Applying effects to bitmap images, Improving performance for effects, Modify or delete an effect – Adobe Illustrator CS4 User Manual
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USING ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS4
Creating special effects
See also
Image resolution guidelines for final output
Applying effects to bitmap images
Effects let you apply a special look to bitmap images as well as vector objects. For example, you can apply an
impressionistic look, apply lighting changes, distort images, and produce many other interesting visual effects.
Consider the following information when applying effects specifically to bitmap objects:
•
Effects don’t work on linked bitmap objects. If you apply an effect to a linked bitmap, it is applied to an embedded
copy of the bitmap instead of to the original. To apply the effect to the original, you can embed the bitmap in the
document.
•
Adobe Illustrator supports plug-in effects from Adobe products such as Adobe Photoshop and from non-Adobe
software developers. Once installed, most plug-in effects appear in the Effect menu and work the same way as do
built-in effects.
•
Some effects can be memory-intensive, especially when applied to a high-resolution bitmap image.
See also
About linked and embedded artwork
Improving performance for effects
Some effects are very memory-intensive. The following techniques can help improve performance when applying
these effects:
•
Select the Preview option in effect dialog boxes to save time and prevent unintended results.
•
Change the settings. Some commands, such as Glass, are extremely memory-intensive. Try different settings to
increase their speed.
•
If you plan to print to a grayscale printer, convert a copy of the bitmap image to grayscale before applying effects.
Note, however, that in some cases, applying an effect to a color bitmap image and then converting it to grayscale
may not have the same result as applying the same effect directly to a grayscale version of the image.
Modify or delete an effect
You modify or delete an effect by using the Appearance panel.
1
Select the object or group (or target the layer in the Layers panel) that uses the effect.
2
Do one of the following:
•
To modify the effect, click its blue underlined name in the Appearance panel. In the effect’s dialog box, make
the desired alterations, and then click
OK.
•
To delete the effect, select the effect listing in the Appearance panel, and click the Delete button.