Effect and filter commands are dimmed when they aren’t available for the targeted item. For example, the command may work on vector objects, but not on bitmap images.

Following are some guidelines to help you determine when effects and filters are available.

All of the commands in the top section of the Effect menu (3D, Convert To Shape, Distort & Transform, Path, Pathfinder, Rasterize, Stylize, SVG Filters, and Warp) can be applied to vector objects. These same effects won’t affect a bitmap object unless you apply the effect to a fill or stroke added to the object in the Appearance panel; the exceptions to this are the effects in the 3D, SVG Filters, and Warp submenus, and the Transform, Drop Shadow, Feather, Inner Glow, and Outer Glow effects, which will affect a bitmap object. All of the commands in the bottom section of the Effect menu (starting with Artistic) are raster effects and can be applied to either bitmap or vector objects. When these raster effects are applied to an object, they use the document’s raster effects settings.

All of the commands in the top section of the Filter menu (Colors, Create, Distort, and Stylize) can be applied to vector objects (with the exception of Object Mosaic), but only some commands in the Create and Colors submenus can also be applied to bitmap objects. All of the commands in the bottom section of the Filter menu are raster filters and can be applied to bitmap objects, but not to vector objects or 1‑bit (black-and-white) bitmap objects.