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ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2
User Guide
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To adjust the endpoints of the gradient’s color stops, drag the leftmost or rightmost gradient stop below the
gradient slider.
Once you create or modify a gradient, save it as a swatch by clicking the New Swatch button in the Swatches palette.
Alternatively, drag the gradient from the Gradient palette or toolbox to the Swatches palette.
See also
“About the Gradient palette” on page 251
“Printing gradients, meshes, and color blends” on page 481
About mesh objects
A
mesh object
is a multicolored object on which colors can flow in different directions and transition smoothly from
one point to another. When you create a mesh object, multiple lines called
mesh lines
crisscross the object and
provide a way to easily manipulate color transitions on the object. By moving and editing points on the mesh lines,
you can change the intensity of a color shift, or change the extent of a colored area on the object.
At the intersection of two mesh lines is a special kind of anchor point called a
mesh point
. Mesh points appear as
diamonds and have all of the same properties as anchor points but with the added capability of accepting color. You
can add and delete mesh points, edit the mesh points, or change the color associated with each mesh point.
Anchor points
also appear in the mesh (differentiated by their square rather than diamond shape), and can be added,
deleted, edited, and moved as with any anchor points in Illustrator. Anchor points can be placed on any mesh line;
you can click an anchor point and drag its direction lines to modify it.
The area between any four mesh points is called the
mesh patch
. You can also change the color of the mesh patch
using the same techniques as changing colors on a mesh point.
B
A
C
D
Diagram of a mesh object
A.
Mesh line
B.
Mesh patch
C.
Mesh point
D.
Anchor point
To create mesh objects
You can create mesh objects from vector objects, with the exception of compound paths and text objects. You cannot
create mesh objects from imported images.
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To create a mesh object with an irregular pattern of mesh points, select the Mesh tool
, and select a fill color
for the mesh points. Then click where you want to position the first mesh point. The object is converted to a mesh
object with the minimum number of mesh lines. Continue clicking to add additional mesh points. Shift-click to
add a mesh point without changing to the current fill color.
Note:
If you assign a spot color to a mesh point, Illustrator will convert the color to a process color when printing separa
tions.