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Mathias17
Inspiring
March 8, 2012
Answered

How to quickly copy Appearance effects from object to object?

  • March 8, 2012
  • 6 replies
  • 247069 views

In Photoshop, this is beautifully simple and fast.

But in Aunty Illie, without clunkily defining a new Graphic Style and applying that to the desired inheriter of the effect(s), how does one apply one or two effects currently applied to Object A, to Object B?

And let's assume both Object A and Object B have assorted effects already applied. I just want to take the Drop Shadow from Object A and give it to Object B without messing it's currently applied effects.

Correct answer clintonh52004817

Pro Tip: In the appearance menu, grab the preview at the top of the visibility column and drag it to the object you would like to copy the appearance too. 

6 replies

greg517design
Participant
October 9, 2023

Go to this video. It is easy...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paEErTStZgw

clintonh52004817Correct answer
Participant
April 25, 2023

Pro Tip: In the appearance menu, grab the preview at the top of the visibility column and drag it to the object you would like to copy the appearance too. 

snotr1
Participant
May 15, 2023

Thank you! Easy and fast!

Participant
February 14, 2018

Select the object you want to copy the effect from, then open the Appearance palette; double-click the effect you want to copy and it'll open the dialogue box for that effect with the settings of that object. This now sets the effect to those options.

Close the dialogue box without changing the settings and now select the object you want to apply the effect to, then from the Effect menu choose that effect - the dialogue box should open with the settings that you want.

Apply the effect.

Participant
January 23, 2022

This👆 This is the answer.

Participant
January 10, 2018

Found this video, looks like it is an answer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g1hDAKegw8

sharp_hands16B8
Community Expert
Community Expert
July 6, 2016

A bit of a band-aid that is more workflow order specific. But I often decide what one of those effects are, and then after I've set it on one object I can use the quick key to reapply my last effect used to the next selected object. So if I press the quick key CMD + SHIFT + E on mac OS then it repeats that last effect. This will add the effect regardless of what other appearance effects are already existing. In the screenshot you can see it applies the drop shadow from Object A to Object B without affecting the existing 3D effect that was applied.

Also you can use the eyedropper to clone an appearance by holding SHIFT + OPTION and clicking on the object you want to copy the appearance from.

Participant
October 28, 2021

Genius! So from the appearance panel click on 'drop shadow' then close that, select other objects you want and reapply the shadow just by holding shift+option(Alt on a PC)+E. You just saved me some time. Thanks very much!

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 8, 2012

See the manual on graphic styles. You can add them to effects that are already applied. If you want to copy effects from one objects to the other, use the eyedropper tool or the layer panel.

Mathias17
Mathias17Author
Inspiring
March 8, 2012

I can add what to "effects that are already applied"?

Using the eye dropper will apply all effects from sampled object, I only want its Drop Shadow.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 8, 2012

You can only add graphic styles. (see manual)

With the eyedropper you cannot add an effect.