InDesign

Apply transparency effects

  1. Select an object. To apply effects to a graphic, select the graphic with the Direct Selection tool.
  2. Choose Window > Effects to display the Effects panel.
  3. Select a level to designate which parts or part of the object you want to change:
    Object
    Affects the entire object—its stroke, fill, and text.

    Graphic
    Affects only the graphic selected with the Direct Selection tool. Effects you apply to the graphic remain with it when you paste the graphic to a different frame.

    Group
    Affects all objects and text in the group. (Use the Direct Selection tool to apply effects to objects within a group.

    Stroke
    Affects only the object’s stroke (including its gap color).

    Fill
    Affects only the object’s fill.

    Text
    Affects only text inside the object, not the text frame. Effects you apply to text affect all the text in the object; you can’t apply an effect to individual words or letters.

    You can also choose a level setting in the Control panel: Click the Apply Effect To Object button  and select Object, Stroke, Fill, or Text.

  4. Do any of the following to open the Effects dialog box:

    • In the Effects panel or Control panel, click the FX button  and choose an effect from the menu.

    • From the Effects panel menu, choose Effects and then an effect name.

    • From the context menu, choose Effects and then an effect name.

    • Choose Object > Effects, and then choose an effect name.

    • On the Effects panel, click the triangle to display level settings if necessary, and then double-click a level setting—Object, Stroke, Fill, or Text—on the Effects panel. By double-clicking, you both open the Effects dialog box and choose a level setting.

  5. Choose options and settings for the effect. (See Common transparency settings and options.)
  6. Click OK.

Edit a transparency effect

  1. Do one of the following to open the Effects dialog box.

    • On the Effects panel, double-click the FX icon. (You may need to click the triangle next to the word Object to display the FX icon.)

    • Select the level with the effect you want to edit, click the FX button  in the Effects panel, and choose the name of an effect.

  2. Edit the effect.

Copy transparency effects

 Do any of the following to copy transparency effects:

  • To copy effects between objects, select the object with the effect you want to copy, select the object’s FX icon  in the Effects panel, and drag the FX icon to the other object. You can drag and drop effects between objects only to and from the same level.

  • To copy effects between objects selectively, use the Eyedropper tool . To control which transparency stroke, fill, and object settings are copied with the Eyedropper tool, double-click the tool to open the Eyedropper Options dialog box. Then select or deselect options in the Stroke Settings, Fill Settings, and Object Settings areas.

  • To copy effects from one level to another in the same object, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the FX icon from one level to another (Stroke, Fill, or Text) on the Effects panel.

You can move effects from one level to another in the same object by dragging the FX icon.

Clear transparency effects from an object

 Do any of the following:

  • To clear all effects from an object as well as change the blending mode to Normal and the Opacity setting to 100%, click the Clear All Effects button  in the Effects panel or choose Clear All Transparency on the Effect panel menu.

  • To clear all effects but maintain the blending and opacity settings, select a level and choose Clear Effects on the Effects panel menu or drag the FX icon  from the Stroke, Fill, or Text level in the Effects panel to the Trash icon.

  • To remove an individual effect from an object, open the Effects dialog box and deselect a Transparency effect.