Graduated backgrounds

[TimBox]

Hi

I have searched the forum for graduated backgrounds and seen work done with 1 pixel wide images. This is ideal but what I need is How you actually do it in WD6.

Any pointers?

Thanks

Tim

[bcire68]

Do you already have the background image or do you want to create one? Two different answers.

Eric

[bcire68]

If you have your image available in an explorer window just drag and drop it onto the page background while holding the Ctrl key.

If you want to make a 1 pix wide graduated background. Make sure your drawing is in whole pixels, and starts (has an x,y position) on a whole pixel.

I would do it this way but it could be done other ways too.

Draw a rectangle that is 1 pix wide and as long as you need it to be.
Make sure that it has no outline
With your rectangle selected choose the Fill tool
Start at the top and click drag the fill to the bottom.
You should now see an arrow.
Select a color for the bottom (tip of the arrow) and choose set fill handle color from the menu.
Press the Tab key once
Select a color for the top (back of the arrow) and choose set fill handle color from the menu.
make adjustments to the arrow if needed.
Go to >File >Export PNG
Enter your file name and press Export

Go to >File >Import
Select the file that you just imported
Delete the file
Open the Bitmap Galery
Find the background file that you just deleted
Hold down the Ctrl key and drag your background image onto the page background.

You can also just Ctrl+drag it from an explorer window if you have one open.

I hope that helps.

[TimBox]

Great that did the trick!

Many thanks

Another question

How do I ensure that the tile matches the page length with out tiling?

[bcire68]

You can't really. You can fudge it by drawing your background 1600pix or something like that, but if someone has a big enough monitor set at a high enough resolution, they will see it tile. However if you do make your background 1600pix high, the vast majority of people won't see it tile.

Eric

[TimBox]

Ok thanks

That worked but through up a new issue

If my back ground is white my white page sits flat on the page.

When I put the background on, the page takes on a shadow. While I could live with it as its not that bad. What I find is that as the page starts at the top of the screen and I want some air space their I move my first image down.

All good so far, Next as I want to make it it look like the page starts lower I was going to replicate the section of the fade to the top of the page but the shadow that has appeared now makes it impossible.

Is there a way to turn off the shadow?

Thanks in advance

[steve.ledger]

Is there a way to turn off the shadow?

Unlock the page background layer, select the page, click the shadow tool and click the 'No shadow' button. Relock the page background layer.

[TimBox]

Thanks that did the trick.

Its just showing up to me just how little I know about this product and what I'm missing out on.

I think I should purchase that book on Xara as some will be of use to me here