How to Add a Realistic Drop Shadow Effect in Photoshop

Drop shadow in Photoshop is the process of adding effects to an image. Image with drop shadow we often found on the eCommerce website, newspaper, leaflet, magazine, etc. An image with a drop shadow effect illustrates the depth of an object, so the object becomes more realistic.

Here today, we will discuss how to add a realistic drop shadow in photoshop. We have tried to capture A to Z solution but if you need detailed guides then you should contact photoshop drop shadow experts. Let?s start!

Table of Contents

Tutorial: How to Add a Realistic Drop Shadow in Photoshop

Step by step process of this tutorial is given below:

Step One:

Open image in Photoshop.

Step Two:

Layers should look like the image below. Layer 0 is filled with white and layer one shoe image which is already cut out by the Photoshop clipping path.

Step Three:

Make a copy of the layer then select the layer of the shoes and press (Ctrl +j)

Step Four:

Change the foreground color into black by pressing (Shift +X)

Step Five:

To make the image black press (Shift + Alt + Delete)

Step Six:

Then bring free transform on the image by pressing (Ctrl+t)

Step Seven:

To make Shadow click the top middle square and drag the black image straight down.

Step Eight:

Press ?Enter? or ?Return? to get out from ?Free Transform?

Step Nine:

Move the Shadow layer by clicking and dragging to below the image layer so that the shoes in the front of the shadow.

Step Ten:

A select layer of the shadow, then go FilterBlurMotion Blur

Step Eleven:

Adjust the distance and set the angle. Set the ?angle? to 0 Adjust the ?distance? enough to smooth out around the shadow.

Step Twelve:

Click on Ok

Step Thirteen:

Select Filter Blur Gaussian Blur

Step Fourteen:

Change the ?Radius? into 3 PIX. Then click ok.

Step Fifteen:

Make sure that the drop shadow layer is selected and then ?Add Layer Mask?

Step Sixteen:

Click and hold down on the brush icon and select the brush tool from the drop-down menu. Then change the Opacity to around 30%

Step Seventeen:

Change the foreground color to black.

Step Eighteen:

Change the brush size.

Step Nineteen:

Click on the drop shadow to make it perfect. If you need to bring back the shadow, then change the foreground color by pressing (Shift + x) and click over the area.

Step Twenty:

Select the move tool to adjust the shadow.