Moving Drop Shadows in PSE5

[PattyD]

Hi!
I'm trying to change the direction of some of my drop shadows in PSE5 and I've discovered that when I change one I change them all. In PSE4 I had the choice if I wanted to change all global light or not.
I'm making some little baskets with photos on them for Easter that are folded and taped together so to get it right I need the drop shadows in different places.
Is there any way around this other than doing it in PSE4?
Thanks!
Patty

[scrapperjlc]

The best workaround is to make your own drop shadow on a layer below using a gaussian blur. Otherwise, you can apply the shadow to the layer you want it on using the Layer Style menu, then Simplify that layer, and then go to the next layer and add the shadow at the angle you want, and Simplify etc. if there are more layers that you want different angled shadows at. But you lose a lot of flexibility editing the layers this way. It is best to create a selection on a lower layer, fill it with color and apply a gaussian blur, then move it where you want it to be.

[Jancy]

Jodi I am curious also. Say it was a picture of a tea kettle for instance and you wanted a drop shadow with that shape-How do you create a selection on the lower layer with the same shape? :confused:
Jancy

[scrapperjlc]

You just hold the CTRL key and click on the thumbnail for the layer with the tea kettle. It will create a selection of the pixels (object) on that layer. Then while the selection is still active, create a new layer or click on a new layer you have already created and fill the selection with a color (it is probably best to expand the selection a few pixels first too). Then deselect all and apply a gaussian blur to the shadow layer. Then just use the move tool and move the Shadow where you want it to be. :)

Edit: Here's a tip: Hold the CTRL key when clicking on the New Layer icon in the layers menu and it will automatically create the new layer BELOW the active layer. Saves a step. :)

[Diana]

Hi Jancy,

If the tea kettle is a shape on its own layer, Ctrl+click its thumbnail in the layers palette to get the selection. If it's not a shape, you'd have to make a selection around the tea kettle with a selection tool and Ctrl-J to put it on its own layer. Then make a new blank layer below and fill the selection on the blank layer with black and apply quite a large gaussian blur, then use the Move tool and move it slightly in the direction you want the shadow to drop.

Diana

[Jancy]

WOW--Thanks-I'm going to give that a try!
Thanks so much :)
Jancy

[Wendy]

Hi Jancy ...

If you take a look in Wendy's Mini Tutorials (http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3641)

You will see two tutorials on shadows ... the first one is in the subscriber area so you need to be logged in for the link to work and the second one is on the forum :)

Casting Shadows (http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/subscriber/tutorials/tw_castingshadows.php)

Drop Shadow on its own layer (http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1784)

Wendy

[Codebreaker]

Not that I use V5 but does this thread mean that there is no longer a Global Light or not option?

Colin

[scrapperjlc]

Not that I use V5 but does this thread mean that there is no longer a Global Light or not option?

Colin

That is correct, they took it out in V5 :mad:

[Codebreaker]

Perhaps you only get so many features in Elements that when they introduce a new one, something else has to go!

:rolleyes:

Colin

[Codebreaker]

Sorry nothing more to add but I just wanted to see my post count go to 500
:)

Colin

[Wendy]

Hi Colin ...

Congratulations !! :)

The question of Global Light was raised with Adobe at the testing stage ... but they didn't seem to think that its removal would be a problem :eek:

Wendy

[Codebreaker]

Can't have everything I suppose - still great value though.

Colin

[graficalicus]

one other cool thing with drop shadows you can do is first apply it in the usual way (Special Effects>Layer Styles>Drop Shadow)

Then double-click the little star symbol (the layer style) in the Layers palette to open the Layer Styles dialog -

now, right on your image, you can drag the shadow around to get it right where you want it without futzing about with the sliders.

Doesn't help with global lighting, but it makes positioning a lot faster & easier. :)

Congrats on the 500, Colin! :cool:

[kimi_boo]

one other cool thing with drop shadows you can do is first apply it in the usual way (Special Effects>Layer Styles>Drop Shadow)

Then double-click the little star symbol (the layer style) in the Layers palette to open the Layer Styles dialog -

now, right on your image, you can drag the shadow around to get it right where you want it without futzing about with the sliders.

Doesn't help with global lighting, but it makes positioning a lot faster & easier. :)

Congrats on the 500, Colin! :cool:

Graffi... I had to go and try that one out. How Cool!!!
Thanks!

[Jancy]

Thanks for all the info--going to try them all! :)
Jancy

[GaryK]

when they introduce a new one, something else has to go!

:rolleyes:

Colin


Colin

Kind of like my little noggin'

:D :D

[msbrad]

Wow Grafi, I didn't know that either. Think I learned 2 brand new things today!!:D
m

[scrapperjlc]

one other cool thing with drop shadows you can do is first apply it in the usual way (Special Effects>Layer Styles>Drop Shadow)

Then double-click the little star symbol (the layer style) in the Layers palette to open the Layer Styles dialog -

now, right on your image, you can drag the shadow around to get it right where you want it without futzing about with the sliders.

Doesn't help with global lighting, but it makes positioning a lot faster & easier. :)

Congrats on the 500, Colin! :cool:

The bad thing is that if you have other layers with shadows on them, it changes them too as you drag. :(

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Yes it does ... removing global light is a realy pain :(

Wendy