Adjust fill and stroke color and opacity

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You can fill any selected path or shape with a solid color, a gradient, or a pattern of repeating bitmapped images. You can also remove the fill completely so that the inside of the object is fully transparent. Note that when you fill an object that has a stroke, the object is filled first and then stroked (the stroke always appears on top of the fill).

The three fill types are Solid (1), Gradient (2), and Image (3)

Cc295057.2b0eb442-741e-465f-b3ff-e77bd8ce4598(en-us,Expression.40).png

To select a fill or stroke type

  • In the Properties panel, in the Appearance category, do one of the following:

    • Click the Fill button or the Stroke button (or press X to toggle between the Fill and Stroke tabs).

    • Between the Fill and Stroke tabs and the Favorites swatches, click one of the four fill types (see the following sections for more information).

Pick a fill type from the four fill type buttons; here a solid blue fill is selected

Pick a fill type

  • **No Fill   **To remove a fill from a path, click

  • No Fill Cc295057.becb92d2-59ff-410c-b364-c3c98db77db5(en-us,Expression.40).png press / (slash).

  • **Solid   **To fill the path with a single, solid color, click Solid Fill Cc295057.65875fdd-fde7-4baa-b5bb-6b71fccfb9a0(en-us,Expression.40).png and then pick a color with the Color Picker. Press the COMMA key to fill a path with the current solid color. Press D if you want a solid white fill with a 1-pixel black stroke.

  • Gradient   To fill the path with a gradient, click Gradient Fill Cc295057.d613ce1f-4e4d-43b8-b5a4-19771e9fa014(en-us,Expression.40).png or press the PERIOD key.

  • **Image   **To fill the path with a repeating pattern of a bitmapped image, select Image Fill Cc295057.64ea5fbb-8fd7-45e2-9a42-4a37476a5663(en-us,Expression.40).png. To the right of the color swatches next to the four fill type buttons, click More swatches Cc295057.93242986-a86a-41c9-9a1c-3440d2c25d80(en-us,Expression.40).gif, and then pick an image from the Swatch gallery. You cannot use an image swatch for a stroke.

To adjust the opacity of a fill

When you lower an object's opacity, you increase its transparency so that you can see other objects behind it.

  • In the Properties panel, in the Appearance category, drag the Fill Opacity Cc295057.dd77552f-0121-4a90-82de-27d7a52fe133(en-us,Expression.40).png slider.

To adjust the opacity of a stroke

  • In the Properties panel, in the Appearance category, drag the Stroke Opacity Cc295057.b3c68817-9fd5-45f4-8dfe-fc0dcbc31132(en-us,Expression.40).png slider.

By default, the Fill and Stroke opacity sliders are linked so that changing one changes the other. If you want them to change independently, click Link/Unlink Cc295057.e63464e3-7055-47dc-8d14-eeac15e49279(en-us,Expression.40).png between the two sliders.

Some file formats do not support transparent objects.

To preview art that includes a transparent object

  1. On the Edit menu, point to Options, and then click Display.

  2. On the Display pane, under Display options, clear the Display transparency check box.

See also

Tasks

Color Picker
Apply gradients
Use image fills

Reference

Properties panel
Display options

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