Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Now use your drawing and editing tools to create your mask. (For instance, if you
create an object filled with a gradient, you'll see your artwork through the dark areas
of the gradient.) While the <Opacity Mask> thumbnail is selected, you won't be able
to select or edit anything else in your document. You're in another type of isolation
mode. To exit this mask-editing mode, you must click the artwork thumbnail on the
right in the Transparency panel.
When you click the opacity mask thumbnail in the Transparency
panel, the Layers panel displays only the ob-
jects within the opacity mask, and is indicat-
ed by the Layers panel tab name; try to keep
the Layers, Transparency, and Appearance
panels open when editing opacity masks
A few hints can help you with opacity masks. First, opacity masks are converted to
grayscale, behind the scenes, when a mask is created (even though the opacity mask
thumbnail still appears in color). The gray values between white and black simply
determine how opaque or transparent the masked object is—light areas of the mask
will be more opaque, and dark areas will be more transparent. In addition, if you
select Invert Mask, you'll reverse the effect of dark and light values on the opacity—
dark areas of the mask will be more opaque, and light areas will be more transparent.
To identify which elements have been masked by an opacity mask, look for the
dashed underline in the Layers panel.
The link icon in the Transparency panel indicates that the position of the opacity
mask stays associated with the position of the object, group, or layer it is masking.
Unlinking allows you to move the artwork without moving the mask. The content of
the mask can be selected and edited just like any other object. You can transform or
apply a blending mode and/or an opacity percentage to each individual object within
the mask.
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