# My drop shadow looks like \*\*\*\*\*

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [September 10, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820 "2004-09-10T08:24:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![danielthelion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@danielthelion](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/danielthelion)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820/1 "2004-09-10T08:24:33Z")

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ok guys, i have this ridiculous problem that makes me feel like a noob all over again. so i have my photoshop file of my enter page, and i have a drop shadow on a layer. when i view this graphic on my computer the quality is great, but when i put it on the web, the drop shadow looks all crappy and banded instead of a smooth gradient…what did i do wrong here?

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 8:33am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820/2 "2004-09-10T08:33:54Z")

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had similar problem once…changing the system setting to ‘true color (32 bit)’ did the trick…may be you should check your settings…

P.S.  
try viewing it in someone else system…if it looks fine then you definitely need to check your system settings…

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 8:37am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820/3 "2004-09-10T08:37:01Z")

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which file format are you using ?

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 8:39am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820/4 "2004-09-10T08:39:10Z")

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yeah what format are you using, sounds like your using low quality .gif

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 8:42am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820/5 "2004-09-10T08:42:11Z")

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well. i have the main file as a psd, and then i tried saving it as a png, jpg, gif…i thikn maybe it happens when i bring it into fireworks to add hotspots…where would i adjust this quality setting?

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 8:46am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820/6 "2004-09-10T08:46:02Z")

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heres whats happening

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 8:48am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820/7 "2004-09-10T08:48:55Z")

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doi!!! i just checked and for some reason my computer WAS set to 16 bit, i switched it to 32 bit and it looks fine…thanks for the help guys!

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 9:13am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/my-drop-shadow-looks-like/63820/8 "2004-09-10T09:13:11Z")

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looks fine…

in general with gradients you’ve got to preserve a hi quality to keep the gradient from dithering… what I often do is slice the whole thing and give the shadows a hi quality where as the rest has like a 60% encoding quality (jpg)