Adobe Illustrator CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques

#80 Applying Transparency

A semitransparent object allows underlying objects to be partly visible, like a foggy day partially obscures the sun. A fully transparent object is invisible and has no effect on objects that it is stacked on top of. At the other end of the spectrum, a fully opaque object completely covers objects below it in the stacking (or layer) order.

Many Ways to Apply Transparency

Illustrator provides several ways to apply transparency, but the most basic way is to use the Transparency panel to change the opacity of an overlaying object. Other ways of applying transparency include using opacity masks (see #79, “Applying Opacity Masks”), applying gradients with transparency applied (see #45, “Defining Gradients”), or ...