Making the Blend Tool Sit Up & Bark

[Cactus_Cowboy]

I know damn well that I'm in the company of extremely talented Illustrator users. My questions are from a rookie pleb so here they are. 1. How do you get a stepped blend to replace a spline in an arc shape? There's not much written about it in the help files. 2. Of all that you managed to learn on your own about the blend tool what tricks have you found and used that surprised you and that you can share here to help a newbie progress upward in knowledge about this incredible tool?

Thanks for any morsels and crumbs you can spare. I'm using Windows ver CS6 still.

[barbara_a · Accepted solution]

1. How do you get a stepped blend to replace a spline in an arc shape?

Assuming that you are starting with a blend on a straight line, something like this:

Then draw a arc. You could use the Arc tool or the Pen tool.

Select both the original blend and the arc.

Under the Object menu, choose Blend > Replace Spine.

2. Of all that you managed to learn on your own about the blend tool what tricks have you found and used that surprised you

I mainly use this feature when I want repeated objects that are evenly spaced, or to create the appearance of a gradient with a different shape that the standard linear or radial gradient.

[barbara_a]

Interestingly, you can create blends using gradients as well as solid colors.

[barbara_a]

Some people have created interesting blends with simple lines.