MACROMEDIA FREEHAND MX 11, Use Manual

Page: 204 / 412

Chapter 7 204
Using a Transparency effect attribute
Transparency effects allow a fill or stroke (or parts of a fill or stoke) to appear clear or semi-
opaque. Basic Transparency allows an entire shape to appear at the same level of transparency.
Feather transparency allows the edges of a shape to fade out. Gradient Mask transparency defines
transparency using any of the gradients available in FreeHand, where the darkness of the colors in
the gradient determine the degree of transparency. White produces 100% transparency, and black
produces 100% opacity. Any colors on the gradient ramp are converted to their grayscale
equivalents.
Left to right: Basic transparency, Feather transparency, and Gradient Mask transparency
To apply a Basic Transparency attribute to a selected effect in the Object panel:
1
Select Transparency > Basic Transparency in the effect type pop-up menu.
2
Enter a value to determine the degree of transparency. Higher values produce greater
transparency.
To apply a Feather transparency attribute to a selected effect in the Object panel:
1
Select Transparency > Feather in the effect type pop-up menu.
2
Modify the attributes of the effect:
•
For Radius, enter a value to determine how far inside the perimeter of the shape to feather.
•
For Softness, enter a value to define the edges of the feather without affecting its width. High
settings produce a softer edge, and low settings produce a more crisp effect.
To apply a Gradient Mask transparency attribute to a selected effect in the Object panel:
1
Select Transparency > Gradient Mask in the effect type pop-up menu.
2
Modify the attributes of the gradient in the same way you edit gradient fills. For more
information, see “Using gradient fill attributes” on page 179.