Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer - 2/7/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi Kevin,
I am a little confused.  I have been working on a file in Illustrator 10.  All layers in this document are transparent, even though they show up as white on the Illustrator Layers Palette (transparent layers show as transparent on the layers palette in Photoshop).  When I create a new document in Illustrator, the background color is white (no transparency).  I can't seem to find out how to change the color/transparency of a layer/background layer when I first create the document or after the document is already created.  Can you help me?

Thank you.


ANSWER: Hi Allyson,

If you are just looking to change your document to show the familiar grid pattern representing transparency, just hit this key command - Shift+Apple+D (mac) or Shift+Ctrl+D (PC) this will toggle the transparency between the two.

Thanks

Kevin




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Kevin,

thank you.  I don't usually work with a grid.  Without the grid being shown over a whie background, I thought I had a transparent background.
Do you have a response to my other previous question:

"I can't seem to find out how to change the color/transparency of a layer/background layer when I first create the document or after the document is already created.  Can you help me?"

Thank you


Answer
Hi Allyson,

No there is no way to set this up with transparency from the start. Toggling the view or going to the Document Setup (select Transparency from the menu at the top and set grid options) is the only way to view a transparent background. The default is white.

Layer 1 is the "background" layer in Illustrator there is no true white background unless you create it with a white box.

When you save and place this in another document, there is no white background that comes with it, it is transparent. You also cannot change individual layers previews.

Kevin