Fire Gradient Map

Fire Gradient Map maps photo tones to a flame palette. A black and white conversion sets the weight of each colour, an S-curve firms contrast, a gradient map from black to ember red, orange, yellow and then cream becomes the only palette, a Soft Light bloom unifies tones, Unsharp Mask keeps clarity, and a reddish black vignette closes the look. Suited to posters, covers and sunrise or silhouette photos.

What the action does (6 steps)

1. 1

   Base Conversion

   Black and white with brighter reds and yellows.

2. 2

   Tone Separator

   An S-curve firms the gap between shadows and highlights.

3. 3

   Fire Map

   A gradient of black, ember red, orange, yellow and cream.

4. 4

   Flame Bloom

   A Soft Light bloom unifies the flame tones.

5. 5

   Kept Detail

   A fine Unsharp Mask keeps texture.

6. 6

   Ember Vignette

   Reddish black frame edges.

Best for

• Energetic posters and covers
• Sunrise and silhouette photos
• Music and sport content

Compatibility

Adobe Photoshop 2021 or later, Windows & macOS. Tested in Photoshop 2026 (v27.2). RGB colour mode.

How to use

1. Double-click the .atn file to load it into the Actions panel (or panel menu, then Load Actions).
2. Open your photo in RGB mode.
3. Choose the set "CID - Gradient Map Api", select the action "Gradient Map Api", then press Play.
4. Fine-tune: open the resulting group and fade or switch off any layer to taste.