Layered effects in the Appearance panel

[Kris Hunt]

Let's say I want to create the effect shown here: a yellow fill with a bold black outline, and then a Block Shadow effect, and then a blue outline around the whole thing. The way I currently achieve this is by creating a new black fill under the yellow fill, then applying the Offset Path and Block Shadow effects to the black fill, and then I duplicate that entire fill and change the fill color to blue before adding a Pathfinder:Add effect and the final Path:Offset Path effect.

My question is: is it necessary to duplicate the first Offset Path and Block Shadow effect before I can apply the blue Offset Path effect to the entire effect? Or is there a better, more efficient way of applying a new effect to the entire series of effects thus far?

[Monika Gause]

The AG block shadow effect works a little differently when you want it applied to multiple fills.

What worked for me was this (but I had to drag the blockshadow effect in the Appearance panel to get it.)

What also works is this:

Then group is and apply the blue frame to a fill on the group

Pfad verschieben = Offset path

But in the end the logic is this: if an effect is applied to just one fill or stroke, then you have to apply it to other strokes or fills if you want it in effect there as well.

[Kris Hunt]

Thanks, Monika! Grouping the shape along the way seems like the best solution to keep things simple and avoid redundant effects. But it seems that after I group the shape once and apply an effect, I cannot group it again unless I create some arbitrary transparent shape inside the original shape. Do you know what I mean? I wonder if there's any way around that.

[Monika Gause]

Right. You cannot group it again.

What you could do instead is use layers. And then target the layer to put the appearance on it like you would with a group.

Layers can be endlessly stacked

[Kris Hunt]

Using layers would imply having multiple shapes, wouldn't it? I'm trying to create complex effects using a single compound shape.

[Monika Gause]

You can put that into a layer and then put that into another layer and then another one etc.

[Mike_Gondek]

Try to make a group, then apply to the group level.

I do that for example to a complex logo, when I need an outer glow on just the outside that would act as if the entire group was pathfinder merged and then effect applied.