How to Add Drop Shadow to Text?
So far we’ve talked about using Photoshop to apply a drop shadow to an image. But what if it’s a text file instead of an image? Don’t worry, today we’re going to show you how to apply the drop shadow to text in Photoshop. The following instructions will give you a clear idea of how to add Drop Shadow to text on Photoshop Drop Shadow.
1. To begin, open your document and navigate to the toolbar>type tool. You may also choose a color from the swatch.
2. Using the type tool, add or enter the text to which you wish to apply a drop shadow.
Use the character panel to modify the font and size of the type. if you did not find him so click Windows Option then select Character Option.
3. To reach the drop shadow panel, choose the type layer> click on the fx icon at the bottom of the palette> drop shadow from the menu.
4. Near holding and moving the panel by the top bar, you may see the preview.
5. You may also modify the shadow depth and keep it how it is.
As we can see, applying drop shadows to text in Photoshop is a breeze. Adding shadows to text or adding a drop shadow in Photoshop only takes a few steps.
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How to Erase Part of Drop Shadow?
Sometimes we need to erase parts of a drop shadow. This means a drop shadow may only need to fall on part of one or more layers below it. Maybe the shadow should fall on the content of the layer below, but not on the layer below. You need to change the effect of the drop shadow layer in its layer, which you can then adjust.
The shadow of the foreground object should fall on the “pillars” in this example, but not on the “sky” behind it. We need to turn the drop shadow layer effect into a real layer and then hide (or erase) the shadow areas we don’t want to see.
We may transform the layer-style components into actual pixel-bearing layers by using the Image> Layer Style> Create Layers menu command.
(You’ll usually be informed that some parts of layer styles will be lost during the conversion.) If the image’s look does alter, use Edit> Undo to restore the layer style.) In the Layers panel, notice that the new layer “Layer 1’s Drop Shadow” was created beneath the original layer, while the bevel’s shadows and highlights were put above it.
Also, notice how I connected the layers to the original Layer 1 right after generating them. This prevents the elements from accidentally misaligning, which might result in an undesirable (but intriguing) misregistration effect. Instead of simply removing unwanted areas of the drop shadow, we’ll use a layer mask to modify it.
In this situation, the menu commands Layer> Add Layer Mask> Hide is used. Everything is correct, so a layer mask is added with a full black fill. Then we only show the drop shadow where we want it to appear. To do this, click Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) on the Layers palette thumbnail for the layer below.
This creates a selection of layer content. The drop shadow layer mask is always the active layer in the Layers panel. (In the Layers panel, the layer mask thumbnail appears to the right of a layer’s thumbnail. When active, it has a double border around it.)
We can fill it with white while the selection is active to reveal the places on the drop shadow layer. To complete the look, I can choose and modify the drop shadow areas that fall on the ‘sides’ of the pillars. I’ve used a very small gradient in the layer mask to blur the shadow a bit as it extends back along the sides of the pillars in this example, as well as push the shadows up along the sides.
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Drop Shadow After Effects
Adding a drop shadow to a random video will not always produce the desired effects, because how visually appealing the effect is depends on how the shot is organized.
Drop shadow can be successful if a photo contains one or two elements on a solid background, but if the background contains a lot of detail, you may want to explore alternative techniques for producing shadows in After Effects.
You can find the Drop Shadow effect in the Perspective part of the Effects & Presets menu, and all you have to do is type its name into the Effects Browser to acquire it. The effect can then be dragged and dropped onto a timeline layer, where the Effect Options window can be used to tweak its settings.
When you apply the effect, a soft outline appears behind the layer, making it ideal for tracing an object’s outline. You can alter the shadow’s opacity, change its orientation, increase or reduce its distance from the source, and change its color to make the effect more realistic. Because logos, watermarks, and other forms of text animations generally lack depth, animators frequently use drop shadows to achieve a 3D appearance. Adding a drop shadow effect below or behind the text during the creation of a handwritten animated text will help the animation seem more professional.
Before starting, choose all the layers in the animation and press Precompose to merge them into a single layer.
Select the animation layer and click the CMD + J keyboard shortcut to duplicate it. Check the 3D box to convert the animation layer to a 3D layer, or just toggle the mode switches and select the 3D option. To access position settings, press the R key when the animation layer is selected. To move the text, change the X-Rotation and Z-Rotation settings and click Play to test that both text layers animate at the same time.
Move to the Effects & Presets panel and use the Impact Browser to find the Fill effect. Drag and drop the effect onto the shadow layer. Then use the Effect Controls panel to modify the tint. You can also apply the Gaussian Blur effect to the shadow layer if you want the text in the shadow to be less sharp. To enter the Opacity parameter, pick the shadow component and press the T key.
Reduce the value to about 20%. The rendering process, on the other hand, can take some time, especially if the machine you are using is not very powerful.
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Drop Shadow vs Box Shadow
Drop-shadow () is a function while box-shadow is a CSS property. To cast a shadow, box-shadow() and drop-shadow() are used.
The box-shadow property casts a rectangular shadow behind an element’s entire box, but the drop-shadow () filter function casts a shadow that matches the shape of the image (alpha channel). Simply put, when working with transparent images, the drop-shadow () filter function casts a shadow over the image content, while the box-shadow property casts a rectangular shadow behind the entire box of an element.
Drop-shadow () works similarly to the text-shadow property when applied to text content. I hope you can understand what drop-shadow is and how to do drop-shadow through this tutorial today. If you still don’t understand, then you can watch this video.
