How to maintain gradient in photo?

[Adria Tormo]

Hi, I would like to know how to keep the gradient options in a Pixel layer, because when I remove the gradient tool the bar disappears and I cannot edit the gradient again, I would like to know how to recover the gradient if I change to another tool.

Thank you so much

 

Edited July 14, 2018 by wolfmius
Update photos

[R C-R]

Unfortunately, you can't keep the gradient added to a pixel layer editable because it replaces the pixels of that layer with the pixels of the gradient. IOW, it is not an adjustment or live filter. It is equivalent to panting on the pixel layer with the Paint Brush, Smudge, or any other tool that alters the pixels of that layer.

[carl123]

After making your selection add a Fill Layer
Make the gradient on that Layer
and you can reedit the gradient later just by selecting the layer and the Gradient tool

[firstdefence]

16 minutes ago, carl123 said:

After making your selection add a Fill Layer
Make the gradient on that Layer
and you can reedit the gradient later just by selecting the layer and the Gradient tool

It also gives you the ability to use opacity and blend modes on that layer for different effects.

What are you hoping to achieve, maybe we can help with that too?

[R C-R]

Fill layers are a special kind of weird. Not only will they accept editable gradient fills, you can use the Erase, Paint Brush, Flood Fill, & several other tools on them, which has the same effect as using those tools to change the opacity of the built-in mask of an adjustment layer. If you do that, then selecting the Fill layer with the Move Tool shows a bounding box around the 'mask' (?) of the Fill layer & you can move, resize, rotate or skew it (the mask) just like with the mask of an adjustment layer.

But if you do that & resize the canvas, the mask (?) does not resize even though the Fill layer does resize to fill the entire canvas. 

[GerryFox1]

I have similar question - but regarding applying a gradient to a mask layer.

I do not understand why I cannot pick up where I left off - to give the gradient a tweek ...

... Gerry

[R C-R]

8 minutes ago, GerryFox1 said:

I do not understand why I cannot pick up where I left off - to give the gradient a tweek ...

Basically, it is because the mask is in effect a greyscale pixel object rather than a vector shape object, so just like with any other pixel object, once you 'paint' a gradient on it, it is just a pixel pattern.

[GerryFox1]

Thanks R C-R ...

 

[carl123]

@GerryFox1You can add a Fill layer (any colour) to the image as a mask then adjust the gradient nodes opacity - the gradient will then remain editable