How to Add a Drop Shadow on Any Color Background

Adding a drop shadow to an image in Photoshop is easy, but adding the shadow so the image can be placed on a colored background is harder. This tutorial explains how to do it! Let's learn how to mount images with drop shadows on white OR color webpages, PowerPoint slides, or other media.

Author: Keynote Support

Picture #1: our rose, which needs a drop shadow, will be placed on a blue background.
Picture #2: using Photoshop, we added some blue around the picture and a drop shadow.
Picture #3: this is what the picture looks like when placed on the blue background!

1. Open the Image File and Change Mode if Necessary

Open your image in Adobe Photoshop, make a duplicate to be safe: click Image > Duplicate, and close the original image. If the image is in GIF format, you must change its mode to RGB in order to proceed: click Image > Mode > RGB Color.

2. Create a Layer from the Background

Click Window > Layers to display the "Layers Window" if not already displayed. Double-click the Background layer, leave the default name of layer 0, and click OK.

3. Increase the Canvas Size of the Image

Click Image > Canvas Size and increase Width and Height by 20px. If you know the shadow position (e.g. bottom-left), click whichever corner of the anchor box is diagonally opposite (e.g. top-right) and add 10px to the Width and Height instead. Then click OK. This will provide enough room for a shadow with a typical size and distance of 5px. For shadow position information, see Shadow Angles or Positions below.

NOTE: The area just added to the canvas should be transparent. If it is not, repeat step 2. If the added canvas area is still not transparent but takes on the background color specified in the toolbar, make a copy of the layer (right-click on the layer, click "Duplicate Layer" and click "OK") and then delete the original layer (right-click on the layer, click "Delete Layer," and click "Yes" to confirm.)

4. Create a New Fill Layer

In the Layers Window, click the Create a new fill or adjustment layer icon as shown below, and click Solid Color. Select the color and click OK.

5. Move the Fill Layer to the Bottom Position

In the Layers Window, drag the Fill layer below "layer 0." Layers in Photoshop display from top to bottom, so the Fill layer needs to be at the bottom so it will only peak through the extra pixels we added on the canvas.

6. Add the Drop Shadow

In the "Layers Window" click "layer 0," click the ƒx icon as shown below to add a layer style, and click Drop Shadow. The shadow displays on your image.

To change shadow characteristics, make sure "Preview" is checked. Change the angle, distance, spread, or size, and watch the drop shadow change. Don't let the shadow extend beyond the added canvas space. When finished, click OK. (You can re-edit the drop shadow or fill color by clicking the applicable layer in the Layers Window.)

Shadow Angles or Positions

Normally, drop shadows are placed on 2 adjacent sides of a rectangle to similate how an actual shadow would appear. In our example at left, the shadow was placed on the bottom and left sides of the image with an Angle of 30 degrees. The other settings for this drop shadow were: Opacity: 75%; Distance: 5px; Spread: 0%; and Size: 5px.

The following table shows the angle to use for the shadow to display on the sides shown.

Angle Degrees	Sides with Shadow
45 135 225 (or -135) 315 (or -45)	Bottom and Left Bottom and Right Top and Right Top and Left

7. Save the New Image

If you want the new image with its drop shadow to blend seamlessly with a colored background, you must understand the difference between GIF and JPG image formats.

If possible, save the new image as a high-quality GIF file so that the colors remain pure. If file size is an issue or if the image is a photograph that must be saved as a JPG, then add the border and drop shadow AFTER all other editing of the image has been completed. Each time a JPG is edited and saved, "noise" is introduced into the image and some pixels lose their color purity. For more information, see our tutorial All About JPG and GIF.

Do you want to save the file with its layers?

To save the image with its layers for future editing in Photoshop, click File > Save, and type a filename. Photoshop files that contain layers have a file extension of .PSD.

Now select one of the options below to save your image with the drop shadow in JPG or GIF file format:

► Save the image as a JPG not for the web

1. Click Layer > Flatten Image.
2. Then click Save and name the file if you first made a duplicate.

► Save the image as a JPG for display on the internet

1. click File > Save for Web and Devices (or "Save for Web" depending on your version).
2. Choose optimization settings, click Save, and give the image a name different than the original image. The lower the quality, the less perfectly the image will blend with its intended background.
3. When returned to the main Photoshop window, exit without saving the file or save the psd file with its layers at this time.

► Save the new image as a GIF

1. Click File > Save for Web and Devices (or "Save for Web" depending on your version).
2. Select GIF as the filetype, choose a relatively high number of colors, click Save, and give the image a name different than the original image.
3. When returned to the main Photoshop window, exit without saving the file or save the psd file with its layers at this time

We hope you have enjoyed learning how to create a customized drop shadow. Cheers!

Additional Resources

For a good beginner's guide to understanding layers in Adobe Photoshop, see Working with Layers in Photoshop at www.tutorial9.net.

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