How do fade out the ends of an image?

[Newah55]

I want to know how to fade something out. Like how the gradient tool works, but instead of a color, I just want it to be from background to transparent.

Lets say I have a line as my image, and that's all that's there. The background is transparent (no white background, in the program it's displayed as a white/gray grid of small blocks)

___________________

Theres my line. It's nice but I want the ends to smoothly fade out into the transparency. Like this

....,,,,________________,,,,....

I know that's a bad example, but where the line is full and thick is where it is just that. Full, thick, it's the line! But then the comma's, say thats where it starts to fade, by the end of the comma's, the line is 50% transparent. By time it hits the periods its faded by a lot, and goes from 50% transparent, to completely transparent.

I hope you understand what I'm talking about. And for actual use, I wont be fading a straight line. More a a curved design that I've cropped and want to have fade out on the ends.

[Xzerizon]

The option you are looking for is actually built into the gradient tool.

Select the gradient tool and click on the color wheel in the toolbar, and a different, square design with a checkerboard filling should appear. Choose the liner gradient, and hold down shift while drawing it to make it snap to 15 degree increments. If it isn't fading out properly, then click on the Black/White button in the ColorWheel window.

[Newah55]

thanks! all good now, Im wondering to myself how i never figured that out. I guess learning Photoshop CS6 and Paint.NET at the same time isnt ideal

[Ego Eram Reputo]

My answer here explains using the gradient tool + transparency mode to achieve a fade-out: