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Adobe Illustrator 10
Blend objects for a smooth transition If you're looking for a way to create a smooth transition between objects, try the blend function in Adobe® Illustrator® 10. You select starting and ending objects, and Illustrator adds a series of intermediate shapes and colors between them, distributed evenly along a path. Then you can reshape the blend path using standard Illustrator editing tools.
2. Define a blend. With the objects selected, choose Object > Blend > Blend Options. Choose Specified Steps from the Spacing pop-up menu, type the number of steps you want in the blend path, and click OK. Then choose Object > Blend > Make. Illustrator creates a straight path with intermediate shapes and colors. Now we'll curve the path.
1. Select two objects. Click the first object and then Shift-click to select the second one. We're using two circles in this example. Notice the size and color differences between the circles, and watch how Illustrator handles the transition between them in the blend path.
3. Curve the blend path. With the path selected, select the convert-anchor-point tool in the toolbox (in the same group as the pen tool). Select an endpoint in the path, and drag left or right. As you drag, a direction handle appears, and you can drag the handle to adjust the curve. Experiment with blending different kinds of objects in Illustrator–open paths such as two lines, closed paths such as an ellipse and a rectangle, gradients, and even other blends. You can also use blends to produce airbrush effects such as complex shading, highlighting, and contouring.
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