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Renée_Day13
Participant
August 10, 2017
Answered

Scaling stroke & effect issues

  • August 10, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 6335 views

I have 8 images that are to go from 1100 px down various sizes for different labels but eventually down to 75 px. For business cards.  I have read previous comments about being sure 'Scale strokes & effects' is clicked and 'Not Aligned to pixel grid' Checked.  Which you can't actually see any difference to tell if it is checked or not.

Anyways the rings (some work - most don't) and star shapes, which have either light outer glow or light gaussian blur are nothing but all blur at around 200px

What is even more frustrating is that what it chooses to scale or not seems random as well.  Sometime an outer glow is fine other times its a huge and horrible mess.  Since the centre pieces are all basically the same (c&p) it doesn't make much sense. 

I have tried in vain to take in down in scale in very small increments,  gone in numerous times and redone the strokes and outer glow on the smaller shapes but this is getting ridiculous.

Thoughts? Remedies?

Thanks

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Ton Frederiks

Thank you for your kind reply.

I have an object with 12 integrated paths (an illustration with gradients and interlocking paths - not shapes - see attachments), one of which has Gaussian Blur effect applied. Let's say I want to increase the size of this collection of paths to 200% original size, and have the Gaussian Blur Effect also increased at 200%.

By using Appearance Panel using Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform, as you suggest, the result is a big mess of now-un-interlocking paths that completely ruins the original .. but sure enough, the Gaussian Blur is now accurately 200% what it was originally. But the illustration is ruined.


The only way I've found to NOT ruin the original art by this procedure is to make it into a symbol first. And it does indeed scale properly using this convoluted method. But ... I have not been able to find out HOW to RELEASE the symbol to its former paths (with altered Effects). My project brief does NOT allow for anything but editable paths.


So far, there is no reason to go through all this time-consuming work. I reiterate: the basic Scale check-box assuring that the effects are scaled with the rest of an illustration DOES NOT WORK, and it SHOULD.


However, I'm listening, and if you can suggest a method that DOES work, I'm all ears.  :+)  Specifically, is there a way to RELEASE a symbol back to its original path-parts and effects, after scaling? So far, everything seems to release EXCEPT the path with the Gaussian Blur Effect!  It really seems it is IMPOSSIBLE to get there from here in AI CC 2018! -- Which leads me back to my original assertion: just calculate the percentage change in the Gaussian Blur attribute and apply it MANUALLY after scaling normally (which ignores scaling the effects, even if that check-box is selected). This seems to be the quickest way to get the job done.

Thanks again.


I'm guessing, but maybe you should have grouped the objects first before applying the transform effect.

Left: Not grouped, Right: Grouped.

But to request a solution for your Scale Strokes and Effects problem with Gaussian Blur, you can do that here:

Adobe Illustrator Feedback

2 replies

DrStrik9
DrStrik9
Inspiring
October 11, 2018

I'm having the same issue here. In a logical world, checking "Scale Strokes & Effects" would do just that. But this DOES NOT WORK.

Converting the art to a symbol also DOES NOT WORK for resizing art with "effects" such as Gaussian Blur.

So far, the ONLY way to get the Gaussian Blur Effect to scale with the art is to calculate the change as a percentage of original size and MANUALLY input the new value into the Appearance Panel after resizing the artwork.

The Preferences selection, "Scale Strokes & Effects" NEEDS to be made to actually WORK as the Pref says. Until it does, it's just a broken promise.

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 11, 2018

DrStrik9  wrote

So far, the ONLY way to get the Gaussian Blur Effect to scale with the art is to calculate the change as a percentage of original size and MANUALLY input the new value into the Appearance Panel after resizing the artwork.

Or to apply the scale in the Appearance Panel using Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform

    DrStrik9
    DrStrik9
    Inspiring
    October 12, 2018

    Thank you for your kind reply.

    I have an object with 12 integrated paths (an illustration with gradients and interlocking paths - not shapes - see attachments), one of which has Gaussian Blur effect applied. Let's say I want to increase the size of this collection of paths to 200% original size, and have the Gaussian Blur Effect also increased at 200%.

    By using Appearance Panel using Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform, as you suggest, the result is a big mess of now-un-interlocking paths that completely ruins the original .. but sure enough, the Gaussian Blur is now accurately 200% what it was originally. But the illustration is ruined.


    The only way I've found to NOT ruin the original art by this procedure is to make it into a symbol first. And it does indeed scale properly using this convoluted method. But ... I have not been able to find out HOW to RELEASE the symbol to its former paths (with altered Effects). My project brief does NOT allow for anything but editable paths.


    So far, there is no reason to go through all this time-consuming work. I reiterate: the basic Scale check-box assuring that the effects are scaled with the rest of an illustration DOES NOT WORK, and it SHOULD.


    However, I'm listening, and if you can suggest a method that DOES work, I'm all ears.  :+)  Specifically, is there a way to RELEASE a symbol back to its original path-parts and effects, after scaling? So far, everything seems to release EXCEPT the path with the Gaussian Blur Effect!  It really seems it is IMPOSSIBLE to get there from here in AI CC 2018! -- Which leads me back to my original assertion: just calculate the percentage change in the Gaussian Blur attribute and apply it MANUALLY after scaling normally (which ignores scaling the effects, even if that check-box is selected). This seems to be the quickest way to get the job done.

    Thanks again.

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 10, 2017

    Go to the appearance panel, open the effect options and adjust them.

    You could also make a symbol out of the original artwork and then scale the symbol instances.

    R
    Renée_Day13Author
    Participant
    August 10, 2017

    Thank you for taking the time to reply much appreciated - I apparently should have tried asking rather than searching for the answer on the forum a week ago.   To the first part of your answer - as I mentioned I have had tried doing that ad nauseam.  100+ clicks later....

    The converting to symbols though now I see is very easy, once you know how to do it, but is not a process that is intuitively laid out in Illustrator CC. 

    And doesn't seem to flatten it to a single layer either.  Well - neither did 'flatten layers'.... sigh.

    You'd think there would be a 'convert to symbol' somewhere? Not that I could find in anywhere in 'Help' that is.

    So for those reading this down the road with the same problem.  Here is what I did to get it to work actually work.  Assuming of course you 'not aligned to pixels' and clicked 'scale stroke & effects' on the Transform tag.

    1st in the Layers panel be sure you click the 'working layer' so you have all the layers.  (I did have lots)

    2nd Have the symbols panel open

    3rd Drag and drop the entire image into the symbols panel - save the new symbol of your image (gotta click the little box - upper right corner - with the 3 lines - lots of fun stuff you'll find in there. )

    4th Stay on the same page and create a new artboard

    5th Drag your new symbol to the new artboard then

    6th Right Click to Transform to Scale.

    Trying to change the size in the 'Transform tab' area - H & W - did not work.  Don't know why but at this point I also don't care....Maybe it's just being flaky as it just crashed on me now too - again. lol

    Again - thanks so much Monica for setting me on the right path - YA! very happy camper!

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