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Using the Pen & Ink filters


    The Pen & Ink > Hatch Effects filter creates textured gradations, such as cross-hatching, and irregular random textures, such as wood grains, that you can apply to artwork to simulate the look of an ink pen drawing. A similar tool, called the Photo Crosshatch filter, can convert a bitmap photographic image into a series of hatched layers, so that it appears to be sketched by an ink pen. (See Using the Photo Crosshatch filter.)

    The Hatch Effects filter converts a selected object into a mask and then draws lines or shapes behind it. The shapes created by the Hatch Effects filter are objects and can require significant program memory. Thus, consider applying Pen & Ink effects as the last step in creating your artwork: Make the entire drawing and paint it as desired. Then apply the hatch effects.

    The hatch (or hatch style) is the design element of the Hatch Effects filter. The particular options associated with a hatch are called hatch settings. You can select from hatch settings supplied with the Adobe Illustrator program by using the Hatch Effects dialog box. You can also create your own hatched designs by drawing or selecting an object, naming it as a hatch in the New Hatch dialog box, and then applying it to artwork by using the Hatch Effects dialog box. Try experimenting with applying different hatches to your artwork before creating your own.

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