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JOELPRESTON
Known Participant
December 16, 2022
Question

Transform is only affecting SOME objects in an artwork; how to impact the entire image?

  • December 16, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 223 views

I've created an artwork and want to resize it. It has a number of filled paths. When I try to transform the image, some paths get resized, but others don't. I believe I need to flatten the image, but I haven't been able to do that.

 

I've got the layers panel open, and the image is active as a selection. I have the top layer selected → I click on the hamburger menu → I choose "Flatten Artwork → Nothing happens. (I'd read that you have to choose a layer to 'flatten your artwork into.')

 

I've also tried "Release to Layers (Sequence)" and THEN "Flatten Artwork." Nothing happens. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
December 17, 2022

At the bottom of the object stack there is a clipping mask with an image in it. Depending on which transformation you use, that one might be the culprit. We could help better if you could show us the bad result.

Flattening in Illustrator doesn't work like in Photoshop. What you can do in order to transform paths together is group them. But as I said: there is a pixel image and it doesn't work with everything in Illustrator.

    J
    JOELPRESTONAuthor
    Known Participant
    December 17, 2022

    Thank you, Monika for the quick reply. I would 'sort of' like to show you the bad result, but I just tried to generate one ... and the transformation worked fine (I scaled the image from 8 inches, to 10 inches. But maybe my process of creating images (I don't use Illustrator often) is faulty. I brought a PNG into Illustrator, then traced it, then used the pen tool to draw over paths that I felt needed work (and this created a number of layers of closed, filled paths). 

     

    I then tried to resize the entire image, but saw that only the original layer was resizing. The paths I'd drawn stayed the same size. That's why I assumed I'd need to flatten the image in order to have all elements resize correctly. Do you see anything wrong in my process, or my assumptions about how the process works? Thank you. 

    Jacob Bugge
    Community Expert
    Jacob BuggeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 17, 2022

    Joel,

     

    Are you sure you have selected both the new paths and the traced image (without flattening)?

     

    Maybe a silly question, but did you expand the Image Trace, and removed the paths (to be) replaced by the new ones?

     

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