How to create Drop Shadows on photos?

[reddevil]

Please could some kind person tell me where I am going wrong in trying to create drop shadows for my photos? I am working with Photoshop 7.

I first reduce the size of the image.

If I then add a drop shadow with the Effects button, I cannot see the shadow. Presumably, it is outside the viewable area????

So I "move" the photo in a NW direction which creates an empty white space on the right and bottom edges.

I then add the drop shadow and voila, there it is in all its glory. Great, me thinks??

But then when I add it to my homepage, i can see all the white space because the background on my homepage is green.

Does anybody know where I am going wrong?

[livinginitaly]

I 'think' i've got this right ........

What you need to do is to add an additional layer in photoshop. This layer needs to be the same colour as your webpage background, and should be placed 'behind' your main image.

The drop shadow should then 'fall' onto the green 'background' layer.

Have you a page online showing the problem?

[reddevil]

Tony,

Great info - the photos now have a drop shadow and look much better (I think)?

As you suggested, I managed to add a background layer the same colour as my homepage background.

But I still had to "move" the photo up to the top left, to create enough room for the shadow on the bottom right. Is this the right way to do it????

I have 4 photos on my homepage, 2 now have drop shadows and the other two are as was.

Anybody who wants to know if drop shadows will help to improve their own site can look at my homepage and assess for themselves.

www.spanishcosyhomes.com

Thanks Tony - you are a star coz I had been struggling with this for hours.

[livinginitaly]

Pic's are taking shape now

I notice though, that there is a very 'sharp' edge to the shadow at the 'top right' and 'bottom left' of the image. This is created as you 'move' the image after adding the drop shadow.

Easiest and fastest solution is to .... first add the drop shadow (from an angle of around 135), then from the top menubar select Image > Reveal All .... this will expand the canvas to include the newly added shadow.

Finally, add the coloured background as you've done.

Nice site by the way!

p.s. ..... personal thing maybe, but i'd also add a 1pixel 'stroke' filter in black, dark grey or blue just to 'lift' the images from the background.

[paolo]

Tony has said it all. I increase the canvas size after doing the drop shadow, by 0.2 cm in each direction, revealing the drop shadow, then crop tighter. But Tony's method is actually quicker.

[reddevil]

Guys,
I am playing around with this at the mo, and like the nifty tip about Reveal All which saves me from "moving" the photo. Also, I agree about the sharp edge and I should be able to remove that by following your advice.

However, I still have a problem with the background. This is because I may want to change the background of my site from the (current) green to the (future) blue, and any other design changes in the future???? Therefore, I may have to change the background on all my 500+ photos in the future - nightmare!!!

One solution would be to add the shadow without any background (eg. get rid of any white) but I guess that is not possible unless the shadow can be inserted ON the photo instead of outside the edges of it?

I also have a lead for using css shadows, but I think that could be too techno for me to use?

[reddevil]

Whehey - I am a genius!!!

....well, with Tony's help and a bit of searching around Google.

Anybody who is interested, please would you take a look at my homepage and give your comments on whether the photos look better with the shadow?

ps - I have also taken the opportunity to get rid of the toilet!!??!!

Now I have also found out how to do a batch process which will amend all my photos within a couple of minutes - technology is cool.

[livinginitaly]

Anybody who is interested, please would you take a look at my homepage and give your comments on whether the photos look better with the shadow?

Much!

[roxytoo]

yes much better, in fact it's something I have been trying to do, does anyone know if I can do it in Dreamweaver? Been looking but can't seem to find it, have paint shop pro 7 ?

[reddevil]

I don;t have Dreamweaver but I would be surprised if it had that facility. You will need some kind of photo software like Adobe Photoshop.

[Alan Knighting]

In Dreamweaver you will find Shadows amongst the options in the Effects drop-down menu. In Paint Shop Pro you use the Drop Shadow dialogue box. In Photoshop you apply shadows in Creating Custom Styles.

Happy hunting

Alan

[roxytoo]

Alan would that be in dreamweaver 4 do you know?

[Alan Knighting]

meishka,

I think not. If I remember correctly, in Dreamweaver 4 Effects were limited to colour tints and transparencies. I was referring to Dreamweaver MX v6.

Alan

[roxytoo]

thats why I can't find it!! will carry on with paint shop pro and see if i can do it in there