Effortless Reflections

Create a Reflection in 5 K.I.S.S. Steps

If there is one thing I have learned in my years as a graphic designer, it‘s that I need to keep things simple. I always try to keep in mind the old adage, K.I.S.S. (keep it simple silly). Now, I‘m aware that normally the word “silly” is replaced by “stupid,” but the word “stupid” is not a very positive thing to be repeating to yourself each day.

I admit, I am a designer who always seems to complicate the creative process. For many designers like myself, reflections are a design element that can easily become complex. Doing a quick search on the Shutterstock forums for the keyword “reflection” shows a multitude of methods for creating a reflection. Designers can create a reflection using opacity masks, dividing the image through pathfinder to mimic transparency, and linear gradients. In the spirit of keeping things simple, let‘s approach how we can create an effortless reflection by using only a linear gradient.

1. Open your Image in Adobe Illustrator.

Select the image you want to reflect (I'll be using a tree image).



2. Duplicate Your Image

With the image selected in the layers panel, choose Duplicate “Layer Name” from the layers panel menu to the side. Hint: Make sure the layer is highlighted blue before choosing Duplicate.



3. Now, select the duplicated image layer (same Layer Name with the word “copy” added to the end) and go to Object > Transform > Reflect in the top menu bar. In the “Reflect” window, be sure to choose “Horizontal” and check preview to see exactly what you‘re flipping.



4. With your image still selected, choose the “Free Transform Tool” from the Tools Panel. Now you can move the duplicated and flipped image below the original image. Hint: Use Shift in conjunction with the “Free Transform Tool” to move the image and stay aligned to the image above.



The distance between the original image and the upside down image is up to you. Be creative! Hint: If making a set of images, try to make the gaps consistent for uniformity.

5. With the duplicated image still selected, choose the “Gradient Fill” Option at the bottom of the Tools Panel and then choose the Gradient Tool (Linear Gradient is most likely the preset). With the Gradient Tool selected, place your cursor at the starting point around one third from the bottom of the duplicate image and drag the Gradient Tool to the top of the image in a vertical direction. This places the white color space at the bottom of the reflection and the darker color space closer to the object being reflected. Hint: Hold Shift while using the Gradient Tool and your gradient will remain vertically aligned.



At this point, you‘re essentially finished! However, you can adjust the linear gradient in the “Gradient Panel” window. By clicking on the “end color” slider (black) and adjusting the color via the “Color” Panel, you‘ll create a more natural reflection that isn't so harsh.





See how I chose a lighter gray? This creates a reflection that is little more subtle in the final version of the overall image.

Is the process just as simple for a color reflection? The answer, most of the time, is yes. The reflection below used the same five steps, except there are two linear gradients.



So there you go, it really is true—a reflection, in the simplest of terms, is effortless!

You can view Melissa's gallery here.