I made this tutorial to show people how easy it is to make a three shade gradient ribbon.

First lets make a new image: W: 300 H: 300 backgroung: black (000000)

Now choose the rectangle tool and make a rectangle: W: 200 H: 20 Color: White (FFFFFF) **Center it

Duplicate that rectangle two times by draging the layer to the new bitmap image icon. Move one rectangle to x: 50 y: 120 Move the other to x:50 y:160

To choose your three colors there are a few methods, You could use the color pallet in fireworks and just select three shades but I like useing colors that aren\'t in the color pallet.

Heres what I do:

Create a square: W:100 H: 100 **center it.

Color: Select the the linear gradient in the fill catagory In the color chooser choose a dark shade of the color you would like then choose a lighter shade. Try not to stray to far from the dark shade. The colors may be to dramatic to look nice. I\'ll be useing these two colors: Dark: 0066FF light: 2BAAFF

Once these two colors have been chosen all thats left is to find a middle ground, that comes later. All you need to do is resize your 100 by 100 box with the transform tool to a narrow width. zoom into 1600% (ctrl+6). You should be looking at the three white boxes and your gradient.

Top box choose the dark color in your gradient and for the bottom box choose the lightest shade on your gradient. the middle box you choose, you guessed it, the middle shade of the gradient.

If you zoom to 100% (ctrl+1) you can now delete the gradinet box and you will have a three shade ribbon.

We are not done yet, you may have a ribbon but do you know how to make it have a curve? Check into Part II of this tutorial.

*** This tutorial is under the Dishwasher Safe use it and abuse it license. You can use it, you can modify it, you can claim it as your own! I dont care. ***

Wrap up: This tutorial can be use to add the effect of a gradient to vector piece. As we all know once you insert a gradient its no longer considered vector. Part II expands on this to create a 90o curve.