If you try blending objects that are not supported, the following message displays on the iPad: Can only make blends with paths and group of paths.
- Illustrator User Guide
- Get to know Illustrator
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
- Create documents
- Toolbar
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction to artboards
- Manage artboards
- Customize the workspace
- Properties panel
- Set preferences
- Touch Workspace
- Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
- Undo edits and manage design history
- Rotate view
- Rulers, grids, and guides
- Accessibility in Illustrator
- Safe Mode
- View artwork
- Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
- Files and templates
- Tools in Illustrator
- Tools at a glance
- Select tools
- Navigate tools
- Paint tools
- Text tools
- Draw tools
- Modify tools
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Quick actions
- Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
- Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
- Troubleshooting issues FAQ
- Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Create and combine shapes on the web
- Add and edit text on the web
- Apply colors and gradients on the web
- Draw and edit paths on the web
- Work with cloud documents on the web
- Invite collaborators to edit on the web
- Illustrator on the iPad
- Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
- Workspace
- Documents
- Select and arrange objects
- Drawing
- Type
- Work with images
- Color
- Cloud documents
- Basics
- Troubleshooting
- Add and edit content
- Drawing and dimensioning
- Drawing basics
- Edit paths
- Draw pixel-perfect art
- Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
- Draw simple lines and shapes
- Draw rectangular and polar grids
- Draw and edit flares
- Image Trace
- Simplify a path
- Symbolism tools and symbol sets
- Adjust path segments
- Design a flower in 5 easy steps
- Create and edit a perspective grid
- Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
- Use objects as symbols for repeat use
- Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
- Measure and plot dimensions
- 3D objects and materials
- Color
- Painting
- Select and arrange objects
- Reshape objects
- Crop images
- Transform objects
- Combine objects
- Cut, divide, and trim objects
- Puppet Warp
- Scale, shear, and distort objects
- Blend objects
- Reshape using envelopes
- Reshape objects with effects
- Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
- Work with Live Corners
- Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
- Edit clipping masks
- Live shapes
- Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
- Global editing
- Type
- Add text and work with type objects
- Create bulleted and numbered lists
- Manage text area
- Fonts and typography
- Convert text within images into editable text
- Add basic formatting to text
- Add advanced formatting to text
- Import and export text
- Format paragraphs
- Special characters
- Create type on a path
- Character and paragraph styles
- Tabs
- Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
- Arabic and Hebrew type
- Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
- Create 3D text effect
- Creative typography designs
- Scale and rotate type
- Line and character spacing
- Hyphenation and line breaks
- Spelling and language dictionaries
- Format Asian characters
- Composers for Asian scripts
- Create text designs with blend objects
- Create a text poster using Image Trace
- Create special effects
- Web graphics
- Drawing and dimensioning
- Import, export, and save
- Import
- Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
- Save and export
- Printing
- Prepare for printing
- Printing
- Automate tasks
- Troubleshooting
Learn how to blend objects and shapes to create impressive illustrations, logos, and designs.
Illustrator on the iPad lets you evenly blend and distribute one or more objects of various shapes, patterns, and colors. When creating designs, you can add blended objects to a path using blend options.
Blend objects
- Draw an object using shape or drawing tools.
- Use fill and stroke tools to add colors to the object.
- Tap the Selection tool , select an object or drag to select multiple objects.
- Tap the Repeat panel to blend objects.
on the taskbar and select Blend tool - Modify blended objects using on-canvas controls.
- To change the blend instances, tap the blended object and drag the Instances control on the canvas.
- To move the blended object, tap the blended object and drag.
- To increase or decrease the size of the blended object, tap the blended object and drag the bounding box.
- To change the path of a blended object, select the object, tap the Direct selection tool , and drag the anchor points of the path.
- To use Blend options, select the blended object and tap the Properties panel on the taskbar.
Now that you have blended objects, you can set the following properties:
A) Tap the drop-down, select one of the following options:
Smooth: Auto-calculates and applies the number of steps between the blends.
Steps: Controls the number of steps between the start and end of the blend.
Distance: Controls the distance between the steps in the blend.
B) Value: Modify the value to control the steps and distance between blends.
C) Align to canvas: Orients the blend perpendicular to the x-axis of the canvas.
D) Align to path: Orients the blend perpendicular to the path.
E) Reverse front to back: Reverses the stacking order of the blended objects.
F) Reverse spine: Reverses the order of blend on its spine.
G) Replace spine: Replaces the spine with a blended object, see Replace spine.
A spine is a path along which the steps in a blended object are aligned. When creating logos, patterns, illustrations, or banners, the Replace Spine option lets you add blend along the path of the object.
Follow the steps below to swap the spine with a blended object:
- Create a spine using shape or drawing tools.
- Tap the Selection tool and select the spine object and the blended object.
- In the Blend options, tap Replace spine .
- Tap Reverse spine to reverse the order of blend on its spine.
Tips and tricks
- To select multiple objects, tap and hold the center of the touch shortcut icon and select each object one at a time.
- When you select a blended object, a widget with controls display on the canvas. Use the controls to duplicate, ungroup, lock, move, or expand blended objects.
- To replace the spine with blended objects, slide to the outer edge of the touch shortcut icon and hold. Drag the blended object to the spine.
To learn how to create and release blended objects using keyboard shortcuts, see keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the iPad.
What's next
Now you can create unique blends to give an artistic look to your logos, posters, banners, and more. You can save your artwork as a Creative Cloud document, learn how to blend objects in Illustrator desktop, and continue your design journey.
Got a question or an idea?
If you have a question or an idea, please share it with the Adobe Illustrator Community.