How to Reflect Art in Photoshop for Canvas
Reflectivity is a sharp and sleek visual effect that has become popularized as the "cool" way to display images online. With minimal graphic design skills you can use Adobe Photoshop to apply two effects-the reflection and the gradient-to upgrade all your personal photos and artwork.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Creating a Reflection
-
1
Launch Adobe Photoshop and open the file you want to manipulate. Go to the file drop-down menu and select "open," then browse through the file directory to select the file you want to adjust. This file will serve as the background layer on your Photoshop image.
-
2
Duplicate your image by right clicking the background layer and select "duplicate layer." Name the new layer "image original." Duplicate the layer again and name it "reflected image.' Newer versions of Photoshop allow users to name layers by double clicking on the layer in the floating layer palette. For older versions, go to the layer drop down menu and select "layer properties". Now turn off the background layer by unclicking the eyeball icon.
-
-
3
Resize the canvas by going to the image drop-down menu and selecting "canvas size," then double the number in the height field. Click "OK." You should now have extra white or checked space on the bottom of your canvas. Making sure the "image original" layer is selected on the layers palette, move the image to the top of the canvas. Use the black arrow or the move tool (also known as the navigator tool) located in the toolbox palette to move any item on a layer.
-
4
Make sure the "reflected image" layer is selected on the layers palette and move the image into the white space at the bottom of the canvas. Adjust the layer opacity to 45 percent. Most versions of Photoshop allow users to manipulate opacity with a slider in the layer palette. Next, turn the layer upside down. Go to the edit drop down menu and select "transform-flip vertical." Click "OK."
-
5
Double-click the "reflected image" layer on the layer palette to bring up the layer effects menu. Check the gradient effect option and then double click on it. This will open up an option that will allow you to manipulate the gradient's appearance. Select the preloaded black and white gradient. Click the reverse option so that the darker portion rests on the top half of the image. Depending on the image you are altering, you may need to adjust the gradient opacity to 35 percent using the opacity slider. Click "OK."
-
6
Save your work as a .psd file so that you can come back and make changes to the content later. Then save again in the format you want, such as jpg, to be compatible with other computer programs.
-
1
