Adobe Illustrator/CS4 drop shadow editing

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Expert: - 2/17/2009


Question
In CS3, you used to be able to apply a drop shadow, ungroup the objects and
edit the drop shadow individually - for example you could have the drop
shadow apply to one half of a background but not the other, so giving an
'overhanging' 3D effect. If you can still do that, I can't find out how. I tried the
appearance palette and tried ungrouping the object but without success. Is
there still a way to edit the drop shadow (or at least decide how far back in
the order of objects it is)?

Answer
Graeme,
I am not on CS4 yet but I would suggest that you duplicate the object/objects and (copy/paste in back/behind) and apply the effect to the duplicate. This also gives you an additional method to control the offset and stacking order.

Good Luck


Nick

Adobe Illustrator

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Nick Putthoff

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I can answer prepress related questions for Adobe Illustrator all versions. I am qualified from having to prepare properly separated and trapped artwork files entirely on the desktop in Adobe Illustrator and in Photoshop when Photoshop files are placed in Illustrator. I have made and fixed nearly every mistake imaginable.

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20 years of Illustrator prepress

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PTA - Prepress Trade Artisans

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My work has appeared in numerous catalogs and magazines. Also on packages on store shelves everywhere.

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The School of Second Shift with no one around to ask.

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The Dr. Desktop award for persistence and imaginative problem-solving.

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