Use transparency gradients

You can create some great effects with gradient fills that have variable transparency.

Let’s say that you have a side bar image but you want a softer edge. In this slide, the edge of the cookies is sharp.

sharp edges on a subject

Here I’ve added a white rectangle with a gradient whose transparency changes from 0% to 100% as you look from left to right. The rectangle covers the image.

impression of light beaming on the subject

This effect is a nice transition to the text and gives the impression of light beaming on the cookies. Yum!

This effect is simple to create:

1. Insert a rectangle and size it as appropriate.
2. Right-click it and choose Format AutoShape/Format Shape.
3. In the Line section, choose No Line from the Color drop-down list. (In PowerPoint 2007, in the Line Color category, choose No Line.)
4. In the Fill section, choose Fill Effects from the Color drop-down list. (In PowerPoint 2007, in the Fill category, choose Gradient Fill.)
5. On the Gradient tab, choose One Color and choose white as the color. (You could experiment with other colors, too.) Make sure that the Dark-Light slider isn’t in the middle, because then it will be hard to see which variant to choose. (In PowerPoint 2007, under Gradient Stops, choose Stop 3, and click Remove. You now should have just two stops. Click Stop 1 and use the Color drop-down list to check or set the color. Click Stop 2 and set it to the same color as Stop 1.)
6. Set the From transparency to 100% and the To transparency to 0%. (In PowerPoint 2007, click Stop 1, and use the Transparency slider to set the transparency to 100%. Leave Stop 2 at the default of 0%.)
7. Set the shading style to vertical and pick the variant with the darker shade on the left. You may have to experiment with these settings to get the results you want in your situation. (In PowerPoint 2007, set the Angle to 0.)


how to create the light beaming effect

8. Click OK twice. Here you see the rectangle, selected, on a blue background. (In PowerPoint 2007, you can see if the rectangle is what you want before closing the dialog box. You may also need to change the Stop Position, by dragging the slide of Stop 1 or Stop 2. When you’re done, click Close.)
9. Place the rectangle over the image and nudge it exactly into place. If necessary, make sure that its order is on top. The left side of the rectangle is transparent, so it shows the image; the right side is opaque, so it covers the image.

placing the rectangle over the image

You can use this technique to create 3D effects. On the left, you see a cylinder, which is made up of two ovals and a rectangle. I’ve applied a simple gradient, but it still doesn’t look 3-dimensional.

On the right, I’ve added a white AutoShape using the same type of transparency gradient I just described. It looks more realistic. (The top oval is still a simple gradient.) Note that I had to add a triangle at the bottom to cover the bottom oval.

applying the technique to create 3D effect

Try adding a shadow for even more realism.

Finally, you can use transparency gradients for WordArt. (In PowerPoint 2007, you can do this with regular text; WordArt is not a separate feature.)

use of transparency gradients for WordArt

Only the shadow effect keeps the bottom visible. Here are the settings

Try out your own ideas for transparency gradients.

Related posts:

1. 3D Effects with Radial Gradients
2. Layer two fill effects
3. Create cutouts
4. Animate a revolving earth
5. Creating Soft Edges