Editing Using Color (section)

==== Advice on Gradients ====
There's no single right or wrong way to do color gradients - it's all about what feels good to you and suits your style! The best way to figure out what you like is to play around. But if you're finding it intimidating to get started, here are some guidelines that might help you:

* '''''Gradients are smoother in order.''''' That is, if they go according to the spectrum: red-orange-yellow-green-blue-purple-red. If you want a gradient that includes green, orange, and yellow, it will probably come out prettier if you order them green-yellow-orange or orange-yellow-green. This is definitely a rule you can break if you want to, but a handy guideline for beginners!
* '''''Use longer text for complex gradients.''''' Short words will make gradients look choppier, so don't try to do a big rainbow-spanning gradient across just a couple of words!
* '''''Light to dark/dark to light always looks nice.''''' It's simple, but a two-color gradient from light to dark or dark to light versions of the same shade is rarely a bad idea if you're stuck.
* '''''Consider saturation and contrast.''''' You can also change the saturation when you go from light to dark, which will create a little more visual interest. Low-saturation colors are on the left side of the color eyedropper - they're paler/greyer shades. I often like to go from a low-saturation dark color to a higher saturation light color to give a gradient a sense of warmth and glow. You can also play around with the contrast (how big the difference between your first and last color is) to see how it changes the visual impact.
* '''''Symmetrical gradients look great to simulate shiny things.'''''  A gradient that's dark on either end and light in the middle (or vice versa) creates a shiny metal effect, especially if you use high contrast. Caors' gradient maker can do this for you automatically with the 'Ping pong' selection, which mirrors your choice of colors. Note, you're going to want a longer text to make a symmetrical gradient work. On short texts, it's very busy.