Tye Dye Pattern.

Now, I have been blessed so far, finding tutorials on the web to do certain things and certain patterns in Photoshop. But, how do I make a tradtional tye dye pattern in Photoshop? Thanks!

Rose

I made a fair one quickly by putting a gradient down, and using the twirl filter (found under Filters> Distort). For hours of mindless entertainment, there are scads of other basic filters in there that could make for some interesting effects. For me, this would be when I would go all hippy mad scientist with the filters just to see what happened.

Wow... the walls are melting...

Ok... Umm, perhaps I am dumb, ok, I am dumb, I tried and got nothing? Made a new 512x512 piccie, used a Gradient Fill, made it point down, did a Filter - Distort - Twirl, modded it, hit ok, and nothing? Though the single layer with two thumbnail shows one box with the gradient fill ,the link icon, a white thumbnail box, and next to it says "Gradient Fill 1" , and the History box shows "Twirl" so it did the filter... Help? Thanks!

Rose


<peeks in to be sure she didn't furget to set notification and sighs> Yes, I am that new to Photoshop. Why the big templates confuse me so and the simplified templates, bless Robin and the ground she walks on for making the t shirt one, haven't seen any others unfortunately, is my level of expertese. That and store signs which is a simple snap a photo against a solid odd color and the Magic Wand tool , inverse selection, and copy and can posision the model on a blank 512x512 8bit with transparency and add some text and that is easy enough. Though I did confuse myself by setting that up to 16bit and then couldn't save as TGA, which took a bit and remaking it 8bit before I figured it out. So, yes, I did the above and yes I am confused as to why the Twirl didn't twirl and want to know what I need to do to make this work right. Thanks!

Hi Rose!

Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad that you find the template useful.

From your description of what you are seeing in the layer palette, I'm guessing that you used the "New Fill and Adjustment Layer" icon, at the bottom of the layer palette, and made a Gradient Layer. Is that correct?

Fill and Adjustment Layers aren't like normal layers, and don't respond to the Filters. In order to use a filter, you'll have to make the adjustment layer into a Normal layer, which you can do by going to Layer > Rasterize > Fill Content.

When you do that, you'll see that the Layer thumbnail changes to a normal layer (it loses the slider bar graphic at the bottom,) and you can now run the Twirl filter and it will Twirl.

There are two ways to fill a layer with a gradient. One is the Gradient Layer, which is what I believe you used. The other is the Gradient Tool, in the Tool Palette. It shares a spot with the Paint Bucket tool, so it might be hidden.

To use it, just pick your gradient and gradient style, then click to set the start point, drag to where you want it to end, and release the mouse button.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods, of course.

The Gradient Tool is great for filling small areas, or putting a number of gradients on the same layer. It's also the one you have to use if you're putting the gradient into the Mask. (The white thumbnail to the right of the Layer Thumbnail.)

The Gradient Layer is perfect for quickly finding the correct angle or scale of a needed gradient, or for changing from one to another in a snap. (Making that gold ring into a silver one, for instance, without fiddling with finding the perfect angle again.)

But, if you want to use filters, you need to Rasterize it, or just use the Gradient Tool.

Hope this helps!

Yes, thank you! That works, now to playing with the other filters to make a more tye dye like pattern... Though I am wondering why some of the filters makes a rainbow gradiant red and yellow? Like, for instance, the Graphic Pen filter? And again, Robin, thank you! I hope someone, as kind as you, will make other simplified templates, like, a pants template, or jacket template, or some such... Not this multi do everything in one template that gives me a headache.

Rose