Adobe ILLUSTRATOR 10 Using Manual page 133

Adobe Illustrator Help
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Blending shapes
The Adobe Illustrator blend tool and the Make Blend command let you create a series of
intermediate objects and colors between two or more selected objects. You can blend
between two open paths (such as two different lines), between two closed paths (such as
a circle and a square), between gradients, or between other blends. Depending on the
way you paint the objects you are blending, you can produce airbrush effects such as
complex shading, highlighting, and contouring. The Blend filters can also be used to blend
colors between filled objects.
You can edit blends that you created by moving, resizing, deleting, or adding objects.
After you make editing changes, the artwork is automatically reblended.
About blending
One of the simplest uses for blending is to create and distribute shapes evenly between
two objects. For example, you can create a series of evenly spaced bars using the blend
tool or the Make Blend command.
Two objects selected using the blend tool
Blending distributes shapes evenly
You can also blend between two open paths to create a smooth transition between
objects, or you can combine blends of colors and objects to create color transitions in the
shape of a particular object.
The following rules apply to blending shapes and their associated colors:
You can blend between an unlimited number of objects, colors, opacities, or gradients.
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Blends can be directly edited with tools such as the selection tools, the rotate tool, or
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the scale tool.
A straight path is created between blended objects when the blend is first applied. You
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can edit the blend path by dragging anchor points and path segments. (See
path segments" on page
You cannot blend between mesh objects.
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If you blend between one object painted with a process color and another object
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painted with a spot color, the blended shapes are painted with a blended process color.
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