Gradient Noise Effects

Mimic scan lines with Gradient Noise. A little less used feature hidden inside the Gradient Editor.

Starter Image
Copy and paste the following cityscape image into a new RGB document.

To begin

1. Press the D key to set your Foreground/Background swatch to Black/White.
2. Highlight the target image Layer in the Layers Palette, and then select the Add New Adjustment Layer icon and select Gradient from the contextual list as captured below.

Note: If you copied and pasted into a new document your target image Layer will most likely be entitled Layer 1.

At the Gradient Fill Prompt

1. Click the Gradient Preset picker
2. At the Gradient Editor prompt, change the Gradient Type from Solid to Noise, and adjust the Roughness from the default of 50% to 98%.
3. From the Options, lower right, tick both Restrict Colors and Add Transparency.
4. Click OK to commit Gradient Editor Options.
5. Then click OK to commit Gradient Fill Options.

Note: Gradient Noise variations are dependent on the choice of the Gradient Swatch Preset, hence my reason for setting the Foreground/Background to Black/White. For other variations pick any other Gradient Swatch and reset Gradient Type to Noise for variations.

Once the Gradient Noise is added

1. Select the Gradient Fill THUMBNAIL (encircled in red)
2. Activate the Gradient Tool
3. Set Options Bar Gradient preferences: Black/White, Linear, Normal Mode, and Opacity 100%, Dither & Transparency enabled.
4. Then hold the Shift key, click and drag from below the mid point towards the bottom.

As captured below, the above Gradient onto Layer Mask basically hides some unwanted Gradient Noise.

Next Ctrl click (PC: Right Click) on Gradient Fill 1 Layer and choose Blending Options from the context list as captured below.

Next at the Blending Options dialog.

1. Select Color Overlay.
2. Set Color Overlay Options: Mode - Color, Color of your choice, I used #ff9000.

Here are three other Color Overlay variations.

As an endnote, there is plenty of room for experimentation directly into the Gradient Editor, when you first created the Gradient Noise. Note below the variation by changing the Color Model to HSB. Simply explore adjusting the slider controls for any of your chosen Color Model. Also toggle the Options Restrict Colors, Add Transparency and or click the Randomize command button.