Photoshop :: How To Slowly Fade A Photo Into Nothing

I want to use Vellum section dividers in my portfolio for the same reason everyone else likes them: they're translucence.

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The first 2 photos are Illustrator files. They have a solid white background and the black text. Then, I pasted the fading images. I made these images fade on Photoshop, by using the gradient tool, and setting the fade on top of a mask.

But this doesn't work. It does not fade to nothing....but rather fades to white. I need it to fade to nothing so its somewhat translucent on my vellum.

if print like this on vellum, the image won't fade into the transparent sheet vellum sheet, but would rather fade into a white square (which will print on the vellum and therefore not be translucent).

When I make the image fade on Photoshop, I want to see the checkered pattern underneath, not another layer of white.

Simply put, my image fades to white (the white layer beneath it). I want it to fade to nothing.....so i can paste it on something else, and can see through the faded, part to whatever is underneath.