Nothing happens when I try to edit Stroke options for a line created through paintbrush

[11Pekoe]

Hi I need help with editing lines, I want to create a tapered end however whenever I try to edit the Stroke options nothing happens. I've attached a video of the issue.

Thanks.

[m1b]

What happens when you use the line width tool on it?

[11Pekoe]

Can you tell me what that looks like? I am not very experienced with Illustrator.

[m1b]

My apologies. See toolbox below (the highlighted tool) Shift-W is the default keyboard shortcut.

See what happens when you click and drag on your path.

- Mark

[m1b]

When I look at your video, it seems like the problem is in that panel—none of those pop-up menus seem to be working. Have you quit and restarted Illustrator? Do the other panels with menus work? It seems like a glitch that needs some kind of kick.

[11Pekoe]

The other panel menus work fine, I've been able to change the weight, caps, and set it to dashed line and it works as expected. The particular issue is with arrow heads and Profiles, whenever I set it to a certain setting it just does nothing.

[11Pekoe]

Thanks for the screenshot, it helped me a lot. I used the line width tool and when I hover over my shape, it does not let me do anything. There's a "no" or prohibited symbol and clicking around doesn't do anything.

[chris701]

You must change your brush to "Basic" in order to have those oprion work.

[11Pekoe]

I need the certain brush that I am using though to get a certain effect.

Also, I see the Basic tool brush but whenever I select it and then go paint, it doesn't retain my brush selection, it just goes back to 3 pt. Oval which is the brush that I am using. I can't select the Basic brush at all otherwise it'll revert back to the old selection.

[m1b]

@chris701 has pointed to the issue. Only Basic, Pattern and Art brushes can have variable widths. Perhaps you can make an art brush that looks similar to your current brush?

[chris701]

Yes, that's an inconsistency of Illustrator since its older versions, try switching between Paintbrush and Pencil back and forth to have the orption activated.

[Monika Gause]

"Basic" is not a brush. "Basic" deletes the brush from the stroke thus making it a just a default stroke.

The trouble with the brush tool is that it will always (!) apply a brush to your stroke. Either a brush you selected, but iof you don't select a brush, then it applies the first brush in the panel, which is a calligraphy brush most of the time.

A

And no: switching back and forth between brush and pencil tool does not help. Just use the pencil tool, when you don't want a brush applied.

[11Pekoe]

I don't know who marked this as the correct answer, I still can't make tapered strokes.

[Monika Gause]

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@11Pekoe  schrieb:

I don't know who marked this as the correct answer, I still can't make tapered strokes.

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Please show a screenshot that includes the selected object and the Appearance panel.

[11Pekoe]

Hopefully I did it correctly,

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

It's a live paint group. You need to expand that first before you can apply variable width strokes to it.

[11Pekoe]

Omg... thank you that finally did it, I have the clean taper now.