3D and Materials

This is a recently updated area in the Illustrator Effects menu. In the past, many of the 3D effects were mostly in Photoshop to create primitive shapes that you could edit. However, Photoshop has been moving many of its 3D features over to the Substance Collection, which I mention briefly in Chapters 13 and 14. Thankfully, many of these Photoshop 3D features are now available as effects in Illustrator, so you can still create 3D type and edit and design basic primitive objects with material graphics and map art. Refer to Figure 11-7.

Because these are complex effects, we will look at it separately in Chapter 13, comparing classic and new features.

Convert to Shape

This effect lets you convert any shape into a rectangle, rounded rectangle, or ellipse. It is similar to the Object ➤ Shape sub-commands. Refer to Figure 11-8.

Choosing one of these shape options brings up the Shape Options dialog box, where you can set the following options:

Size: Absolute or Relative

Add extra width or height to the current shape when set to Relative, and just width and height when set to Absolute. Make sure the preview is enabled so that you can view the changes. Refer to Figure 11-9.

For rounded rectangles, you can also add a corner radius for all sides of the shape, but not separate sides. Ellipses have the same settings as the rectangle and no corner radius option. Refer to Figure 11-10.

As with this effect and all effects following, once you have set your options in the dialog box you can click OK, and the effect is added to the Appearance panel. Refer to Figure 11-11.

Crop Marks

This is a helpful effect if you are adding crop marks for print work to a selected object. However, it does not apply to this book, and there is no additional dialog box. So, it will not be discussed further. Refer to Figure 11-12.

Distort & Transform

Rather than use the Object ➤ Transform commands on some of the objects that you used in Chapter 3, or the Liquify tools that you used in Chapter 5, you can use the Effect ➤ Distort & Transform to keep your settings live. Refer to Figure 11-13.

Free Distort

Similar to working with the Free Transform tool in Chapter 3, this dialog box previews the path and allows you to edit it by dragging on the bounding box handles. Click the Reset button if you need to reset the distort, and click OK to exit. Refer to Figure 11-14.

Pucker & Bloat

For the overall object, this is a better alternative than working with the Liquify tools of Pucker and Bloat. In the Pucker & Bloat dialog box, with the preview enabled, for a Pucker the range is (-200%–0%) and the Bloat is (0%–200%) when you move the slider left or right. Click OK to commit the setting. Refer to Figure 11-15.

I find Pucker & Bloat useful when I am creating parts of flowers for centers or petals, depending on where the slider is set. Refer to Figure 11-16.

Tip

You can further alter the design if you, with your Direct Selection tool, round the star’s corners afterward, and then the Pucker or Bloat updates automatically. Refer to Figure 11-16.

Roughen

For an overall shape, Roughen is a better alternative than working with the Liquify tools of Scallop, Crystalize, and Wrinkle. In the Roughen dialog box, with the preview enabled, set the Size slider (0%–100%). Set to Relative, the star is more distorted; set to Absolute, it has less distortion. Choosing Absolute sets the Size increments to inches (0–1.39 in) or the current increments rather than percents.

For the Detail slider, the range is 0–100/in. For Points, the choices are Smooth and Corner. Click OK to commit the settings. Refer to Figure 11-17.

Here, you can see how using similar settings, but altering whether the Roughen is relative or absolute, can affect the star. Refer to Figure 11-18.

Setting the Points option to Smooth makes them rounded and not as sharp. Refer to Figure 11-19.

Transform

This Transform Effect dialog box is similar to working with the Object ➤ Transform ➤ Transform Each dialog box from Chapter 3, as it lets you choose similar transformation settings, such as the following:

Scale: Horizontal and Vertical from 0% to 200%

Move: Horizontal and Vertical, currently set to inches, and can move in a negative or a positive direction.

Rotate Angle: 0°–360° angles can be positive or negative.

Options: Enable or disable these various settings: Transform Objects, Transform Patterns, Scale Strokes & Effects, Reflect along the X and Y axes, Random movement setting.

You can then set a reference point, and you can create copies as well. Refer to Figure 11-20.

The copies appear as part of the effect, changing slightly based upon the previous transform, and you can see this when the preview is enabled. Refer to Figure 11-20 and Figure 11-21.

Only Scale Corners is not an option in this menu. Click OK to commit your settings. Refer to Figure 11-20.

Tweak

For an overall shape, the Tweak effect is a better alternative than working with the Liquify tools for warp seen in Chapter 5.

In the dialog box, with the preview enabled, you can set the sliders for the Horizontal and Vertical settings, from 0% to 100%, while in the Relative setting. When using the Absolute setting, inches (0–1.39 in) are used, or whatever the document’s current increment setting is. Refer to Figure 11-22.

High Horizontal and Vertical values for relative tweaks such as 100% can create some very abstract effects. Refer to Figure 11-23.

Modify checkbox settings when enabled or disabled for anchor points; “In” Control Points and “Out” Control Points will also alter the tweak. Here is how they affect the star separately while one check box is enabled and the other two are disabled. Refer to Figure 11-24.

By default, they are all enabled. Click OK to commit the settings. Refer to Figure 11-22 and Figure 11-24.

Twist

For an overall shape, this is a better alternative than working with the Liquify tool of Twirl in Chapter 5. In the dialog box, with the preview enabled, the angle by default is set to 0°—or no twist. However, setting a negative angle creates a counterclockwise twist, and a positive angle a clockwise twist. To see the results, make sure to click the Preview option off and on, or click on the up and down arrows to change the angle. While clicking on the arrows in the text box, if you hold down the Shift key, you can move the angle by 10° at a time. Refer to Figure 11-25.

Click OK to commit your settings. Refer to Figure 11-25.

Tip

As mentioned earlier, where you move your effect in the Appearance panel will control whether the fill, stroke, or both fill and stroke are affected by the twist. Refer to Figure 11-26.

Zig Zag

For an overall shape, this is a better alternative than working with the Liquify tools of Scallop, Crystalize, and Wrinkle in Chapter 5. The Zig Zag dialog box, with preview enabled, allows you to set the Size slider to Relative (0%–100%) or Absolute in whatever the document’s current increment setting is—in this case, inches (0 in–1.39 in). Refer to Figure 11-27.

Ridges per segment (0–100): Can set the number of zig zags. Higher settings make tinier, thinner zig zags. However, if the settings are too high, you will lose detail. Refer to Figure 11-28.

Points can be set to Smooth or Corner; a smooth Point setting rounds the edges of the zig zag. Refer to Figure 11-29.

Click OK to commit your settings. Refer to Figure 11-30.

Tip

Try moving the zig-zag effect in the Appearance panel to the stroke or fill for a unique design. Refer to Figure 11-30.

Path

This sub-menu has three options: Offset Path, Outline Object, and Outline Stroke. They are equivalent to the Object ➤ Path options but are now live effects. Refer to Figure 11-31.

In this example, Offset Path previews quite well, and you can set additional settings in the dialog box for Offset; Joins: Miter, Round, and Beveled; and Miter limit: (1–16,000). Refer to Figure 11-32.

However, for the other options of Effect ➤ Path ➤ Outline Object and Outline Stroke there are no additional dialog boxes. These settings are not apparent until later when you choose Object ➤ Expand Appearance and look at the compound path revealed in the Layers panel. Refer to Figure 11-33.

Pathfinder

The Pathfinder effect is similar to the Pathfinder panel, as mentioned in Chapter 2, but less destructive when you apply the effect to two or more selected objects and then go to Object ➤ Group shapes to create a group object. Then you apply the effect. Otherwise, you will see a warning message if you select a single object. Refer to Figure 11-34.

For examples of these, refer to my file pathfinder2.ai.

Some of the names in the list are a bit different than the ones seen in the Pathfinder panel. For example, Add is the equivalent to Unite, and Subtract is equivalent to Minus Front. Refer to Figure 11-34.

Some effects are more visually useful than others, and I prefer Crop, Outline and Minus Back over the options in the Pathfinder panel. However, you will have to use Object ➤ Expand Appearance to see the full effects of Divide, Trim, and Merge. Refer to Figures 11-35 to 11-37 to see a preview the full range of Pathfinder effects, including Hard Mix, Soft Mix and Trap.

And the effect can vary depending on if you are using strokes with the fills, or different colors. Refer to Figure 11-38.

Some additional features found here that are not in the Pathfinder panel include Hard Mix, Soft Mix, and Trap. Refer to Figures 11-36 and 11-37.

Once you apply one of the Pathfinder effects, additional options can be found when you click on the effect in the Appearance panel to reveal the Pathfinder Options dialog box. Refer to Figure 11-39.

These additional settings are, for example, if you change the operation to Soft Mix (Soft Mix Settings: Mixing Ratio) or Trap (Trap Settings), the only settings that you may have to adjust. Additional settings for all pathfinder operations, are found under the Advanced Options: Precision points; Remove Redundant Points; and Divide and Outline Will Remove Unpainted Artwork, but I generally do not touch anything in this dialog box and leave everything at the default settings. Refer to Figure 11-40.

Hard Mix and Soft Mix can produce some interesting color effects to type and grouped objects, similar to blending modes, and if you want to know more about these Pathfinder settings make sure to review my file and this link: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/combining-objects.html.

Refer to Figure 11-41.

Once you exit the dialog box, click OK or Cancel. Refer to Figure 11-40.

Rasterize

You can use the Rasterize effect on a patterned shape to see how it would look if it were rasterized at a set resolution. This is equivalent to Object ➤ Rasterize, which we talked about briefly when working with complex Library Capture patterns in Chapter 7. But this time it is an effect, and that effect is not permanent. Refer to Figure 11-42.

You can set additional settings for the color models CMYK, Grayscale, and Bitmap.

Resolution: Screen 72 ppi, Medium (150 ppi), High (300 ppi), and Use Document Raster Effects Resolution, which is found near the top of the Effect menu. Or set your own custom resolution to create a more pixilated effect. Refer to Figure 11-43.

The background can be set to White or Transparent. Refer to Figure 11-42.

Additional options include Anti-aliasing: None, Art Optimized (Supersampling), or Type Optimized (Hinted). These settings can affect the quality of the art or type. Refer to Figure 11-44.

You can create a clipping mask and add some white space around the object. The white space will be visible if you disabled Create Clipping Mask. This will not be completely apparent unless you use Object ➤ Expand Appearance.

Click OK to confirm settings or Cancel to exit the dialog box. Refer to Figure 11-42.

Stylize

While many of the options in this part of the effects menu are similar to Photoshop layer styles, it can sometimes be a bit confusing to know what some equivalents are when you want to create the same effect in Illustrator, as the dialog boxes are separate and different in their layout. Refer to Figure 11-45.

Drop Shadow

This effect allows you to apply a drop shadow to a selected object. You can set blending modes, which are the same modes as in Chapter 8 and are found in the Transparency panel. Refer to Figure 11-46.

Additionally, you can set the Opacity (0%–100%), X Offset, Y Offset, and Level of Blur options, and select whether to use a color for the shadow from the color picker or based on darkness (0%–100%). In this case, the star’s current stroke color and fill colors are reflected onto the Artboard. Refer to Figure 11-47.

Click OK to commit your settings and exit the dialog box. Refer to Figure 11-46.

Feather

You can brighten and fade or blur out areas of a selected object. As you adjust the radius setting, keep in mind that too high a number will cause details to disappear completely and the star, in this case, will turn white. Too low, and there will be no feathering. Refer to Figure 11-48.

Click OK to commit your settings and exit the dialog box. Refer to Figure 11-48.

Inner Glow

This effect allows you to apply an inner glow to a selected object. You can set blending modes, which are the same mode options as in Chapter 8 and are found in the Transparency panel. You can set a color to the mode using the color picker. Refer to Figure 11-49.

Additionally, you can set the Opacity (0%–100%) and Level of Blur options, and whether the blur should come from the center or the edge. Refer to Figure 11-50.

Tip

Use the Inner Glow dialog box when you want to create an inner shadow, as there is no specific effect for this, but set the mode to Multiply and color to Black rather than Screen mode and Color: White. Refer to Figure 11-51.

Click OK to commit your settings and exit the dialog box. Refer to Figure 11-51.

Outer Glow

This effect has the same settings as Inner Glow except that the glow is now on the outside of the selected object. You can set blending modes, which are the same options as in Chapter 8 and are found in the Transparency panel. To the mode you can set a color, using the color picker. Refer to Figure 11-52.

Additionally, you can set the Opacity (0%–100%) and Level of Blur options.

Click OK to commit your settings and exit the dialog box. Refer to Figure 11-52.

Round Corners

This is similar to rounding corners with the Live Corner widgets. Round the corners by adjusting the radius and click OK to commit the setting. Refer to Figure 11-53.

Scribble

This creates a scribble-like drawing effect. I like these settings a lot when I want to create childlike drawings or thread-like effects. Make sure that preview is enabled so that you can see the changes. Refer to Figure 11-54.

In the Scribble Options dialog box, you can use the default setting or choose other presets from the list. Refer to Figure 11-55.

These choices then affect the following options. For example, try a setting of Snarl. Refer to Figure 11-56.

To create a custom setting, you can alter the angle (0°–360°). The angle can be negative or positive.

Path Overlap moves the slider from Centered (0) to Inside (-13.89 in–0 in) or Outside (0 in – 13.89 in).

Set the Variation slider from None to Wide (0 in–13.89 in).

Set the Line Options: Stroke Width (0 in–13.89 in).

Change Curviness setting from Angular to Loopy (0%–100%) and Variation from None to Wide (0%–100%).

Change Spacing from Tight to Loose (0 in–13.89 in) and its Variation from None to Wide (0 in–13.89 in). Refer to Figure 11-56.

I find working with one of the Settings: Presets is best, and then I make slight tweaks to the settings afterward. Refer to Figure 11-57.

Click OK to commit the settings and exit the dialog box. Refer to Figure 11-57.

SVG Filters (Scalable Vector Graphics)

Many of these filters can be used one at a time but have no additional dialog box settings that you can see at first, so as a beginner you must use them at their default settings. SVG is ideal if you plan to build SVG graphics for the web that you want to scale for viewers with different screen sizes and resolutions. These kinds of filters can be scaled for the web and still retain quality. See https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/svg.html.

However, they can be used in any AI file, even if you are not planning to use them for a website.

Refer to Figure 11-58.

To apply an SVG filter, first select your object with the Selection tool and then, rather than select one filter from the list, choose the option Apply SVG Filter. In this case, I am using AI_Alpha_1. I can then click on the next filter in the list and eventually preview them all. Refer to Figure 11-59.

To edit, you must understand SVG coding, and to access that coding you need to, in this case, click on the FX button while the filter is selected. Refer to Figure 11-59.

This will bring up an Edit SVG Filter dialog box where, if you know how to code, you can enter your own settings. Refer to Figure 11-60.

In this case, just click Cancel to exit.

Likewise, advanced users can use the Apply SVG Filter dialog box to add custom SVG coding or remove older filters that they create. However, be sure that they are created filters—don’t remove the default ones created by Illustrator. Refer to Figure 11-61.

When you have selected the filter you want, click OK to commit. Refer to Figure 11-61.

You can also import additional SVG filters that other users have created, and these can be accessed from files on your desktop.

Later in the chapter, I will show you where in the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop you can look to find additional effects.

Warp

The final Illustrator effects in the Effects panel you should already be familiar with, as we saw them used on objects and text in Chapters 9 and 10 with Object ➤ Envelope Distort ➤ Make with Warp. Refer to Figure 11-62.

In this case, when an object or text is selected and one of the Warp effects is applied from the list or dialog box, there is no real difference other than that the effects are live and you do not have to rely on an envelope mesh to create the distortion. You could try this as an alternative to warping the text on the clown poster in Chapter 10.

However, because they are not an envelope, you will not see the options in the Control panel, and you will instead need to access them using the Appearance panel and click on the name to edit. I used in this example the style of Twist. Refer to Figure 11-63.

In this case, it is important that you do not use the warp option twice. You should click on the effect name in the Appearance panel to edit rather than choose Effect ➤ Warp ➤ Twist again, or you might get the following warning message. In this case, you could apply the effect again or just return to the Appearance panel and click or double-click on the effect to edit. Refer to Figure 11-64.

If you do, by accident, apply the effect twice, just select one in the Appearance panel and click on the Trashcan icon, Delete Selected Item, to remove it. Refer to Figure 11-65.

Applying Effects Again

In other situations, you may want to apply effects again.

As you apply different effects, you can apply them again right away by using the Apply Free Distort option to set it automatically (Shift + Ctrl/CMD + E) or by entering the dialog box first (Alt/Option + Shift + Ctrl/CMD + E). Refer to Figure 11-66.

Applying Different Multiple Effects and Editing Objects

You can apply different effects to enhance the look of your current Illustrator effect. I tried a Pucker & Bloat and a Drop Shadow effect. Refer to Figure 11-67.

Afterward, you can use the Selection tool to scale and rotate the objects you applied the live effects to, and they will update as well. Refer to Figure 11-68.

Remember, any of these effects can be expanded afterward when the object is selected and you choose Object ➤ Expand Appearance. In this example, it becomes a grouped object, and the shadow becomes an embedded pixelated image, as seen in the Links panel. Refer to Figure 11-69.

You can use Edit ➤ Undo right away if you want the effect to remain live.

Effect Gallery

Choosing any effects from these menus will open the filter gallery.

Though not required for this book, on your own you can explore the Photoshop Filter Gallery Workspace, which is under Filter ➤ Filter Gallery. Similar filter effects can be applied to a photographic image with that filter gallery. In this chapter, if you want an Illustrator example to look at, and use with the Filter Gallery, then open my file marbles.ai. Save a copy of the file if you want to practice. Refer to Figure 11-73.

With the Selection tool, select one of the grouped marble objects. In this case, I selected the red marble grouped object. Refer to Figure 11-74.

Then go to Effect ➤ Effect Gallery. This opens the Workspace. If you have worked in Photoshop previously, then much of what I point out here will be familiar to you already. However, here the effect is not being applied to the whole image, only to the selected part of the image—the red marble and its shadow, which you see currently in the preview. You can see the transparent areas through the object as checkered squares. Refer to Figure 11-75.

I will give a brief tour and show some basic examples.

On the lower left is the preview, and below that is the navigation. Refer to Figure 11-76.

For additional navigation, use the Hand tool to drag your image about on the preview stage. Hold down the Ctrl/CMD key and click to zoom in. Hold down the Alt/Option key and click if you need to zoom out to see the whole image. The key combinations of Ctrl/CMD + + and Ctrl/CMD + - and Ctrl/CMD + 0 (Full Screen) will work as well.

In the middle section are six folders: Artistic, Brush Strokes, Distort, Sketch, Stylize, and Texture. We will look at those in a moment. Refer to Figure 11-77.

If you need to hide these folders for more room, click on the double arrow in the corner, and then click on it again to show the folders. In this case, you want to see all the folders.

Now, let’s look at some examples in each of the folders.

Artistic Effects

If you un-collapse the folder there are 15 different Artistic effects available. Take a moment to explore each effect and adjust sliders and menus. Refer to Figure 11-78.

Selecting one will allow you to see the options on the right that you can use to adjust the effect. I am selecting Colored Pencil. Refer to Figure 11-79.

Settings that are available are Pencil Width (1–24), Stroke Pressure (0–15), and Paper Brightness (0–50). Because most of the marble was red, this color was the dominant color that remained for the colored pencil effect, along with a neutral gray. Moving the sliders produces different results. Refer to Figure 11-80.

Here, we can see how Cutout and Neon Glow can produce similar effects, but with different sliders. Refer to Figure 11-81.

In the case of Neon Glow, however, you can change the glow color from the Workspace using the Color Picker.

Some give more painterly and blurry effects, softening features, such as Dry Brush, Paint Daubs, Palette Knife, and Smudge Stick. Paint Daubs allows you to change the brush type. Refer to Figure 11-82.

Fresco, Poster Edges, and Watercolor, while not distorts, can sharpen or darken and make an image stand out. Refer to Figure 11-83.

Film Grain, Rough Pastels, Sponge, and Underpainting can overlay a more textured effect. Refer to Figure 11-84 and Figure 11-85.

In this section, Plastic Wrap gives the best example of a warp, as though parts of the marble are wrapped in plastic. This is based on the settings of Highlight Strength (0–20), Detail (1–15), and Smoothness (1–15). Refer to Figure 11-86.

Note

Underpainting and Rough Pastels allow you to not only change the texture but also upload a texture as seen in Photoshop. This custom texture is a grayscale (.psd) file and is often used as a repeating pattern. While not required for this book, if you would like to review how the pattern could be created and used, review Perspective Warps and Distorts with Adobe Tools: Volume 1. In this case, I have supplied a texture file called Pattern4_Texture_r2, which you can locate and load via the texture menu. Refer to Figure 11-87.

Brush Strokes Effects

If you un-collapse the folder, there are eight different Brush Strokes effects available. Take a moment to explore each effect and adjust sliders and menus. Refer to Figure 11-88.

Angled Strokes, Crosshatch, Spatter, and Sprayed Strokes can give unusual blurs and jaggedness. Refer to Figure 11-89 and Figure 11-90.

Accented Edges and Ink Outlines can define corners and edges very distinctly. Refer to Figure 11-91.

Dark Strokes and Sumi-e can blur and darken an image. Refer to Figure 11-92.

Distort Effects

If you un-collapse the folder there are three different Distort Effects available. Take a moment to explore each effect and adjust sliders and menus. Refer to Figure 11-93.

Diffuse Glow can be used to blur or make grainy an image by setting the Graininess level to a value between 0 and 10. Refer to Figure 11-94.

The Glow Amount (0–20) sets how much white or black is added to the image and is based on the current colors in the image, and Clear Amount (0–20) will also set the amount of whiteness. Note: Unlike in Photoshop, there are no foreground or background colors; only fills and strokes of the current object or path set the color.

Glass is in some ways like the Spatter brush stroke, but with more rounded contours to resemble older glass with a mottled appearance. Refer to Figure 11-95.

You can set the sliders: For Distortion (0–20), the higher the distortion the less visible the image is. Then for Smoothness (1–15), the higher the smoothness the less textured it is. Refer to Figure 11-95.

For actual Texture, you can use the preset textures of Blocks, Canvas, Frosted, and Tiny Lens. In the previous figure you are looking at Frosted. Each texture creates a unique distortion. Refer to Figure 11-96.

Likewise, you can also load a custom grayscale (.psd) texture.

Next, you can set the Glass Filter Scaling (50%–200%) and invert the glass reflections when the checkbox is enabled, which affects the texture. Refer to Figure 11-97.

Ocean Ripple is similar to Glass and Spatter. However, it gives more of a water effect, and it lets you set the Ripple Size (1–15) and Ripple Magnitude (0–20). Refer to Figure 11-98.

Sketch Effects

If you un-collapse the folder, there are 14 different Sketch Effects available. Take a moment to explore each effect and adjust sliders and menus. Refer to Figure 11-99.

This folder is more for creating black-and-white sketch images.

Bas Relief, Photocopy, and Plaster create more of an embossed effect. Refer to Figure 11-100.

Chalk & Charcoal or just Charcoal create more of a smeared or hand-drawn texture. Refer to Figure 11-101.

Other filters that create a textured effect include Graphic Pen, Halftone Pattern (dot, line, and circle), Note Paper, and Reticulation. Refer to Figure 11-102 and Figure 11-103.

Cont^e Crayon, or Conté, also allows you to adjust foreground and background levels, alter or add custom textures, and adjust lighting settings. Refer to Figure 11-104.

Chrome, like Plastic Wrap in the Artistic folder, gives, a shinier appearance and is great for creating twisted metal effects. You can adjust the Detail (0–10) and Smoothness sliders (0–10). Altering the settings can make the chrome appear more liquid. Refer to Figure 11-105.

Stamp and Torn Edges create images that are either black or white with no major grayscale blend except in transparent areas. Refer to Figure 11-106.

Water Paper is the only color filter in this folder and is good for creating a fibrous blurred watercolor effect. Refer to Figure 11-107.

Note

Unlike in Photoshop, these color options are not controlled by the current foreground and background colors, as there are only stroke and fill available in the Toolbars panel. In this case, grayscale options are your only choice, and then you can edit your appearance later with additional fills.

Stylize Effect

If you un-collapse the folder, there is one Stylize effect available: Glowing Edges. With the sliders, you can set the Edge Width (1–14), Edge Brightness (0–20), and Smoothness (1–15). Refer to Figure 11-108.

Texture Effect

If you un-collapse the folder, there are six different Distort effects available. Take a moment to explore each effect and adjust sliders and menus. They are Craquelure, Grain, Mosaic Tiles, Patchwork (square tiles), Stained Glass, and Texturizer. Refer to Figure 11-109, Figure 11-110, and Figure 11-111.

Stained Glass: Though it does not have any extra options for texture, it is interesting as it does let you create an almost organic, cell-like structure. Use the sliders to adjust Cell Size (2–50) and Border Thickness (1–20). The border color is the current dominant gray in the image. Light Intensity (0–10) is radial from the center of the object. Refer to Figure 11-111.

For Texturizer, you can load a custom grayscale (.psd) texture as well. As mentioned in an earlier note, refer to Figure 11-87, if interested in working with a custom texture grayscale image, you can add it to the Effect Gallery. If this is something you want to try, you can use the file Pattern4_Texture_r2.psd to test and then use the Texturizer menu to locate and load the texture. Refer to Figure 11-111.

Choose an Effect

Once you have chosen an effect you like, either from the menu or the list, you can see it in the lower area below the effect settings. You can turn the eye visibility on and off to preview the effect. In this case, I added Plastic Wrap after I located it in the list. Refer to Figure 11-112.

Note

However, unlike Photoshop, you cannot add multiple effects together in the Effect Gallery, and the Add Effect and Delete Effect buttons are unavailable. This is the same for when you work with an embedded image in Illustrator. Refer to Figure 11-112.

Once you are finished with an effect setting, click OK to commit the effect and exit the dialog box. Refer to Figure 11-113.

The effect is then added to the object and can be found in the Appearance panel when the object is selected. Refer to Figure 11-114.

Use the Appearance Panel to Edit Effects

If I want to edit the effect, I can click on its name in the Appearance panel to enter the Effect Gallery again. However, if I want to add another effect, I can either go to the Effect menu or from the Appearance panel dropdown list select another effect. I can then click on the Effect Gallery again, add another effect from the gallery, and click OK. Refer to Figure 11-115.

This effect is then added to the Appearance panel. In this case, I added Watercolor. Refer to Figure 11-116.

In the Appearance panel, you now have the two effects.

You can reorder the effects in the Appearance panel by dragging one over the other. This changes the appearance slightly or dramatically. Refer to Figure 11-117.

If you don’t like the change, you can Edit ➤ Undo (Ctrl/CMD + Z) that step or use the History panel or drag the effect back to the order you like. Refer to Figure 11-118.

If you do not like an effect, you can select it and then click on the Delete Selected Item button. Refer to Figure 11-119.

Use Edit ➤ Undo to undo that last step.

To duplicate an effect, while it is selected you can choose Duplicate Selected Item. This will enhance the effect. Refer to Figure 11-120.

Or, if you need to clear the appearance entirely of all the effects, then choose Clear Appearance. Refer to Figure 11-121.

In this case, I just kept my Plastic Wrap and Watercolor effects for the selected marble, as seen in the Appearance panel. Use Edit ➤ Undo if you need to go back a step. Refer to Figure 11-122.

I will show examples of some of these effects again in the upcoming project.

Blur, Pixelate, and Video Effects

Outside of the gallery are a few additional effects that can also be found in Photoshop Effects. These are the menus for Blur, Pixelate, and Video.

Blur Effects

There are three blurs available: Gaussian, Radial, and Smart. Refer to Figure 11-125.

When an object is selected with the Selection tool, you can try any of these blurs. I tested the blurs with the blue marble. Refer to Figure 11-126.

Gaussian Blur

With the preview enabled for Gaussian Blur, set the Radius slider between 0.1 and 250 pixels. You can fade out the object and make it look out of focus. Refer to Figure 11-127.

However, don’t set the radius too high as you may end up with a fuzzy rectangle border edge. Refer to Figure 11-128.

Click OK if you want to commit the settings or Cancel to exit and try another effect. Refer to Figure 11-127.

Radial Blur

This dialog box lets you create a radial blur. Unfortunately, it does not have a Preview setting, but you can use the Appearance panel to enter the dialog box again if you need to adjust a setting. Refer to Figure 11-129.

In the dialog box you can set the following:

Amount (1–100).

Blur Method: Spin or Zoom. Refer to Figure 11-130.

Quality: Draft, Good, or Best. Best will take longer to process and is similar to Good, which is the default.

You can also set the blur center for Spin or Zoom by dragging the point to a new location. Just make sure to check, once you exit the dialog box, that you don’t end up with a blurred cube, as you may have to adjust the blur center a few times. Refer to Figure 11-131.

To reset your center before you click OK, hold down the Alt/Option key to change the Cancel button to Reset, and click to reset the blur center. Refer to Figure 11-132.

Click OK to commit your settings and exit the dialog box, or Cancel without committing the change. Refer to Figure 11-132.

Smart Blur

In the dialog box, you can use the preview window to navigate around your object and zoom in and out. You can preview as you drag the hand over the image to see the original image, and then release to see the change with the new settings. Refer to Figure 11-133.

You can then set the Radius (0.1–100), Threshold (0.1–100), Quality (Low, Medium, High), and Mode (Normal, Edge Only, Overlay Edge).

For a blur on some areas, I set the Radius to 6.1, Threshold to 100, and Quality to Medium, left Mode at Normal, and then clicked OK. A subtle blur is now added to the marble. Refer to Figure 11-134.

Pixelate Effects

The last set of effects that I will be discussing are the Pixelate ones: Color Halftone, Crystallize, Mezzotint, and Pointillize. Refer to Figure 11-135.

Select the yellow marble this time with the Selection tool, and try the next four effects on it. Remember: If you want to remove an effect, you can use the Appearance panel and the Delete Selected Item button. Refer to Figure 11-136.

Color Halftone

Similar to using the Sketch Effects ➤ Halftone Pattern in the Effect Gallery, this creates an effect that appears like colorful halftone dots, similar to what you would see if you looked up close at some printed material. As there is no preview, it requires that you enter the settings first and then click OK to exit. Then use the Appearance panel if the settings are not right, and click on the name to update in the dialog box. Refer to Figure 11-137.

To test, leave your Max. Radius setting at 8 pixels and the Screen Angles (Degrees) at Channel 1: 108, Channel 2: 162, Channel 3: 90, and Channel 4: 45, and click OK. This kind of design could be used for a comic book illustration. Refer to Figure 11-137.

Crystallize

Similar to working with Texture ➤ Stain Glass in the Effect Gallery, you can use the preview to see the Cell Size settings on the image (3–300). Hold down your cursor in the navigation area and move the image, and then release if you want to see a before-and-after preview of the effect. Refer to Figure 11-138.

Click OK to commit the settings, or Cancel to exit. Refer to Figure 11-138.

Mezzotint

The dialog box allows you to preview a type of various dots, lines, and strokes that are displayed on the object in the navigation area. You can drag over the area with the cursor and release to see a before-and-after preview. Refer to Figure 11-139.

Click OK if you have chosen a type, or Cancel to exit. Refer to Figure 11-139.

Pointillize

Similar to working with Texture ➤ Stain Glass in the Effect Gallery, you can use the preview to see the Cell Size settings on the image (3–300). The dots in this case are more rounded. Hold down your cursor in the navigation area and move the image, and then release if you want to see a before-and-after preview of the effect. Refer to Figure 11-140.

Click OK to commit the settings or Cancel to exit.

Tip

If you are looking for another mosaic-like effect to try on your embedded images, try Object ➤ Create Object Mosaic. Here is a link to information on that topic:https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/creating-sketches-mosaics.html

You can see how I used the similar effects of Plastic Wrap and Watercolor on all three marbles in my file marbles_final.ai.

I could do that quickly once I stored the effect as a Graphic Style, which we will learn how to do next. Refer to Figure 11-141.

Save any of your open projects at this point.

Adding Graphic Styles to Type, Including Gradients

Earlier, in Chapters 9 and 10, I mentioned that you could not add a gradient to type directly without creating outlines. However, there is a way to get around this—and keep the type live—with graphic styles.

If you want to view how a graphic style will appear on type, then in the menu switch from Use Square for Preview to Use Text for Preview. Refer to Figure 11-157.

You can then select the text that you want to apply the graphic style to. In this case a gradient was applied to the type fill via the Appearance panel.

By default, it is set to Use Square for Preview. Refer to Figure 11-159.

For additional information on graphic styles, see https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/graphic-styles.html.

Graphic Styles and Symbols

Once you have created your graphic styles and applied them to your objects and paths, you can add them to your Symbols panel, as you saw in Chapter 6. Refer to Figure 11-160.

Also, in the Graphic Styles panel and Symbols panel, you can store your freeform gradient as well as linear and radial gradients with their custom-set angles and aspect ratios.

How Can You Apply Effects to Symbols as Well?

A graphic style can also be applied to a symbol instance when you select it and click on a graphic style. However, keep in mind that not all effects will apply in the way that you might expect. Refer to Figure 11-161.

Sometimes, choosing a simpler graphic style is best, and then view it in the Appearance panel. Refer to Figure 11-162.

We will look at this in more detail in Chapter 12.

Note

Keep in mind that, as in Chapter 6 when you worked with the Blend tool, with some complicated group objects with multiple gradients and effects you should work on a copy of the object to avoid some errors. Use Object ➤ Expand Appearance first.

You can view some of these graphics in my file graphic_style_final.ai.