Adobe Illustrator CS6 Part K

This is the 11th installment in my blog post series on Adobe Illustrator CS6 which is based on what I learn from the video training course by Infinite Skills on that software. The effects with in Illustrator are split between Photoshop effects & Illustrator effects with the former working with imported photos although the latter won't work. The feature clipping mask can be found at Object/Clipping Mask/Make, and it protects part of an image although is on a separate layer. You have to convert photos into vector images to edit them. You can use clipping masks with text and simply enter the text then select it and convert it. Generally you can apply a gaussian blur to something to make it blurred but it doesn't with the clipping mask because it is vector based so always has sharp edges. You have to use the opacity mask with in the transparency palette. Only one item at a time can be used as a clipping mask. If you group several objects and try to apply a clipping mask it is only applied to the last selected object. The way around this is to group them, then select Object/Compound Path/Make, and make it into a compound path then apply the clipping mask. Photography on an experimental level is going vector based and when you think of it a photo isn't that different to a picture. Future versions of photo-editing software will probably be vector based. You can use auto trace on your toolbar near the top to trace a photo and use the auto color option to include the color. This is called live trace. There is also some advanced options. Image trace converts the photo into a sketch and you can use live color to paint it. To convert it to a live paint compatible picture choose Object/Live Paint/Make . To close the shapes so you can paint them like when the lines are too faint to register choose Object/Live Paint/Gap. The next installment which I'll do later today will be the last in the series.