You can change the opacity of paint in Photoshop primarily by adjusting the opacity slider for the brush tool.
Here's a breakdown of how to do it:
- Select the Brush Tool: Choose the Brush tool (usually by pressing the "B" key).
- Locate the Opacity Slider: In the options bar at the top of the Photoshop window (below the menu bar), you'll find the "Opacity" setting. This is often represented by a percentage.
- Adjust the Opacity: Click and drag the opacity slider to the left to decrease the opacity (making the paint more transparent) or to the right to increase the opacity (making the paint more opaque). You can also directly type a percentage value into the opacity field. A value of 100% makes the paint fully opaque, while 0% makes it completely transparent.
Other relevant points:
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Flow vs. Opacity: Photoshop also offers a "Flow" setting. While both affect the intensity of the brush, they work differently. Opacity sets the overall transparency of each stroke. Flow controls how much paint is applied during a continuous stroke. Lowering the Flow will result in less paint being applied during a single stroke, building up intensity as you paint over the same area.
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Opacity in Layers Panel: You can also adjust the opacity of an entire layer in the Layers panel. This will affect everything on that layer, not just the brush strokes. Make sure you're adjusting the correct opacity setting for your needs (brush opacity vs. layer opacity).
