Adobe Photoshop

**jason_bristol** · 08-05-2006, 11:56 AM

In Photoshop CS2 to make an image translucent you can alter either the fill or opacity. They seem to do the same thing. what is the difference.

also. what difference does airbrush make when I turn it on. I've tried different colours and sizes with and without airbrush and doesn't seem to be any different.

**moondog** · 08-05-2006, 07:04 PM

TOpacity affects all of the layer including layer effects.
Fill only affects the layer content, but not layer effects.

**jason_bristol** · 08-10-2006, 09:59 AM

Thankyou moondog for the answer to my first question. Anyone know the answer to the second?

thanks
jason

**ADAM Web Design** · 08-10-2006, 12:52 PM

My own impression on airbrushing is that it tends to affect the way the paint goes down. It's like a spray-paint sort of effect.

On the other hand, a regular brush is your traditional painty-brush sort of effect.

That's just personal observation, though.

dangerouskicker: what moondog means is that the effects you apply to a layer (Stroke, Gradient Fill, Bevel and Emboss) through the Layer Effects menu are not affected when you adjust the fill percentage, but they are when you adjust the opacity percentage.

**wfcamb** · 08-15-2006, 02:21 AM

I didn't know that about the Opacity and Fill.. Nice to know..

**LadynRed** · 08-16-2006, 05:54 PM

When using the airbrush, you'll see different results when you vary the opacity and the flow of the brush. A lower flow means less 'paint' , just as you'd get if you dialed down the flow on a real airbrush.

**jason_bristol** · 08-19-2006, 02:22 PM

I just tried that. I did a few stroks of colour with and without airbrush on. Then I brought the flow down to 50% then to 15% with and without airbrush. I did the same for the opacity. There is no difference. The flow and opacity is reduced equally with both.
I cannot find anything about the difference in photoshop help as to tell me what the difference is.
One of my hobbies is digital art so I want to find out what the difference is. it must be something?!?!

Anyone??

Note- other things i've tried. Overlapping=the same. I use a wacom pen so i've been testing the blending=The same. Use with modes (eg overlay, light etc.)=The same.

**jason_bristol** · 06:51 PM

Anyone who is interested. A guest of this site sent me an Email direct and gave me the answer. The difference with the airbrush on is... drumroll......... if the airbrush is on, the mouse button just needs to be pushed down for paint to be added to the screen. Without the Airbrush on the mouse button has to be down and the mouse has to be moving as well.

**wfcamb** · 10-29-2006, 10:34 PM

Just recently got me Photoshop CS2..

Just wanted to say that the extra opacity info helped me out a lot with one of my newest desktop wallpapers..

Thanks for that post!

**sally** · 11-02-2006, 12:23 PM

I have never used the airbrush, shame on me, but wow its great, think i will be using it lots from now on!

And thanks for the comments about opacity etc etc its great stuff for us newbies

sally

**Mohab** · 11-27-2006, 03:59 AM

The opacity/fill question is very good, the airbrush question is also a food one. The answers are even better. I didn't know either fact and was notbothered to ask.

**NeoWeapon** · 11-28-2006, 11:02 AM

yea, like making a crystal clear ball, u need to drop the fill transparency to get that effect with the blending layer. its good for using effects off the blending layer.