Hard & Soft Drop Shadows by Flo

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HARD & SOFT DROP SHADOWS Incorporating Shade & Gaussian Blur by Flo
Use a jpg or gif that has a subject with a fairly simple outline and a plain colored background: Transparentize the background: Input the jpg Scroll down below the image to the Paint. Select blur of 9999, floodfill, matte. Click on the background area. Output as a gif and save. Copy and paste this new url into your Find key. This is the image you will composite over the shadow image. Use Gaussian Blur in Effects: For a hard shadow: Use the transparentized gif. For a softer shadow, use the original jpg. Input the image into the IM. Resize this image to 10 pixels wider and 10 pixels higher than its present size. Remember to use the exclamation point right after the height dimension: 320x240! To darken the shadow, go to Effects. Type in 10x10, 20x20 or other numbers. Select Shade if you want some color or Gray Shade if you want a gray shadow. Click on Effect. The background will also darken. At this point, if the bg is too dark, Paint it with the proper hue. Click on Effects again. Set parameters to 10x10, 20x20, or 30x30. The larger the numbers, the softer the blur. If you want a harder edge, use 5x5. Note: if you are using the gif with the transparent bg, you will get a hard shadow. The blurring will not extend into the transparent area. Click on Gaussian Blur, then Effect. Composite: Copy the gif url from your Find key and paste it into the box on the Composite page. Set Gravity to Center. For a shadow to the left and above the image, Offset +2+2 or more. For a shadow to the right and below the image, Offset -5-5 or more. Click on Compose. (This will composite the gif Over the blurred jpg) You can Paint the bg another color now if you wish. Output as a jpg and save. Now you will have an image with either a hard or a softened Drop Shadow. Hard Shadow made with the transparent gif Soft Shadow made with the original jpg Back to IM column

HARD & SOFT DROP SHADOWS
Incorporating Shade & Gaussian Blur
by Flo

Use a jpg or gif that has a subject with a fairly simple outline and a plain colored background:

Transparentize the background:
- Input the jpg
- Scroll down below the image to the Paint. Select blur of 9999, floodfill, matte.
- Click on the background area.
- Output as a gif and save.
- Copy and paste this new url into your Find key. This is the image you will composite over the shadow image.

Use Gaussian Blur in Effects:
- For a hard shadow: Use the transparentized gif.
  For a softer shadow, use the original jpg.
  Input the image into the IM.
- Resize this image to 10 pixels wider and 10 pixels higher than its present size. Remember to use the exclamation point right after the height dimension: 320x240!
- To darken the shadow, go to Effects.
- Type in 10x10, 20x20 or other numbers.
  Select Shade if you want some color or
  Gray Shade if you want a gray shadow.
  Click on Effect.
- The background will also darken. At this point, if the bg is too dark, Paint it with the proper hue.
- Click on Effects again. Set parameters to 10x10, 20x20, or 30x30.
  The larger the numbers, the softer the blur. If you want a harder edge, use 5x5.
  
  Note: if you are using the gif with the transparent bg, you will get a hard shadow. The blurring will not extend into the transparent area.
- Click on Gaussian Blur, then Effect.

Composite:
- Copy the gif url from your Find key and paste it into the box on the Composite page.
- Set Gravity to Center.
  For a shadow to the left and above the image, Offset +2+2 or more.
  For a shadow to the right and below the image, Offset -5-5 or more.
- Click on Compose. (This will composite the gif Over the blurred jpg)
- You can Paint the bg another color now if you wish.

Output as a jpg and save.

Now you will have an image with either a hard or a softened Drop Shadow.

Hard Shadow made with the transparent gif

Soft Shadow made with the original jpg

Back to IM column