Adobe Illustrator CS4 - Manual (Page 15)

8 USING ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS4
Resources
Quick, easy, and obvious key object alignment
The Align panel and Control panel now provide quick access to the key alignment option. A key object is the one object
that you want other objects to align to. You specify a key object by selecting all the objects you want to align, including
the key object, and then clicking again on the key object. When selected, the key object appears with a thick blue
outline, and the Align To Key Object icon appears in the Control panel and Align panel. Simply choose an alignment
option, such as Horizontal Align Left or Vertical Align Center, and all the other selected objects align to the key object.
(See “
Align or distribute relative to a key object ” on page 210.)
New drawing and color tools
Blob Brush tool for merging paths
Use the Blob Brush to draw paths that merge with existing artwork. The Blob Brush draws paths that are fill only - no
stroke - and can merge with existing artwork that has the same fill, and no stroke. The Blob Brush can merge with
existing artwork that has complicated appearances (as long as there is no stroke on the artwork and the Blob Brush is
set up to paint with the exact same fill and appearance settings). For example, if you’ve created a yellow filled rectangle
with a drop shadow applied, you can set up the Blob Brush with those attributes and then draw a path across the
rectangle, and the two paths will be merged. You can easily select and edit the resulting shape. Use the Blob Brush
together with the Eraser tool for truly intuitive vector painting. (See “
Draw and merge paths with the Blob Brush tool ”
on page 157.)
Expanded Gradients panel and tool
Using the enhanced Gradient tool, you can interact with gradients on the object itself by adding or changing color
stops, applying transparency to color stops, and changing the direction or angle of a linear or elliptical gradient (also
new in CS4). The Gradient panel now provides a menu of all your saved gradients, direct access to color panels, and
transparency controls for individual color spots, among other things. (See “
Gradients ” on page 184.)
Transparency in gradients
Create gradients with two or more colors and define the opacity of any or all individual colors. By specifying different
opacity values for the different color stops in your gradient, you can create gradients that fade in or out and reveal or
hide underlying images. (See “
Gradients ” on page 184.)
Separations Preview panel
Preview your color separations on your monitor before printing to avoid color output surprises such as unexpected
spot colors and unwanted overprinting. The Separations Preview panel lets you easily turn colors on and off so you
can see how blending, transparency, and overprinting will appear in color-separated output. (See “
Preview color
separations ” on page 410.)
Improved access to core functionality
Clipping masks with clear simplified appearance and access
Adobe Illustrator now displays only the masked area while you are moving or transforming a masked object. Double-
click the masked object to open it in Isolation mode, where you can view and edit the mask independently of all other
objects. (See “
Clipping masks ” on page 241 and “ Isolate artwork for editing ” on page 198.)