Transparency Effects in Illustrator (Part 1)

As you may know, recently the stock agency iStockphoto has started accepting vector illustrations in AI and EPS 10.0 formats. This opens up new opportunities for illustrators, one of which is the use of transparency effects. That’s what we’ll discuss next.

Most of us are accustomed to working with the features provided by AI 8.0, so getting used to the AI 10.0 format may take some time. For example, many of us have forgotten what transparency is and how to use it.

To reacquaint you with some cool transparency effects, we wrote this article.

Transparent Objects in Illustrator

Anyone who has had to split objects into parts to create a fake transparency effect will be pleased to know that you can now use real transparency when creating vector files.

First, let’s take a look at the “Transparency” palette in Illustrator. You can find it under Window > Transparency or by pressing Shift+Command+F10.

To make a shape transparent, draw several objects on the artboard and overlap them. In our example, we used simple circles.

Select both outlines and in the “Transparency” palette, reduce the “Opacity” percentage. You’ll see your shapes become translucent.

The palette also has a dropdown menu that allows you to apply various transparency effects to your shapes, such as “Multiply,” “Overlay,” “Screen,” etc.

Check how each transparency effect works and imagine how you can use it in your projects. Here are a few examples; pay attention to the areas where the shapes overlap to notice the differences.

Pros: In AI 8.0, to achieve a similar transparency effect, you would have to create three different objects: one for each circle plus a separate outline simulating transparency. The more complex the shape, the harder it would be to make changes to the file afterward.

Cons: Transparencies can be risky when printing, as not all software supports them. However, you can always reduce printing risks by converting transparency to spot colors in any suitable program, such as Corel.

Shadows in Illustrator

Haven’t you struggled with using blends and meshes to simulate a shadow in AI 8.0? Well, you won’t have to do that anymore. Now you can use the built-in “Drop Shadow” effect in Illustrator to add depth to your work! Here’s how.

Draw a shape. We used a circle again. Select it and then go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow. This opens the “Drop Shadow” menu.

If you want to see the effect you’re achieving, check the “Preview” box on the right. From here, just watch what you’re doing until you achieve the desired effect.

You can change the shadow color, how far it will be from the object, how dark it will be, and how sharp it will be. And unlike AI 8.0, working on this will take only a few seconds.

Pros: The shadow effect is transparent and will be visible on any colored background, just as it is on plain white.

Cons: The shadow effect cannot be edited in any program other than Illustrator. It will be converted to a rasterized form, while all other objects in the vector file will remain editable. Also, blending gradients and shadows can lead to significant technical issues, so for maximum compatibility, it’s advisable to use shadows only on solid colors.

Continued on transparency effects…