Backlight

Backlight

Backlight creates a brilliant light source behind selections, simulating heavenly rays, eclipses, light filtering through porous objects, glowing slices of light and more. Gradient controls provide a an unlimited variety of colorful light sources: yellow beams of sunshine, blinding stage light, blue moon rays or anything else you can imagine. In-preview controls enable click and drag visual editing and make Backlight a cinch to use.

Settings Tab
See Using Settings for more information.

Basic Tab

In-preview Backlight Direction and Distance Controls
By clicking the arrow button above the preview window , you enable an in-preview control that offers click-and-drag control over Backlight Direction and Distance. Pressing the shift key while dragging forces the control path to snap to 15 degree increments on the direction axis.

Place your cursor over the control point and drag it to specify Backlight Direction and Distance values.

Create Output In New Layer Above Current
Creates a layer above the working layer (in Photoshop and Elements only) and renders the effect to it. This feature allows you to view, edit, or turn off the effect without affecting the original layer.

If you switch filters from within a filter window, the new layer feature will be disabled in the filter you've switched to. If you want to apply a filter in a new layer, make sure you start with the filter you plan to apply.

Create Output In New Layer Above Current is unavailable when recording actions in Photoshop. Clear this checkbox when recording actions.

Backlight Direction
Controls the direction in which the fire column travels. Click and drag within the control box to change the direction, or enter a value between 0 and 360 degrees.

Backlight Distance
Controls the length of the light effect.

Increasing Backlight Distance.

Expand
Controls the V-shaped expansion of the backlight effect. High values widen the V.

Increasing Expand.

Drawing Mode

Outline—Select this option to make the light emanate from behind and around the selection.

Fill—Select this option to make light emanate from the entire selection. The light covers the original selection.

Slices
Controls the uniformity of the projected light. Low numbers create visibly overlapping layers of light. Lots of slices create a solid, projected light.

Increasing number of Slices.

Blur
Softens light features, such as streaks.

Streaks
Introduces spires of light.

Streak Size
Controls the width of the spires.

Increasing Streak Size.

Random Seed
Controls the random elements of this filter. Click it until you get a result you like.

Colors Tab

Gradient
For more information on using gradients, see Using the Gradient Editor.

Overall Opacity
Controls the transparency of the light. The opaqueness tails off toward the end of the effect.