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Modifying shapes with liquify tools


    Illustrator provides a variety of liquify tools for changing an object's shape. Using these tools alters the original object's shape. To distort objects with liquify tools, simply hold down the mouse and draw over the object with the tool--the tool adds anchor points and adjust paths as you draw.

    Note: You cannot use liquify tools on objects that contain text, graphs, or symbols.

    Use any of the following tools to distort an object:

    The warp tool The warp tool

    Stretches objects as if they were made of clay. When you drag or pull portions of an object using this tool, the pulled areas attenuate.

    The twirl tool The twirl tool

    Creates swirling distortions of an object.

    The pucker tool The pucker tool

    Deflates an object by moving control points toward the cursor.

    The bloat tool The bloat tool

    Inflates an object by moving control points away from the cursor.

    The scallop tool The scallop tool

    Adds random, smooth, arc-shaped details to the outline of an object.

    The crystallize tool The crystallize tool

    Adds random spike, arc-shaped details to the outline of an object.

    The wrinkle tool The wrinkle tool

    Adds random arc and spike-shaped details to the outline of an object.

To distort an object using a liquify tool:

  1. Select the liquify tool in the toolbox.
  2. Click or drag over the object you want to distort.

To specify liquify tool options:

  1. Double-click the tool in the toolbox.
  2. In the Options dialog box, specify the following Global Brush Dimensions settings:
    • For Width and Height, enter values for the size of the tool cursor.
    • For Angle, enter a value for the orientation of the tool cursor.
    • For Intensity, enter a value to specify the rate of change (higher values equal faster changes), or select Use Pressure Pen to use the input from a tablet or pen instead of the Intensity value.

    Note: If you don't have a pressure pen attached, the Use Pressure Pen option is dimmed.

  3. Specify values for any of the following options that apply:
    • For Complexity, enter a value to specify how closely the details of the particular brush are spaced on the object's outline. This is closely tied with the Detail value.
    • For Detail, enter a value to specify the spacing between points introduced into the object's outline (higher values space points closer together).
    • For Simplify, enter a value to specify how much you want to reduce the superfluous points that do not measurably affect the overall appearance of the shape.
    • For Twirl Rate, enter a value between -180° to 180° to specify the rate at which the twirl is applied. The closer to an end range, the faster the object twirls. To twirl slowly, specify a rate close to 0°.
    • For Horizontal and Vertical, enter a value to specify how far apart the control points are placed.
  4. If available, select Brush Affects Anchor Points, Brush Affects In Tangent Handles, or Brush Affects Out Tangent Handles if you want the brush to make changes to these properties.
  5. Select Show Brush Size to see the size of the brush as you use the tool on the artboard.