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Introduction
This is what we'll create in this episode: a photo that fades smoothly into a cream background using a gradient fader, so text can be placed in the fading area. Let's get started. Hello, welcome back to the complete Adobe InDesign series from Cerdas Inovasi Digital. Fading the edges of a photo into the background color is a popular technique in brochures and covers. InDesign does this directly without needing Photoshop.
Step 1: Cream background and photo
Create an A4 document. Create a background box until blit with a cream color. Then place a coffee bean photo at the top of the page, spanning the full page until blit.
Step 2: Basic Feather
Select the photo, then open Object, Effects, Basic Fader. Set Fader Width to 9mm and check Preview. The edges of the photo become soft. This effect is suitable for small vintage-style photos, but to fade one side we use the Gradient Fader. Turn off Basic Fader, then select the Gradient Fader category in the same dialog.
Step 3: Gradient Feather
Gradient stops determine which parts are visible and which are transparent. Set the angle to 90 degrees so the photo fades from bottom to top. A more intuitive way is the Gradient Fader tool with the shortcut Shift + G. Drag from the bottom of the photo to the middle of the photo. The beginning of the drag becomes transparent, and the end remains intact. The length of the drag determines how smoothly the fade occurs.
Step 5: Text in the faded area
The bottom edge of the photo now blends with the cream background. Place the title 'Kopi Pagi Nusantara' in that area with a dark coffee color. The text reads clearly because the background is already calm.
Step 6: Export and transparency
Fader effects are transparency. When exported to print PDFs, InDesign automatically distributes it into an image that appears the same on all printers. Check the result in preview mode before exporting.
Done!
Done. We've used the basic fader, the gradient fader in the effects dialog, and the gradient fader tool to fade the photo into the background, then placed text in the faded area. In the next episode, we'll discuss other photo effects, opacity, blending mode, and drop shadow. Need a magazine layout design, book, brochure, product catalog, company profile, or annual report? Cerdas Inovasi Digital provides layout and print design services, as well as InDesign courses from beginner to advanced. Want to master the entire series? 104 episodes from the interface to magazine and book projects? All episodes, complete with PDF step-by-step guides, exercise files, and project files, are available to premium tutorial subscribers. Subscribe starting at Rp69.000 per month, save 28% with the 12-month package, or pay once Rp999.000 for lifetime access. Want just one class? Buy a single class with lifetime access. Subscribe now on the premium page at cerdasinovasidigital.com. Contact us via WhatsApp or visit cerdasinovasidigital.com. Thank you for watching, see you in the next episode. Thank you for watching,
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Cerdas Inovasi Digital Team
Software developers, BIM & 3D engineers, and AI practitioners
52 video classes1,276 episodes
We build software, BIM models, games and AI automations for clients every day, and turn that hands-on work into step-by-step classes: every step is shown on screen and comes with a PDF guide you can keep.
