Expert: Amy - 9/28/2006

Question
I'm a PC user using Illustrator CS (I also have 10.0.3 - not sure the difference).  I know very little about this program and I'm trying to add a black and white bitmap file into another file.  I can get the image to be where I need it but I can't change the color. The image is black outline with a white back ground and I can color burn the background the blue color I need it to be, but I cannot change the black outline to white.  I used the auto trace tool to outline the image to make it a vector but the ouline was a mess.  What can I do?


Answer
Hi Kelly

If you have CS2, it's easier:
In Illustrator, place file, as link, click on box with direct selection tool (white arrow) and click color you want it to be from swatch palette.

If you have CS or earlier, it's more complicated:
You might have to save the BMP as a 1-bit TIFF - not sure.
Anywho, draw a large rectangle filled with the color you want behind the EMBEDDED (NOT LINKED) tiff, select both and in the Transparency palette menu choose Make Opacity Mask.  You might have to have New Opacity Masks inverted. There are some slight differences between versions so I can't tell you exactly where that option is or how it's worded but I bet it's around there somewhere.

Hope this helps!
Amy