Gradient transparency in clipping mask?

[tallscot]

Hello!

I have a graphic that I need to recreate. It's sound waves with a colored gradient from left to right (attached).

In my mind, I was going to do this by first creating a line shape with gradient fill, black with slight transparency on the top and bottom of each line, duplicate and resize, group that, put it over a rectangle with a gradient using the colors in the image I attached, create clipping mask.

Clipping mask gets rid of transparency so that doesn't work. It's just solid. I need that feathering at the ends of those lines.

Do it manually using the eye dropper to pick the colors and copy/paste a few dozen times?

Any tips from you masters of Illustrator are very much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

tallscot,

As I (mis)understand it, you may use Opacity Mask.

An Opacity Mask can do as a Clipping Mask, and the opposite, and anything in between. And unlike a Clipping Mask it is all about appearance, hence often easier to work with when both kinds might be used.

You use the black as fully transparent and white as fully solid, or the reverse, and greys for different levels of transparency.

[tallscot]

Thanks for the reply. I ended up doing this manually in 10 minutes. It probably would have taken me longer to figure out how to do it "the right way". Ha!

Thanks!

[Jacob Bugge]

You are welcome, tallscot.