How to Create a Gradient in Affinity Photo

Ever wanted to know how to create a gradient in Affinity Photo? In this quick tutorial, we'll walk through everything you need to know to start using the Affinity Photo gradient tool right away. If you're curious about things like how to add gradients to opacity in Affinity Photo, these techniques will help you too.

How to Create a Gradient in Affinity Photo

Step 1

We're going to look at some cool tricks, like how to create an Affinity Photo gradient overlay, but first, let's start with the basics. In this demonstration, we're working in a new document. Make sure your Layers Panel is open. You can open it by going to Window > Layers.

It's also handy to have your Colour panel open. You can open it by going to Window > Colour. Here's a look at my example workspace:

Step 2

To start things off, let's create a New Pixel Layer, in our Layers panel. You can click on the New Pixel Layer icon, as highlighted below, to do so. This is where we'll create our Affinity Photo Gradient Fill.

Step 3

Next, we'll select the Affinity Photo Gradient Tool, located in the Tools panel.

Before we draw, make sure to check out the toolbar at the top of the screen. Here, we can make some selections that will affect our gradient.

Context: we can choose either Fill or Stroke. So if you want an Affinity Photo gradient fill, keep the context set to "Fill".
Type: this is the type of gradient. For example, you could choose a linear gradient or a radial gradient. By default, before you've drawn anything, it will likely say "None". This is because we haven't picked or created a gradient yet.

Step 4

With the pixel layer selected, click and drag with the Gradient Tool active to draw your gradient. Here's what an example gradient looks like, below.

You'll notice it has two visible points: one at the start of your gradient and one at the end. You can click and drag on either of these points to adjust your gradient. For example, you could drag them closer together or further apart.

tip

You can also create a gradient in another way. Remember that "Type" up in Step 3? If you select a type before drawing a gradient, it will automatically start up those gradient points for you, in that gradient type. Then, you can click and drag to customize your gradient points in the same way.

Step 5

Next, let's take a look at how to change the gradient color in Affinity Photo.

You can click either of these points to edit the colors in your gradient. For example, click the first point in your gradient, and then look at your Colour panel. We can choose a new color for our gradient from this panel, with that gradient point selected.

Simple, right? Now you know how to change the gradient color in Affinity Photo. It's that easy!

Step 6

There are lots of things you can do with the gradient tool. For example, perhaps you want to create an Affinity Photo gradient overlay, or maybe you want to know how to add gradients to opacity in Affinity Photo. Check out this example.

Here's an Affinity Photo gradient, created in the same way we just tried out:

And then, here's a photo on a layer beneath our gradient:

affinity photo gradient effects — Stock Photography by mimagephotography on Envato Elements

We can take our same gradient and change the layer's Blending Mode in the Layers panel. In this example, our gradient has been set to overlay. You could change the opacity to make this overlay more or less intense.

affinity photo gradient overlay — Stock Photography by mimagephotography on Envato Elements

Now You Know How to Create a Gradient in Affinity Photo

The Affinity Photo gradient tool makes creating and working with gradients simple. Now that you know how to create a gradient in Affinity Photo, what will you create?

Learn More About Affinity Photo Today

Want to learn even more about working in Affinity Photo? Check out these free tutorials from Envato Tuts+. From quick tips to full design walkthroughs, there's plenty more available to help push your Affinity Photo skills further.