Illustrator CS4 Transparency & Special Effects

Illustrator C11CS4DPD Blitz Reference

The Mesh Tool

• Change the color in mesh points by choosing the Direct Selection tool and either clicking a mesh point and picking a fill color, or by clicking in the center of a mesh area and choosing a fill
• Create a gradient mesh by clicking
• Create a gradient mesh by setting the number of rows and columns

The Blend Tool

• In the Swatches panel (choose Window->Swatches), change the cloned shape’s fill to a different color but keep the stroke at None
• With the Blend tool, click the original shape and then click the cloned shape
• Easily access the Blend tool options by selecting a blended object and double-clicking the Blend tool in the toolbox
• Alternatively choose Object->Blend->Blend Options
• Can edit blends that you created by moving, resizing, deleting, or adding objects
• After editing changes, the artwork is reblended automatically

The Symbol Sprayer Tool

• Window->Symbols to open Symbols panel
• Use this panel as a storage bin or library to save repeatedly used artwork or to create symbols to apply as instances in your artwork, like blades of grass or stars in the sky

The Symbol Tools

• Symbol Sprayer - Creates a set of symbol instances
• Symbol Shifter - Moves symbol instances around; it can also change the relative paint order of symbol instances
• Symbol Scruncher - Pulls symbol instances together or apart
• Symbol Sizer - Increases or decreases the size of symbol instances click and hold to make the symbol instances larger; hold down the Alt key to make the symbol instances smaller
• Symbol Spinner - Orients the symbol instances in a set
• Symbol instances located near the cursor spin in the direction of moving the cursor
• Symbol Stainer - Colorizes symbol instances
• Symbol Screener - Increases or decreases the transparency of the symbol instances in a set
• Symbol Styler - Enables one to apply or remove a graphic style from a symbol instance

When using placed images as symbols, choose File->Place and deselect the Linked
check box in the Place dialog box
Press ] repeatedly to enlarge the application area for the symbol or press [ to
make it smaller
Find 3D, nature, maps, flowers, and even hair and fur symbol collections by selecting
Open Symbol Library

Transparency

• Window->Transparency brings up the Transparency panel where can apply different levels of transparency to objects
• Create an arrangement of objects that intersect, select the topmost object, and then change the transparency level of the object in the Transparency panel, either by moving the Opacity slider or by entering a value of less than 100 in the Opacity text field

Blend modes

• A blending mode determines how the resulting transparency will look
• The best way to find out what all these modes do is to create two shapes that are overlapping and start experimenting
• Give the shapes differently colored fills (but note that many of the blending modes don’t work with black and white fills)
• Select the topmost object and change the blending mode by selecting an option from the Blend Mode drop-down list in the Transparency panel

Opacity masks

• Open the Transparency panel menu (click the arrow in the upper-right corner to access this menu) and choose Hide Thumbnails
• Also, be sure that the Blend Mode drop-down list is set to Normal
• Create a shape anywhere on the artboard or open a document that has artwork on it
• Make sure that the artwork has a fill; a solid color will help show the effect
• Open the Symbols panel (choose Window->Symbols Panel) and drag a symbol to the artboard
• With the Selection tool, enlarge the symbol so that it fills the shape
• Select both the symbol and the shape and then choose Make Opacity
• Mask from the Transparency panel menu
• The symbol turns into a mask, showing varying levels of the underlying box through, depending on the original color value
• To delete an opacity mask, choose Release Opacity Mask from the Transparency panel menu
• Click the right thumbnail (this is the mask) in the Transparency panel, and a black border appears around it, indicating that it’s active
• Move the items on the mask or even create items to be added to the mask
• The mask works just like the regular artboard, except that anything done on the mask side will only be used as an opacity mask
• To work on the regular artboard, click the left thumbnail