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Paint and fill
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Learn painting basics
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Apply and edit strokes
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Learn painting basics
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Manage colors
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Select and adjust colors
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Use swatches
- About Swatches
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Modify colors
- Recolor artwork
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Apply transparency and blending
- Transparency panel overview
- Adjust opacity
- Opacity mask overview
- Adjust transparency using opacity masks
- Clip and invert opacity masks
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- Create knockout shapes
- Create transparency knockout groups
- View transparency in the artwork
- Blended objects overview
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- Flatten and print transparent artwork
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- Apply transparency to artwork
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- Create and edit opacity masks
- Trap colors between objects
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Add and manage text
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Use special characters and glyphs
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Create and manage artboards
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Organize and manage artboards
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Automate actions
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Export files to different formats
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Troubleshoot
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Application crash issues
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- Fix Illustrator crash issues
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Apply transparency to artwork
Last updated on
Oct 27, 2026
Learn how to adjust object opacity and create knockout effects using the Transparency panel in Adobe Illustrator.
Use the Transparency panel to change object opacity, create knockout groups, and control how transparent objects interact with underlying artwork.
Open the Transparency panel
From the Transparency panel menu, select Show Options to display all available controls.
Show object thumbnails
From the Transparency panel menu, select Show Thumbnail.
Select the double triangle on the panel tab to cycle through the available thumbnail sizes.
The thumbnail displays a preview of the selected object and any applied opacity masks.
Show the transparency grid
Select View > Show Transparency Grid. A checkerboard pattern appears behind transparent areas of your artwork.
Tip
To customize the transparency grid, select File > Document Setup, and then change the Grid Size and Grid Colors settings.
Change object opacity
Select an object, group, or target a layer in the Layers panel.
In the Transparency panel, drag the Opacity slider or enter an opacity value.
Opacity values range from 0% (fully transparent) to 100% (fully opaque).
Opacity values range from 0% (fully transparent) to 100% (fully opaque). When you change opacity for multiple selected objects, their overlapping areas show accumulated transparency. When you target a layer or group, all objects within it are treated as a single unit.
Tip
To select all objects with the same opacity, select an object with the desired opacity or enter the opacity value in the Transparency panel, and then choose Select > Same > Opacity.
Change the opacity of a fill or stroke
Use the Selection tool to select an object.
Select Window > Appearance.
In the Appearance panel, select the Fill or Stroke.
In the Transparency panel, adjust the Opacity value.
You can apply different opacity values to the fill and stroke of the same object.
Create a knockout group
Select the group or target the layer in the Layers panel.
In the Transparency panel, select Knockout Group until a checkmark appears.
Objects within the group no longer show through each other, even when they have reduced opacity.
Note
The Knockout Group has three states: Enabled (checkmark), Disabled (empty), and Neutral (dash), which inherits the setting from the parent layer or group
Create gradient-based knockout shapes
Select the object that contains an opacity mask and the underlying objects.
Select Object > Group.
In the Transparency panel, select Knockout Group until a checkmark appears.
Select Window > Layers and then expand the group.
Select only the masked object.
In the Transparency panel, select Opacity & Mask Define Knockout Shape.
The transparency of the masking object determines how much of the underlying artwork shows through. For example, a gradient opacity mask creates a gradual knockout effect.
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