What Is Stroke In Illustrator

Illustrator User Guide
Get to know Illustrator
1. Introduction to Illustrator
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2. Workspace
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Illustrator on the iPad
1. Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
  1. Illustrator on the iPad overview
  2. Illustrator on the iPad FAQs
  3. System requirements | Illustrator on the iPad
  4. What you can or cannot do on Illustrator on the iPad
2. Workspace
  1. Illustrator on the iPad workspace
  2. Touch shortcuts and gestures
  3. Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the iPad
  4. Manage your app settings
3. Documents
  1. Work with documents in Illustrator on the iPad
  2. Import Photoshop and Fresco documents
4. Select and arrange objects
  1. Create repeat objects
  2. Blend objects
5. Drawing
  1. Draw and edit paths
  2. Draw and edit shapes
6. Type
  1. Work with type and fonts
  2. Create text designs along a path
  3. Add your own fonts
7. Work with images
  1. Vectorize raster images
8. Color
  1. Apply colors and gradients
Cloud documents
1. Basics
  1. Work with Illustrator cloud documents
  2. Share and collaborate on Illustrator cloud documents
  3. Upgrade cloud storage for Adobe Illustrator
  4. Illustrator cloud documents | Common questions
2. Troubleshooting
  1. Troubleshoot create or save issues for Illustrator cloud documents
  2. Troubleshoot Illustrator cloud documents issues
Add and edit content
1. Drawing
  1. Drawing basics
  2. Edit paths
  3. Draw pixel-perfect art
  4. Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
  5. Draw simple lines and shapes
  6. Image Trace
  7. Simplify a path
  8. Define perspective grids
  9. Symbolism tools and symbol sets
  10. Adjust path segments
  11. Design a flower in 5 easy steps
  12. Perspective drawing
  13. Symbols
  14. Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
2. 3D effects and Adobe Substance materials
  1. About 3D effects in Illustrator
  2. Create 3D graphics
  3. Create 3D objects
  4. Create 3D Text
3. Color
  1. About color
  2. Select colors
  3. Use and create swatches
  4. Adjust colors
  5. Use the Adobe Color Themes panel
  6. Color groups (harmonies)
  7. Color Themes panel
  8. Recolor your artwork
4. Painting
  1. About painting
  2. Paint with fills and strokes
  3. Live Paint groups
  4. Gradients
  5. Brushes
  6. Transparency and blending modes
  7. Apply stroke on an object
  8. Create and edit patterns
  9. Meshes
  10. Patterns
5. Select and arrange objects
  1. Select objects
  2. Layers
  3. Group and expand objects
  4. Move, align, and distribute objects
  5. Stack objects
  6. Lock, hide, and delete objects
  7. Duplicate objects
  8. Rotate and reflect objects
6. Reshape objects
  1. Crop images
  2. Transform objects
  3. Combine objects
  4. Cut, divide, and trim objects
  5. Puppet Warp
  6. Scale, shear, and distort objects
  7. Blend objects
  8. Reshape using envelopes
  9. Reshape objects with effects
  10. Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
  11. Work with Live Corners
  12. Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
  13. Edit clipping masks
  14. Live shapes
  15. Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
  16. Global editing
7. Type
  1. Create text
  2. Fonts and typography
  3. Format type
  4. Import and export text
  5. Format paragraphs
  6. Special characters
  7. Create type on a path
  8. Character and paragraph styles
  9. Tabs
  10. Text and type
  11. Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
  12. Update text from Illustrator 10
  13. Arabic and Hebrew type
  14. Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
  15. Create 3D text effect
  16. Creative typography designs
  17. Scale and rotate type
  18. Line and character spacing
  19. Hyphenation and line breaks
  20. Text enhancements
  21. Spelling and language dictionaries
  22. Format Asian characters
  23. Composers for Asian scripts
  24. Create text designs with blend objects
  25. Create a text poster using Image Trace
8. Create special effects
  1. Work with effects
  2. Graphic styles
  3. Create a drop shadow
  4. Appearance attributes
  5. Create sketches and mosaics
  6. Drop shadows, glows, and feathering
  7. Summary of effects
9. Web graphics
  1. Best practices for creating web graphics
  2. Graphs
  3. SVG
  4. Create animations
  5. Slices and image maps
Import, export, and save
1. Import
  1. Import artwork files
  2. Import bitmap images
  3. Import artwork from Photoshop
  4. Place multiple files | Illustrator CC
  5. Unembed images
  6. Import Adobe PDF files
  7. Import EPS, DCS, and AutoCAD files
  8. Links information
2. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
  1. Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
3. Save
  1. Save artwork
4. Export
  1. Export artwork
  2. Collect assets and export in batches
  3. Package files
  4. Create Adobe PDF files
  5. Extract CSS | Illustrator CC
  6. Adobe PDF options
  7. File information and metadata
Printing
1. Prepare for printing
  1. Set up documents for printing
  2. Change the page size and orientation
  3. Specify crop marks for trimming or aligning
  4. Get started with large canvas
2. Printing
  1. Overprint
  2. Print with color management
  3. PostScript printing
  4. Print presets
  5. Printer's marks and bleeds
  6. Print and save transparent artwork
  7. Trapping
  8. Print color separations
  9. Print gradients, meshes, and color blends
  10. White Overprint
Automate tasks
1. Data merge using the Variables panel
2. Automation with scripts
3. Automation with actions
Troubleshooting
1. Crash on launch issues
2. Recover files after crash
3. File issues
4. GPU device driver issues
5. Wacom device issues
6. DLL file issues
7. Memory issues
8. Preferences file issues
9. Font issues
10. Printer issues
11. Share crash report with Adobe

Painting methods

Illustrator provides two methods of painting:

Assigning a fill, stroke, or both to an entire object
Converting the object to a Live Paint group and assigning fills or strokes to the separate edges and faces of paths within it

After you draw an object, you assign a fill, stroke, or both to it. You can then draw other objects that you can paint similarly, layering each new object on top of the previous ones. The result is something like a collage made out of shapes cut from colored paper, with the look of the artwork depending on which objects are on top in the stack of layered objects.

With the Live Paint method, you paint more like you would with a traditional coloring tool, without regard to layers or stacking order, which can make for a more natural workflow. All objects in a Live Paint group are treated as if they are part of the same flat surface. This means you can draw several paths and then color separately each area enclosed by these paths (called a face). You can also assign different stroke colors and weights to portions of a path between intersections (called an edge). The result is that, much like a coloring book, you can fill each face and stroke each edge with a different color. As you move and reshape paths in a Live Paint group, the faces and edges automatically adjust in response.

For more information, see the Live Paint article.

Live-Paint

A. An object consisting of paths painted with the existing method has a single fill and a single strokeB. The same object converted to a Live Paint group can be painted with a different fill for each faceC. The same object converted to a Live Paint group can be painted with a different stroke for each edge

About fills and strokes

A fill is a color, pattern, or gradient inside an object. You can apply fills to open and closed objects and to faces of Live Paint groups.

A stroke can be the visible outline of an object, a path, or the edge of a Live Paint group. You can control the width and color of a stroke. You can also create dashed strokes using Path options, and paint stylized strokes using brushes.

Note: When working with Live Paint groups, you can apply a brush to an edge only if you add a stroke to the group using the Appearance panel.

The current fill and stroke colors appear in the Tools panel, the Control panel, and the Properties panel.

To watch the tutorial on applying fills and strokes, see Color basics.

Fills and Strokes

A. An object with a fill colorB. An object with a stroke colorC. An object with a fill color and stroke color

Fill and Stroke controls

Controls for setting the fill and stroke are available in the Properties panel, the Tools panel, the Control panel, and the Color panel.

Use any of the following controls in the Tools panel to specify color:

Fill button		Double-click to select a fill color using the Color Picker.
Stroke button		Double-click to select a stroke color using the Color Picker.
Swap Fill And Stroke button		Click to swap colors between the fill and stroke.
Default Fill And Stroke button		Click to return to the default color settings (white fill and black stroke).
Color button		Click to apply the last-selected solid color to an object with a gradient fill or no stroke or fill.
Gradient button		Click to change the currently selected fill to the last-selected gradient.
None button		Click to remove the selected object's fill or stroke.

You can also specify color and stroke for a selected object by using the following controls in the Properties panel and the Control panel:

Fill color

Click to open the Swatches panel or Shift-click to open an alternate color mode panel, and choose a color.

Stroke color

Click to open the Swatches panel or Shift-click to open an alternate color mode panel, and choose a color.

Stroke panel

Click the word Stroke to open the Stroke panel and specify options.

Stroke weight

Choose a stroke weight from the pop‑up menu.

Apply a fill color

You can apply one color, pattern, or gradient to an entire object, or you can use Live Paint groups and apply different colors to different faces within the object.

Select the object using the Selection tool () or the Direct Selection tool ().

Click the Fill box in the Tools panel, the Properties panel, or the Color panel to indicate that you want to apply a fill rather than a stroke.

Select a fill color by doing one of the following:

Click a color in the Control panel, Color panel, Swatches panel, Gradient panel, or a swatch library.
Double-click the Fill box and select a color from the Color Picker.
Select the Eyedropper tool and Alt‑click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) an object to apply the current attributes, including the current fill and stroke.
Click the None button to remove the object's current fill.

Note:

You can quickly apply color to an unselected object by dragging a color from the Fill box, Color panel, Gradient panel, or Swatches panel onto the object. Dragging doesn't work on Live Paint groups.

Apply a stroke color

Select the object. (To select an edge in a Live Paint group, use the Live Paint Selection tool.)

Click the Stroke box in the Tools panel, the Properties panel, the Color panel, or the Control panel. Doing so indicates that you want to apply a stroke rather than a fill.

Select a color from the Color panel, or a swatch from the Swatches panel, the Properties panel, or the Control panel. Alternatively, double-click the Stroke box to select a color using the Color Picker.

Note:

If you want to use the current color in the Stroke box, you can simply drag the color from the Stroke box onto the object. Dragging does not work on Live Paint groups.

Convert strokes to compound paths

Converting a stroke to a compound path lets you modify the outline of the stroke. For example, you can create a stroke with a varied width or divide the stroke into pieces.

Choose Object > Path > Outline Stroke.

The resulting compound path is grouped with the filled object. To modify the compound path, first ungroup it from the fill or select it using the Group Selection tool.

convert-to-compound-pathzoom

A. A stroke applied to an objectB. A stroke converted to a compound path containing two sub-paths

Note:

Use the Layers panel to identify the contents of a group.

Use the Blob Brush tool to paint filled shapes that you can intersect and merge with other shapes of the same color.

The Blob Brush tool uses the same default brush options as calligraphic brushes. (See Calligraphic brush options.)

Calligraphy brush - Blob Brush tool

A. Calligraphic brush creates paths with a stroke and no fillB. Blob brush creates paths with a fill and no stroke

To see a video on using the Blob Brush tool, see Using the Blob Brush and Eraser Tools.

Blob Brush tool guidelines

When using the Blob Brush tool, keep the following guidelines in mind:

To merge paths, they must be adjacent in stacking order.
The Blob Brush tool creates paths with a fill and no stroke. If you want your Blob Brush paths to merge with existing artwork, make sure that the artwork has the same fill color and no stroke.
When drawing paths with the Blob Brush tool, new paths merge with the topmost matching path encountered. If the new path touches more than one matching path within the same group or layer, all of the intersecting paths are merged together.
To apply paint attributes (such as effects or transparency) to the Blob Brush tool, select the brush and set the attributes in the Appearances panel before you start drawing.
Use the Blob Brush tool to merge paths created by other tools. To do so, make sure that the existing artwork doesn't have a stroke. Then set up the Blob Brush tool to have the same fill color, and draw a new path that intersects all of the paths that you want to merge together.

Create merged paths

Paths with strokes can't be merged.

Select the path into which you want to merge a new path.

In the Appearances panel, deselect New Art Has Basic Appearance, so that the Blob Brush tool uses the attributes of the selected artwork.

Select the Blob Brush tool, and make sure it uses the same appearances as the selected artwork.

Draw paths that intersect with the artwork. If the paths don't merge, make sure that the Blob Brush tool's attributes exactly match the existing path attributes, and that neither uses a stroke.

Blob Brush tool options

Double-click the Blob Brush tool in the Tools panel and set any of the following options:

Keep Selected

Specifies that when you draw a merged path, all paths are selected and remain selected as you continue to draw. This option is useful for viewing all paths that are included in the merged path.

Merge only with Selection

Specifies that new strokes merge only with the existing selected path. If you select this option, the new stroke is not merged with another intersecting path that is not selected.

Fidelity

Controls how far you have to move your mouse or stylus before Illustrator adds a new anchor point to the path. For example, a Fidelity value of 2.5 means that tool movements of less than 2.5 pixels aren't registered. Fidelity can range from 0.5 to 20 pixels; the higher the value, the smoother and less complex the path.

Smoothness

Controls the amount of smoothing that Illustrator applies when you use the tool. Smoothness can range from 0% to 100%; the higher the percentage, the smoother the path.

Size

Determines the size of the brush.

Angle

Determines the angle of rotation for the brush. Drag the arrowhead in the preview, or enter a value in the Angle text box.

Roundness

Determines roundness of the brush. Drag a black dot in the preview away from or toward the center, or enter a value in the Roundness text box. The higher the value, the greater the roundness.

Select objects with the same fill and stroke

You can select objects that have the same attributes, including fill color, stroke color, and stroke weight.

Select objects with the same fill and stroke

A. One of the objects is selectedB. All objects with the same fill color are selected

The Select > Same > Fill Color, Stroke Color, and Stroke Weight commands work within a Live Paint group when you select a face or edge with the Live Paint Selection tool. Other Select > Same commands don't work. You can't select the same objects both inside and outside a Live Paint group at the same time.

To select objects with the same fill and stroke, select one of the objects, click the Select Similar Objects button in the Control panel, and choose what you want to base your selection on in the menu that appears.
To select all objects with the same fill or stroke color, select an object with that fill or stroke color, or choose the color from the Color panel or Swatches panel. Then choose Select > Same and click Fill Color, Stroke Color, or Fill & Stroke on the submenu.
To select all objects with the same stroke weight, select an object with that stroke weight or choose the stroke weight from the Stroke panel. Then choose Select > Same > Stroke Weight.
To apply the same selection options using a different object (for example, if you have already selected all red objects using the Select > Same > Fill Color command and now you want to search for all green objects), select a new object and then choose Select > Reselect.
Tip: To consider the tint of an object when selecting based on color, choose Edit > Preferences > General (Windows) or Illustrator > Preferences > General (Mac OS), and then choose Select Same Tint %. Now if you select an object filled with a 50% tint of PANTONE Yellow C and choose Select > Same > Fill Color, Illustrator selects only those objects filled with a 50% tint of that color. If you deselect this option, Illustrator selects objects with any tint of PANTONE Yellow C.

Create multiple fills and strokes

Use the Appearance panel to create multiple fills and strokes for the same object. Adding multiple fills and strokes to an object is the basis for creating many interesting effects. For example, you can create a second, narrower stroke on top of a wide stroke, or you can apply an effect to one fill but not the other.

Select one or more objects or groups (or target a layer in the Layers panel).

Select Add New Fill or Add New Stroke from the Appearance panel menu. Alternatively, select a fill or stroke in the Appearance panel, and click the Duplicate Selected Item button .

Set the color and other properties for the new fill or stroke.

It may be necessary to adjust the position of the new fill or stroke in the Appearance panel. For example, if you create two strokes of different widths, make sure that the narrower stroke is above the wider stroke in the Appearance panel.

Remove a fill or stroke from an object

Click the Fill box or the Stroke box in the Tools panel or the Properties panel to indicate whether you want to remove the object's fill or its stroke.

Click the None button in the Tools panel, the Color panel, or the Swatches panel.

Note:

You can also click the None icon in the Fill menu or the Stroke Color menu in the Properties panel or the Control panel.

Fill and Stroke boxes

A. Apply a fill color and a stroke colorB. Remove a stroke from an objectC. Remove a fill from an object