Select an object that contains other items, such as a layer or group.
Last updated on
Oct 22, 2026
Learn how to modify fills, strokes, effects, and other visual properties in the Appearance panel in Adobe Illustrator.
The Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) gives you direct access to all visual attributes applied to your selected object, group, or layer. Use it when you need to adjust existing attributes rather than apply new ones.
For an overview of how appearance attributes work in Illustrator, learn more about the appearance attributes concept article.
The Appearance panel displays all fills, strokes, effects, and other attributes in a hierarchical list. You can modify these attributes, control their visibility, adjust their stacking order, and manage how new objects inherit appearance settings.
View nested contents
In the Appearance panel, double-click the Contents to reveal nested objects.
For text objects, double-click the Characters item to display character-level attributes.
Select Type at the top of the panel to return to the main view.
To see individual character attributes for text with mixed formatting, select specific characters before opening the Characters view.
Show or hide attributes
In the Appearance panel, click the visibility icon next to any attribute to toggle it on or off.
To show all hidden attributes at once, select Show All Hidden Attributes from the panel menu.
Edit attribute values
Select the object you want to modify.
In the Appearance panel, click directly in the attribute row to display and adjust values for properties like opacity or blending mode.
For attributes with additional settings, click the blue underlined attribute name to open its dialog box.
Make your changes and select OK.
To edit a fill color, click the fill row in the Appearance panel and choose a new color from the color picker.
Add or remove effects
Select the object, group, or layer you want to modify.
In the Appearance panel, click the Add New Effect button and choose an effect from the menu.
To remove an effect or other attribute, select it in the list and click Delete, or drag it to the Delete button.
Duplicate attributes
Select the attribute in the Appearance panel.
Click the Duplicate Selected Item at the bottom of the panel or drag the attribute onto the button.
Change stacking order
In the Appearance panel, drag an attribute up or down in the list.
If needed, click the triangle next to an item to expand its contents before dragging.
Release the mouse when the outline appears in the desired position.
Use the dialog to reorder appearance attributes by dragging them up or down in the Appearance panel. Expand items to view their contents before repositioning.
The stacking order affects how attributes interact. For example, a drop shadow applied to a stroke appears different than the same shadow applied to a fill.
Remove all attributes
Select the object, group, or target layer in the Layers panel.
To remove all attributes except a single fill and stroke, select Reduce To Basic Appearance from the Appearance panel menu.
To remove all attributes, including fills and strokes, click the Clear Appearance button at the bottom of the panel.
Alert
Clearing appearance removes all visual properties. The object remains on the artboard but becomes invisible until you apply new fills or strokes.
Control thumbnail display
From the Appearance panel menu, select Show Thumbnail or Hide Thumbnail.
Set appearance defaults
From the Appearance panel menu, select New Art Has Basic Appearance to apply only a single fill and stroke to new objects.
Deselect New Art Has Basic Appearance to have new objects inherit all current appearance attributes.
This setting determines whether newly created objects inherit simple attributes or the full appearance stack from your current selection.
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