Uploaded September 2013 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This tutorial will teach you the technique to create transparency effect in adobe illustrator and then how you can use the transparency effect to create a 3D web button.
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In this tutorial, you will learn how to work with transparency in adobe illustrator. Transparent Illustrator is a powerful tool which can be easily used to give a 3d effect on any object which is important skill that is used all over the internet to make web buttons. In this tutorial, you will start from making a basic shape and then go on to learn how to make a simple web button which can be used for different purposes on websites using transparency in illustrator.
Step 1-- Draw a circle
First of all, let's draw a circle using the ellipse tool and fill it with a solid color.
Step 2 -- Create transparent circle
Now let's duplicate the circle and fill it with a black and white radial gradient. After that, you will notice that the gradient is pretty much solid. Let's reduce the transparency of the black bar to 20% and white bar to 0%.
Notice that when we reduce the transparency, the object that is behind becomes visible and both the objects seem to blend in now.
Step 2 -- Make another copy of circle
Different levels of transparency reduce the visibility of the object on the canvas at different levels. For example, let's make another duplicate copy of the circle here. Now let's slightly decrease the size of the circle. If we reduce the transparency to 0%, notice that the object in front completely disappears.
Step 3 -- Make another circle
You can also use the transparency feature to create highlights and give a 3d look to the object. For that, let's make a copy of the transparent circle and reduce its size. With that done, let's place it at the top corner of the first circle.
Step 4 -- Specify blending steps
Next, we will select both the circles and double-click on the blend tool. A dialog box will appear on the screen where we will change the "specified steps" to 25 and press ok.
Step 5 -- Blend the circle
Once done, let's drag the blend tool cursor from the smaller circle towards the larger circle. This way we are basically defining a pattern.
And over here you can see that a 3d effect is given to the object.
Step 6 -- Make a copy of transparency
Let's make the top portion a bit more prominent. For that, let's make a copy of the transparent object, move it on top and change it to an oval shape.
And there you have it. A basic circle converted into a 3d object using nothing but the transparency option in Adobe Illustrator.
This tutorial will teach you the technique to create transparency effect in adobe illustrator and then how you can use the transparency effect to create a 3D web button.
Don't forget to check out our site howtech.tv for more free how-to videos!
youtube.com/ithowtovids - our feed
facebook.com/howtechtv - join us on facebook
plus.google.com/103440382717658277879 - our group in Google+
In this tutorial, you will learn how to work with transparency in adobe illustrator. Transparent Illustrator is a powerful tool which can be easily used to give a 3d effect on any object which is important skill that is used all over the internet to make web buttons. In this tutorial, you will start from making a basic shape and then go on to learn how to make a simple web button which can be used for different purposes on websites using transparency in illustrator.
Step 1-- Draw a circle
First of all, let's draw a circle using the ellipse tool and fill it with a solid color.
Step 2 -- Create transparent circle
Now let's duplicate the circle and fill it with a black and white radial gradient. After that, you will notice that the gradient is pretty much solid. Let's reduce the transparency of the black bar to 20% and white bar to 0%.
Notice that when we reduce the transparency, the object that is behind becomes visible and both the objects seem to blend in now.
Step 2 -- Make another copy of circle
Different levels of transparency reduce the visibility of the object on the canvas at different levels. For example, let's make another duplicate copy of the circle here. Now let's slightly decrease the size of the circle. If we reduce the transparency to 0%, notice that the object in front completely disappears.
Step 3 -- Make another circle
You can also use the transparency feature to create highlights and give a 3d look to the object. For that, let's make a copy of the transparent circle and reduce its size. With that done, let's place it at the top corner of the first circle.
Step 4 -- Specify blending steps
Next, we will select both the circles and double-click on the blend tool. A dialog box will appear on the screen where we will change the "specified steps" to 25 and press ok.
Step 5 -- Blend the circle
Once done, let's drag the blend tool cursor from the smaller circle towards the larger circle. This way we are basically defining a pattern.
And over here you can see that a 3d effect is given to the object.
Step 6 -- Make a copy of transparency
Let's make the top portion a bit more prominent. For that, let's make a copy of the transparent object, move it on top and change it to an oval shape.
And there you have it. A basic circle converted into a 3d object using nothing but the transparency option in Adobe Illustrator.
