can you use the eraser tool with a self made brush? 1

[buttercup08]

hi
could really do with some help, i need to delete parts of a print in Ai cs4 and make it distressed can i make a distress brush and then use the eraser tool and select the distress brush to delete the parts i dont need
all help appricated

 

[apepp]

...no, unfortunately the eraser brush only allows for elliptical removal, double clicking the eraser shows you the options available...

...you will have to either use opacity masking (for images), or the pathfinder palette (for vector, or you can also use opacity masks on vector too)...

andrew

 

[apepp]

...i've put a quick screen movie together to show opacity masking...

...a very quick example using imported photoshop black and white images, (shades of black and white vector can also be used)...

...quicktime player required:

http://www.zen63258.zen.co.uk/tek/illy_opacitymasks.mov

andrew

 

[apepp]

...you need to ensure that imported graphics are of suitable resolution if end use is for high end printing, and the "document raster effects settings" are also set correctly under the "effects" menu...

...when or if saving to PDF 1.3 (Acrobat 4) you also need to ensure you use a "high resolution" flattener...

...if saving to PDF acrobat version 1.4 or higher then no flattening is required, but you need to ensure your print provider supports live transparency PDF files as part of their workflow...

andrew