Backround color disappears

[roamer]

I am making a banner with a picture that is right justified and the remaining part of the banner a color I pull from the photo. I am also

trying to make a gradient to smooth the photo into the background.

I am able to crop and re-size the photo. I create a New Layer, color pick and fill the background and my banner looks good. I then

select the gradient tool and select Transparency mode. I click on the photo and the background color disappeares and starts

showing the transparancy checkerboard. I create the gradient and select another tool to deactivate it. After that my background

color never reappears.

So my banner has a photo that fades into a blank area. What am I doing wrong?

[pdnnoob]

The transparency gradient is simply doing its job. What it does is makes your image fade to transparent. If you want your background color back, just add a new layer, move it down, and fill it with your background color.

[roamer]

Thanks for your reply. That worked. But so I can understand and not have to do the duplication of work in the future can you explain what happened

to the second layer I created and filled with color that disappeared when I gradiated the photo.

[pdnnoob]

Thanks for your reply. That worked. But so I can understand and not have to do the duplication of work in the future can you explain what happened

to the second layer I created and filled with color that disappeared when I gradiated the photo.

It sounds like you did one of two things:

1. You had the background layer selected when you use the gradient tool

or

2. (this sounds more like it) You accidentally put the photo on the same layer as the background color before using the gradient.