diff --git a/example/axischart/main.cpp b/example/axischart/main.cpp
index a2db460..abdb7c3 100644
--- a/example/axischart/main.cpp
+++ b/example/axischart/main.cpp
@@ -38,14 +38,20 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     chartView->setTitle("Basic line chart example");
     chartView->addSeries(series0);
     chartView->addSeries(series1);
-    chartView->setChartBackgroundBrush(Qt::white);
+
+
+    QLinearGradient backgroundGradient;
+    backgroundGradient.setColorAt(0.0, Qt::white);
+    backgroundGradient.setColorAt(1.0, QRgb(0xffff80));
+    backgroundGradient.setCoordinateMode(QGradient::ObjectBoundingMode);
+    chartView->setChartBackgroundBrush(backgroundGradient);
 
     QChartAxis axis = chartView->defaultAxisX();
     axis.setLabelsOrientation(QChartAxis::LabelsOrientationSlide);
     axis.setGridPen(Qt::DashLine);
 
     chartView->setDefaultAxisX(axis);
-    axis.setShadesBrush(Qt::lightGray);
+    axis.setShadesBrush(Qt::yellow);
     chartView->setDefaultAxisY(axis);
 
     window.setCentralWidget(chartView);
diff --git a/src/axisitem.cpp b/src/axisitem.cpp
index 1531ab9..5b08c3d 100644
--- a/src/axisitem.cpp
+++ b/src/axisitem.cpp
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ void AxisItem::updateDomain()
                   if(i%2){
                       QGraphicsRectItem *rectItem =  static_cast<QGraphicsRectItem*>(shades.at(i/2));
                       rectItem->setRect(x,m_rect.top(),deltaX,m_rect.height());
+                      rectItem->setOpacity( 0.5 );
                   }
               }
           }
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ void AxisItem::updateDomain()
                   if(i%2){
                       QGraphicsRectItem *rectItem =  static_cast<QGraphicsRectItem*>(shades.at(i/2));
                       rectItem->setRect(m_rect.left(),y,m_rect.width(),deltaY);
+
                   }
               }
           }
@@ -160,7 +162,7 @@ void AxisItem::handleAxisChanged(const QChartAxis& axis)
     }
 
     if(axis.isShadesVisible()) {
-        setShadesOpacity(100);
+        setShadesOpacity(axis.shadesOpacity());
     }
     else {
         setShadesOpacity(0);
diff --git a/src/charttheme.cpp b/src/charttheme.cpp
index 8c53977..cfe5bd3 100644
--- a/src/charttheme.cpp
+++ b/src/charttheme.cpp
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ void ChartTheme::decorate(QChartAxis& axis,AxisItem* item)
     axis.setLabelsBrush(Qt::black);
     axis.setLabelsPen(Qt::NoPen);
     axis.setShadesPen(Qt::NoPen);
+    axis.setShadesOpacity(0.5);
     item->handleAxisChanged(axis);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qchartaxis.cpp b/src/qchartaxis.cpp
index 2161e81..b5f18d3 100644
--- a/src/qchartaxis.cpp
+++ b/src/qchartaxis.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ QChartAxis::QChartAxis():
 m_axisVisible(true),
 m_gridVisible(true),
 m_labelsVisible(true),
-m_shadesVisible(true)
+m_shadesVisible(true),
+m_shadesOpacity(1.0)
 {
     // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
 
@@ -77,5 +78,9 @@ void QChartAxis::setShadesBrush(const QBrush& brush)
     m_shadesBrush=brush;
 }
 
+void QChartAxis::setShadesOpacity(qreal opacity)
+{
+    m_shadesOpacity=opacity;
+}
 
 QTCOMMERCIALCHART_END_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/src/qchartaxis.h b/src/qchartaxis.h
index 0e899d0..557bf36 100644
--- a/src/qchartaxis.h
+++ b/src/qchartaxis.h
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ public:
     QPen shadesPen() const { return m_shadesPen;}
     void setShadesBrush(const QBrush& brush);
     QBrush shadesBrush() const { return m_shadesBrush;}
+    void setShadesOpacity(qreal opacity);
+    qreal shadesOpacity() const { return m_shadesOpacity;}
+
 
 
 private:
@@ -69,6 +72,9 @@ private:
     QPen m_shadesPen;
     QBrush m_shadesBrush;
 
+    qreal m_shadesOpacity;
+
+
     LabelsOrientation m_labelsOrientation;
 };