Xara Webster - Making Drawings Lighter and Darker

This simple method works for objects that don't have transparency applied.

1. Select the objects you want to make lighter.
2. Choose the Transparency Tool on the Toolbar.
3. If the Transparency field reads None you can use this method. If it reads anything else you must use Method 2.
4. Drag the Transparency slider until you get the result you want.

This works for objects with transparency applied.

1. Select the objects you want to make lighter.
2. Clone them by choosing Clone on the Edit menu. This creates a copy exactly on top of the original objects.
3. Change the color of the copy to white. Also set the line color to white.
4. Choose the Transparency Tool on the Toolbar.
5. Choose Flat transparency from the drop down list on the Infobar.
6. Drag the Transparency slider until you get the result you want.

This is similar to Method 2 described above.

1. Select the objects you want to make darker.
2. Clone them by choosing Clone on the Edit menu. This creates a copy exactly on top of the original objects.
3. Change the color of the copy to black. Also set the line color to black.
4. Choose the Transparency Tool on the Toolbar.
5. Choose Flat transparency from the drop down list on the Infobar.
6. Drag the Transparency slider until you get the result you want.

You can use similar techniques to make just a part of an object lighter or darker. For example, placing a white circle over an object and using circular transparency lets you easily create a highlight.

Sometimes a little experimenting can give even better results. Remember, if you don't like the results, you can always undo an operation.