Expert: Amy - 10/7/2003

Question
I am working on a mac and I'm having such a difficult time importing pictures into illustrator. I've changed the format several times. also, when I'm trying to change to a different color I can't seem to do it, it's all black n white...
can you help?
Thank you

Answer
Hi Janah,

Unfortunately, the things you can do with imported pictures in Illustrator is quite limited.

You didn't indicate your AI version, so I'll assume 9. You should be able to import jpegs, bmps, tiffs and eps artwork with no problem.

Make sure to use the proper File>Place command from the menu, don't just drag and drop or cut and paste.

After choosing File > Place, you get the Place dialog window; make sure you DO NOT check the 'Link' or 'Template' options.

Once the files are in your document, you can use the Filter > Colors > Adjust Colors command and a few others in the Colors filter menu, like invert, to play with the image's colors.

Unfortunately, there's no easy way to tint a grayscale image with a spot color.  In CMYK mode, you can adjust the CMYK percentages using the Adjust colors command and the image will sep right when printing... but if you're working in a 2-color or 3-color environment, you can't assign a spot color tint to your image, like you can in Quark, for example.

If you are indeed trying to tint a photo... create a rectangle over your photo and assign the rectangle your spot color.  Then using the Transparency window, adjust the percentage and the mode (normal, darken, etc.).  I have heard this does not separate correctly if you're going to print with this, so you'd best consult with your print shop rep if this is a real print job.

Something tells me you might be trying to tint bitmaps.  This just cannot be done in AI, to the best of my version 9 knowledge.  Your best bet is to work with your image in PhotoShop and give it the color you want there, then bring it into AI as an EPS.

This is a pretty vague and vast answer, I'll admit.  If you have a more specific situation, I'll be happy to help further.

Amy Pace