Quick Tip: Fade Text Away Horizontally

To quickly create a faded text effect the best approach is to use a layer style.  Create a new Photoshop file (950 px * 200 px) and add some text (I used Rockwell at 150pt).

In the layers panel (with the text layer created above selected), click the Add a layer style (fx) button and select Gradient Overlay.

The Gradient Overlay panel of the Layer Style window will now be visible.  By default, the gradient is a top-down gradient (i.e. vertical).  However that can be easily changed to a left-right (i.e. horizontal).

And voila we have horizontally fading text.

Quick Tip: How To Clear Out the Swatches Panel in Photoshop CS5

After much searching, I think I have come across the best method for clearing out the swatches panel in Photoshop CS5.  Open the swatches panel menu (shown in the image below) and choose Preset Manager.  In the Preset Manager you can click on the first colour and then while holding SHIFT click the last colour.  All the colours in the panel are now selected.  Click the Delete button on the right side of the panel.  Swatches panel cleared!

The location of the panel menu in the Swatches Panel