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busybear10
busybear10
Participating Frequently
December 18, 2018
Answered

Jagged edges with blend tool

  • December 18, 2018
  • 5 replies
  • 7264 views

I'm getting weird jagged edges when using the blend tool. I've tried 1) viewing on CPU, 2) turning off snap to grid, snap to pixel, etc. 3) increasing the steps to 400! which didn't do anything except seriously slow down my computer 4) restarting the whole kit and caboodle.

My illustrator is up to date.

Solutions?

Correct answer Monika Gause
@editor3z67652984  schrieb:

The solution to this is to use specifed distance and set it to something small like .01. This will remove any jagged steps.

 

At the expense of creating hundreds or thousands of paths. That is OK for exporting to pixels. It will be a mess when exporting a vector file. It will be unusable as a logo.

 

The method doesn't work and that's it.

 

The plugin opo no longer exists. You can use Astute Graphics AG Blockshadow (not free)

Or this method for a clean result: https://youtu.be/wm1_H_CE7uo

5 replies

C
ckelsch
Participant
January 17, 2024

Let me rpely to this 6 years later...

 

First thign to try is

object > path > Simplify and move the slider to the left. This may create rounded edges so expand the options and change the slider closer to straight lines.

 

Sometimes the above will not get what you want and if you are making an SVG you will need as little points as possible and the above will not achieve that perfectly.

 

If your shapes are relatively simple then your best bet will be to rasterize at a very large scale with transparency then live trace it and ignore white then expand your shape. Its a backwards process but it will create simple shapes with less points than the simplify tool.

 

Hope this helps those browsing a solve for this

editor3z67652984
editor3z67652984
Participant
June 7, 2024

The solution to this is to use specifed distance and set it to something small like .01. This will remove any jagged steps.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
June 8, 2024
@editor3z67652984  schrieb:

The solution to this is to use specifed distance and set it to something small like .01. This will remove any jagged steps.

 

At the expense of creating hundreds or thousands of paths. That is OK for exporting to pixels. It will be a mess when exporting a vector file. It will be unusable as a logo.

 

The method doesn't work and that's it.

 

The plugin opo no longer exists. You can use Astute Graphics AG Blockshadow (not free)

Or this method for a clean result: https://youtu.be/wm1_H_CE7uo

Victor Duron
Victor Duron
Participating Frequently
October 17, 2019

That is something that many designers tell to adobe for do in illustrator is like a block shadow, extrude shadow we have updates and updates and nobody do something for resolve that without a plugin, the 3 ways that I know you obtain little steps when you expand, or do all manually, even if you do with the blend tool in smooth you see a great plain extrude effect but when you expand you can see those steps again, Adobe Help please

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 17, 2019
    Actually you can get long shadows without plugins: https://www.vektorgarten.de/long-shadows-with-illustrator.html
    Victor Duron
    Victor Duron
    Participating Frequently
    October 17, 2019
    Is a good way of do long shadows but has steps that are not the optimus for obtain something easy like a extrude, with any adjust of move something that I'm founding is a tool that make the extrude and you can adjust perspective, the extrude, but not using effects to resolve the problem of the other, is a good option but we need have a tool more, something like Corel draw has and in one tool you can make the extrude in parallel or with perspective and even you can expand and you obtain the front face of the paths and you can separate without use pathfinders to unit or remove the parts that you don't need the software Freehand has a similar tool too for make extrude easy and without the little steps, those tool in corel and freehand don't keep the littles steps, why not this kind of tool in Illustrator to not make many things, will be great. Monika Thanks for share your knwoledge
    Jacob Bugge
    Community Expert
    Jacob BuggeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 25, 2018

    linzlovesyou,

    Which paths form the basis of the blend?

    What appears in your screenshot/image could just be one darker/bluer filled path on a paler/greener background (obviously without the steps/jagged lines that only show on some of the slanting edges).

    Srishti Bali
    Community Manager
    Srishti BaliCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    December 25, 2018

    Hi there,

    I would like to know if the plugin shared by Monika helped you, or the issue still persists.

    Kindly update the discussion if you need further assistance with it.

    Thanks,

    Srishti

    P
    popcorn83
    Inspiring
    December 16, 2020

    I am still having this issue in Adobe Illstrator 2021. I understand that when you choose "steps" it will make steps, but it looks horrible. How is there no complete smoothing tool for this effect?

      Monika Gause
      Community Expert
      Monika GauseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      December 16, 2020

      Because it creates in-between copies. That is how it works.

      Monika Gause
      Community Expert
      Monika GauseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      December 18, 2018

      Of course you get steps with the blend tool.

      What do you want to achieve? A long shadow kind of design? Try the plugin opo for that.

      http://63mutants.com/subc/products/opo_m01/opo_m01.php

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