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Dissolve - Gradient

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sa77

Vendor
May 25, 2005
24
FI
Previously I designed with Photoshop and was able to make a gradient effect with a brush in dissolve-mode. How can I get something similar in Illustrator (or can I)? The effect with Gradient Tool is too smooth, I need something more natural and that uses only one color (in other words very small dots or lines placed together from tight to loose). I hope you understand what I mean...
 
...if you can post a link to a sample image that would help towards your request, you can do this by way of a free image upload site which can be found if you google, then you can copy the link in a message...

...as i understand it you want something like noisy edged gradient, as dissolve in illustrator is essentially noise...

...is this to fill a flat vector area or a vector stroke?

Andrew
 
...sorry correction fore above:

"dissolve in illustrator"

meant to say:

"dissolve in photoshop is essentially noise"

Andrew
 
...also what version of illustrator do you have access to...

Andrew
 
...one method might be to begin with a radial filled circle, black to white, in an RGB document, that way you can utilise the effects > photoshop effects options...

...and eventually ending up with a black 1bit bitmap noise object that can be colorised to any color, sat on top of a solid color...

...this will take some experimenting in illustrator, but is achievable...

...this method does result in a pixel 1bit bitmap image for the noise, but still good for high end print output, so long as resolution is taken into account...

...so before embarking on instructions, is the noise effect needing to be vector too, as this would make it a tad trickier? In which case you may have to implement the live trace feature...

...by the time you got through that you may find it more efficient to create a dissolve in photoshop that you can import as a 1bit bitmap to illustrator to colorise...

Andrew
 
Thanks for helping!

Of course vector would be ideal but I could live with bitmap as well..
 
...no problem...

...a vector solution does become problematic in the fact that so many tiny parts would have to constructed with points and vector paths somehow...

...i've yet to think of a really efficient way to add detailed noise and it be vector...

...as i work in prepress graphics, it can take a great deal more processing power for all those points and paths to be calculated, particular over larger areas...

...our system is pretty high spec, but when we encounter designers using the live trace tool on objects such as bitmap photographs, it can take a great deal of time to render, and especially true when you have to impose many to view on a press sheet...

...generally it doesn't really bother me having extended render times, but there are times when the heat is really on (very often in the print game) and it can add to an already stressful day...

: )

Andrew
 
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