Comparing filters and effects


    Many commands for reshaping an object appear in both the Filter and Effect menus. For example, all of the commands in the Filter > Artistic submenu are also listed in the Effect > Artistic submenu. However, filters and effects have different consequences, so it's important to understand the difference in their use.

    Effects are live, which means you can apply an effect command to an object and then continue to modify the effect's options or remove the effect at any time using the Appearance palette. Once you apply an effect to an object, the Appearance palette lists the effect and enables you to edit the effect, move it, duplicate it, delete it, or save it as part of a graphic style.

    Filters change the underlying object, and the changes can't be modified or removed after the filter is applied. But one advantage to reshaping an object with a filter command is that you have immediate access to the new or modified anchor points created by the filter. (An effect must be expanded before you have access to the new points).

    Ellipse using Roughen effect (left) maintains original anchor points and path segments, while the Roughen filter (right) creates new anchor points along the modified path.
    Ellipse using Roughen effect (left) maintains original anchor points and path segments, while the Roughen filter (right) creates new anchor points along the modified path.

    Filter menu

    All of the commands in the top section of the Filter menu (Colors, Create, Distort, and Stylize) can be applied to vector images (with the exception of Object Mosaic), but only some commands in the Create and Colors submenus can be applied to bitmap objects. All of the commands in the bottom section of the Filter menu are raster filters and can be applied to bitmap objects, but not to vector objects or 1-bit (black-and-white) bitmap objects.

    Effect menu

    All of the commands in the top section of the Effect menu (3D, Convert to Shape, Distort & Transform, Path, Pathfinder, Rasterize, Stylize, SVG Filters, and Warp) can be applied to vector objects. These same effects won't affect a bitmap object unless you apply the effect to a fill or stroke added to the object in the Appearance palette; the exceptions to this are the effects in the 3D, SVG Filters, and Warp submenus, and the Transform, Drop Shadow, Feather, Inner Glow, and Outer Glow effects, which will affect a bitmap object. All of the commands in the bottom section of the Effect menu (starting with Artistic) are raster effects and can be applied to either bitmap or vector objects. When these raster effects are applied to an object, they use the document's raster effects settings. (See Specifying raster effects settings.)