create eye hilites from transparency?

[FlipSide]

hey guys!

I've seen some stuff around and i'm wondering what the possible steps might be to make it. in the original file, the designer used a simple multipy/screen layer to create shadows or highlights. (just to be clear, im not asking about masking or anything)...but then in the final "flattened" eps, the hilite was solid gradient shape (no transparencies, etc)

what would be the easiest way of changing this hilite/shadow to a solid/gradient colour? so that the "flattened" look is 100% accurate to the original overlay layer?

so in the image below i have a hilite that goes over a gradient brown/solid black. (in the final image, i don't want any layer effects ...ie: screen)

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk217/FreakyStyley73/vector/eye.jpg
I've been messing with expand, expand appearence, divide, etc. but no luck.

any ideas?

[Craig B]

If I'm understanding correctly. You would use the "divide" function in your pathfinder palette. Grab all three shapes and divide, then individually adjust the fills of each segmented section.

And I see you said you had no luck using divide, but I'm not sure why. After you divide you can ungroup the elements if you want in order to individually adjust them or just use the direct select tool to select the items and adjust them.

[FlipSide]

yep - u got my question exactly!

done what you said after i posted...seems a bit tedious (depending on the job at hand)....just wondering if there is a more "automated" way of getting the gradients/solids exactly? i suppose not then?

[Craig B]

I'm not aware of a more automated way, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[seosamh]

select all the shapes, object>flatten transparency, making sure you put the slider at 100% vector.

[hewligan]

select all the shapes, object>flatten transparency, making sure you put the slider at 100% vector.

That's good advice, and will work in this case. But just keep in mind, the transparency flattener doesn't really have a "100% vector" setting - it's more like "Try your best to make it vector." At some level of complexity it will always give up and start rasterizing stuff, no matter what the settings.

This is nowhere near that level.

[seosamh]

That's good advice, and will work in this case. But just keep in mind, the transparency flattener doesn't really have a "100% vector" setting - it's more like "Try your best to make it vector." At some level of complexity it will always give up and start rasterizing stuff, no matter what the settings.

This is nowhere near that level.
cheers for the heads up, really in the process of suggesting answers here i've 2 motives, to help the person and help myself in solving problems i don't normally come across in my work, so thanks for that. good wee forum this. :)

[hewligan]

cheers for the heads up, really in the process of suggesting questions here, i've 2 motives to help the person and help myself in solving problems i don't normally come across in my work, so thanks for that. good wee forum this. :)

No problem. Everything I know about the transparency flattener I found out here ;)

[FlipSide]

@ craig: thanks for the feedback....its always welcome!

@ seosamh: thanks for that. I've used it before for making pdfs from indesign only for printing - never thought about it in illustrator for this reason (and it divides the shapes nicely)....learning something new everyday.

@ hewligan: thanks for the heads up. yes it worked fine in this case (just needed to copy the base layer as it cut out the hilite where it overlapped the brown colour. but thats fine (small work to fix)...while we're on it...can you share a situation where it did more of the bitmap thing? just so i can keep my eyes pealed (where the hell did that expression come from anyways?) for the situation/s as it they arise.

[hewligan]

Well, if you really want more detail, I suggest readin this (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10631).

It all depends on the document's complexity. The place where people seem to report probems the most is with text with/near transparency effects, and when combining stuff with raster graphics.