Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Editing pattern swatches without PEM
You can still edit your swatches conventionally outside of PEM; simply drag the
pattern swatch onto the art-board and make whatever changes you like there. Edit
the objects inside the main group, use Recolor Artwork, transform the scale of the
pattern swatch, or add, remove, or reshape individual objects after selecting them
with the Direct Selection tool. To make this tile back into a pattern, select the swatch
with the Selection tool and drag it back into the Swatches panel. To replace a swatch,
hold down the Option/Alt key as you drag a new swatch over an existing one.
Recoloring your patterns?
You've made a lovely pattern, but now you want to create color variations. Rather
than just selecting individual objects within a pattern and assigning new colors, enter
Recolor Artwork and apply custom color groups, or try to randomly rearrange color
assignments! See the “ Recolor a Pattern ” lesson in the Color Transitions chapter for
details on how to work with Re-color Artwork while in PEM.
TRANSPARENCY
Although the artboard may look white, Illustrator treats it as transparent. To visually
distinguish the transparent areas from the non-transparent ones, choose View>
Show Transparency Grid. Change the size and colors of the transparency grid in the
File> Document Setup dialog. You can enable Simulate Colored Paper in the same
dialog, if you'll be printing on a colored stock. Click on the top swatch next to Grid
Size to open the color picker and select a “paper” color. Both Transparency Grid and
paper color are non-printing attributes that are only visible in on-screen preview
once you click OK to exit the dialog.
The term transparency r efers to any blendi ng mode other than Normal and to any
opacity setting that is less than 100%. Opacity masks and effects such as Feather or
Drop Shadow use these settings as well. As a result, when you apply opacity masks or
certain effects, you're using Illustrator's transparency features.
Opacity and blending modes
To reduce opacity, select or target an object, layer, or group in the Layers panel, then
choose a blending mode or reduce the Opacity slider in the Transparency panel. You
can also reveal Transparency panel controls for a selected object by clicking Opacit y
in the Appearance or Control panels. As it's called “Opacity” (and not
Transparency ”), an object or group is completely opaque when Opacity is 100%, and
invisible when Opacity is 0%.
Blending modes control how the colors of objects, groups, or layers interact with one
another. Blending modes will yield different results in RGB and CMYK. As in
Photoshop, the blending modes show no effect when they're over the transparent
artboard. To see the effect of blending modes, you need to add a color-filled or white-
filled element behind your transparent object or group.
OPACITY MASKS
With an opacity mask, you can use the dark and light areas of one object (the mask)
to mark transparent areas of other objects. Black areas of the mask will create
t ransparent are as in the artwork it masks; white areas of the mask leave
corresponding areas of the artwork opaque and visible; and gray values create a
range of transparency. (This works exactly like Photoshop layer masks .)
To create an opacity mask, position one object or group you want to use as the mask
in front of the artwork you want to mask. Select both the artwork and the masking
object. (To mask a layer, first target the layer in the Layers panel.) Finally, click on
Make Mask in the Transparency panel. The topmost object or group automatically
becomes the opacity mask.
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