Creating blends
You create blends in Illustrator by clicking objects with the blend tool, or by selecting objects with a selection tool and using the Blend commands. Original objects before blending Multiple objects are clicked sequentially with the blend tool Objects are blended relative to selected anchor points on each blended object. If the objects are unselected, or if you have only one anchor point selected, Illustrator automatically selects the two points from which the blend commences and finishes. You can also select two or more anchor points from which to blend by clicking anchor points with the blend tool. By selecting different anchor points on the objects, you can create the effect of rotating the blend from one point in an object to a selected point in the next object.
To create a blend with the blend tool: - Select the blend tool
. - Click objects to blend in sequential order. If you want to blend to a specific anchor point on an object, click the anchor point with the blend tool. If you are blending open paths, select an endpoint on each path.
- When you are finished adding objects to the blend, you can click the blend tool again to start a new blend.
Click anchor point on first object with blend tool (left). Then click anchor point on second object (right). Result of creating a blend with the blend tool.
To create a blend with the Make Blend command: - Select the objects to blend with any selection tool.
- Choose Object > Blend > Make.
To release a blend: - Select the blend with any selection tool.
- Choose Object > Blend > Release.
To change the number of steps between blends: - Choose Object > Blend > Blend Options.
- Select from the following options in the Spacing pop-up menu:
- Specified Steps. Enter a value to specify the number of steps between the start and end of the blend.
- Specified Distance. Enter a value to specify the distance between the steps in the blend. The distance specified is measured from the edge of one object to the corresponding edge on the next object (for example, from the rightmost edge of one object to the rightmost edge of the next object).
- Smooth Color has the Adobe Illustrator program autocalculate the number of steps for the blends. If objects are filled or stroked with different colors, the steps are calculated to provide the optimum number of steps for a smooth color transition. If the objects contain identical colors, or if they contain gradients or patterns, the number of steps is based on the longest distance between the bounding box edges of the two objects.
To change the orientation of the blend to the path: - Choose Objects > Blend > Blend Options.
- Select from the following options:
- Click the Align to Page button to orient the blend perpendicular to the x axis of the page.
- Click the Align to Path button to orient the blend perpendicular to the path.
Align to Page option applied Align to Path option applied
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