Adobe Illustrator CS4 - Manual (Page 171)

164 USING ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS4
Painting
Convert objects to Live Paint groups
❖ Do any of the following for objects that do not directly convert to Live Paint groups:
• For type objects, choose Type > Create Outlines. Then make the resulting paths into a Live Paint group.
• For bitmap images, choose Object > Live Trace > Make And Convert To Live Paint.
• For other objects, choose Object > Expand. Then make the resulting paths into a Live Paint group.
Expand or release a Live Paint group
Releasing a Live Paint group changes it to one or more ordinary paths with no fill and a .5-point black stroke.
Expanding a Live Paint group changes it to one or more ordinary paths that are visually similar to the Live Paint group,
but are now separate filled and stroked paths. You can use the Group Selection tool to select and modify these paths
separately.
Live Paint group before (left) and after expanding and dragging to separate faces and edges (right)
Live Paint group before (left) and after Release command applied (right)
1 Select the Live Paint group.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Object > Live Paint > Expand.
• Choose Object > Live Paint > Release.
Select items in Live Paint groups
Use the Live Paint Selection tool to select individual faces and edges in a Live Paint group. Use the Selection tool
to select the entire Live Paint group, and the Direct Selection tool to select paths inside a Live Paint group. When
you’re working in a complex document, you can isolate a Live Paint group so that it is easy to select the exact face or
edge you want.
Choose a selection tool depending on what you want to affect in a Live Paint group. For example, use the Live Paint
Selection tool to apply different gradients across different faces in a Live Paint group, and use the Selection tool to
apply the same gradient across the entire Live Paint group.