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Participant
March 20, 2025
Answered

Can anyone help with ideas for this non native shape in illustrator?

  • March 20, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 996 views

I have some artwork I am preparing for someone and this lozenge shape seems to be a 'non native object' I need to to be made soley from pantone 213 C and it some how has other pantones it it that I don't need.. I have tried to change its colour by the swatches and it wont let me the same pink colours just stay? any ideas?

Correct answer Jacob Bugge

Thank you Jacob, I'll try these suggestions, I think it will be a redraw tbh.. 


Katie Lois, I believe it is worth considering this way (thin stroke no fill, Smart Guides on if needed):

 

1) Create a rectangle the size of the object and align it so it is  placed right on top of it;

2) Create a circle with the same height, then left align it with the rectangle so its leftmost Anchor Point is on tip of the curve;

3) Switch to the Scale Tool, set the leftmost Anchor Point as the centre, then ShiftClickDrag by the rightmost Anchor Point for best fit to the oval shape of the curve; adjust further if needed (there may be different ways), and you can lock the rectangle while you are at it;

4) Select both rectangle and oval and use Pathfinder Divide + delete leftmost bits + Unite, or use Shpae Builder/Live Paint, so you have one path to recolour.

 

 

Edit: this came after the post by Monika below, impossible to see tomorrow in Threaded View.

 

2 replies

Community Expert
March 20, 2025

Was the original customer provided file a PDF? If so, you can open the file in Adobe Acrobat to check the document's properties. It might list what application was used to create the PDF.

 

I doubt Illustrator was used to create the artwork; I usually don't see the non-native art description listed for elements originally created within Illustrator. It's possible they used another application and baked certain application-dependent effects or properties into the artwork.

 

If the artwork is vector-based it might be possible to fix some of the problems (or at least gain objects that can be edited) using a third party plugin like Vector First Aid. It can be used for free on a trial basis.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 20, 2025

How did you make this?

What was your workflow:

you opened a file, created this thing and then saved the file?

 

WHich file format did you save?

 

Non-native art cannot be directl< edited.

Participant
March 20, 2025

I didn't make this, I am working on a packaging artwork file that I was sent from our EMEA partners. They created the file originally.. I wonder if they created it originally as a vector but since worked on PDF's and caused the lozenge to become a weird sort of image file..? or maybe has some sort of raster effect. but weirdly it has pantones on it that can't be seen or edited easily. It is a lozenge that sits on Ai packaging that should be vector but isn't..

Jacob Bugge
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 20, 2025

Katie Lois,

 

I believe it is worth seeing the Appearance palette, and/or the artwork in Outline View.

 

Maybe the easiest/best way is to redraw, or a bit more sloppily an Image Trace to get the outer bounds, and then apply the one colour.