Xara Webster - Drawing Soft Shadows
Drop shadows are easy to create and look impressive. This page
shows creating drop shadows for text but you can use the same
techniques for any object.
To create realistic shadows
This assumes you have already created the original object. (The
word "Text" in this case.)
- If necessary select the object. The Selector Tool should be
the current tool - if necessary, select it on the Toolbar.
- Clone it using Clone on the Edit menu. This creates a copy
exactly on top of the original. The copy will become the shadow.
- Change the color of the copy (the shadow), in this case to
gray.
- Move the shadow down and to the right slightly. The easiest
way is to nudge it using the arrow keys on the keyboard. CTRL-SHIFT-nudge
gives you smaller nudge steps.
- Move the shadow behind the original using Move Backwards on
the Arrange menu.
This looks good on a white background but on a colored background
a semitransparent shadow looks more realistic.
Creating a semitransparent (soft) shadow
On the left, a solid shadow. On the right, a soft shadow
To get the best idea of the final result when viewed in Webster,
you might need to create a suitable colored background behind
the object.
- Create the shadow as described above. Make it a darker color
than before as transparency makes objects lighter.
- Select the Transparency tool.
- Drag the Transparency slider until you get the required result.
Skewing the shadow
This gives the effect of vertical text throwing a shadow on a
horizontal surface.
- Create a semitransparent shadow as described above but instead
of flat transparency use linear transparency. Select Linear from
the drop down list on the Infobar. Drag from the bottom of the
shadow to the top to create a graduated transparency.
- Select the Selector Tool.
At present the shadow should be surrounded by eight black squares
(the Selection Handles). If not click on the shadow.
- Drag the top center handle downwards to make the shadow about
half size. Changing the height lets you create the effect of the
shadow falling on a horizontal surface.
- Click on the shadow. The Selection Handles become arrows.
- Drag the top center handle to the right until you get the
result you want.
You can move the shadow relative to the original to give the effect
of an object either resting on the surface or floating above it.

© Copyright Xara Ltd:
page last updated 14 February 1997
For more information, contact
webmaster@xara.com.
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