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Question

Merging layers causes effect to affect all layers.

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
February 22, 2020
3 replies
2803 views

So I have an illustration which uses 4 layers. Pretty simple. One layer has the elements (brush strokes) with a guassian blur on them. If I flatten the file, the blur effect is taken on to all elements of all layers. I end up with a blurry mess. I've converted strokes to paths, tried to merge or flatten just those elements on that layer, and still am getting this problem. I've done this in the past no problem. Something new to IL V:24.0.3 perhaps? I still also have problems with the pressure sensitivity brush settings, but have found quitting IL, then re-starting holding the shift+alt+command keys re-sets prefs and then it works again for a few documents. So is the new IL buggy? LOL! I know, that's a gimme with Adobe. But has anyone else experienced this? Also I notice the small radio button on this layer in question is a solid gray color, not a circle like the others.

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Lukas Engqvist

Community Expert

The filled radiobutton is to tell you that the layer has an appearance.It is not the strokes that have the effect but the layer. This means that the correct behaviour is that anything on that layer should also have that effect applied. You can have an effect (or appearance) on an object, group, sublayer or layer. If you group the strokes you can move the effect to the group. But Why do you want to flatten? You should really get to master appearance to master Illustrator, or you will think illustrator is buggy where it is not look into https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/appearance-attributes.html#targeting_items_for_appearance_attributes and there are plenty videos on appearance in illustrator if you want to dig deeper.

T

T MackerAuthor

Known Participant

!

T

T MackerAuthor

Known Participant

So, I may have solved my own problem. I select all of the brush strokes on the layer which has the Gaussian blur effect applied, and then "expand appearence". After doing this I am able to group all layers and not get the blur effect on all. I will do further testing to see if all effects, strokes, fills and etc. scale properly.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

If you apply an effect to a layer (instead of indivdual objects) the effect will of course affect all the objects on that layer.

T

T MackerAuthor

Known Participant

This was a case where individual elements were given the effect of the guassian blur. All of these elements were on the same layer. When I would group elements selected from the various layers, ALL of the artwork from ALL of the layers took on the effect of the layer in which those blurred elements were. I have other elements on other layers with an effect of "multiply" and that did NOT affect any other elemenst in the illustration with that effect. Only the Guassian Blur seemed to affect all. See above, expanding the strokes, and then grouping all desired elements from multiple layers seemed to work.

Simmer1

Community Expert

Try Expanding the brush strokes before flattening the image:

Select them and go Object > Expand Appearance

T

T MackerAuthor

Known Participant

Thanks Simmer1. I went back in and discovered that very fix. So far, so good. Of course I'll have to save an editble version for just in case, but beggars cannot be choosers, LOL! Thanks again!

Simmer1

Community Expert

Hi T_Macker,

Glad we could help!!!

Sim

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