Using the Opacity palette

The Opacity palette lets you control the transparency of any object or layer. An object can have a single opacity for all its layers, or each layer can have its own opacity along with the overall opacity of the object. Opacity can be very useful for controlling how textures and images are rendered. Applying a colored layer with 30% opacity over a layer with a texture, for example, changes the color of the texture and makes it look softer, but still allows it to show through.

You can apply opacity evenly, or as a gradient. For example, you can set the starting opacity to 100% and have the fill gradually blend into an ending opacity of 50%. The gradient options let you select the starting and ending opacity, as well as the relative distance from the edges of the object where the starting opacity begins blending to the ending opacity.

In the opacity gradient bar, black represents an opacity of 100% (fully opaque), white an opacity of 0% (fully transparent), and gray an opacity between 0 and 100% (semitransparent). The bar at the bottom of the palette lets you preview the effects of the opacity gradient (see Creating opacity gradients).


Opacity palette A. Object opacity B. Object layer opacity C. Gradient selection

To specify opacity:

1. Select the object, or object and layer.
2. Choose Window > Opacity if the Opacity palette is not open.
3. Do one of the following:
• To adjust the opacity of the entire object, enter a value between 0 and 100 for Object Opacity.
• To adjust the opacity of the selected layer, enter a value between 0 and 100 for Object Layer Opacity.

A value of 0 makes the layer or object completely transparent, a value of 100 makes it completely opaque.