Apply Drop Shadow in Adobe Illustrator CS6

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Video: Apply Drop Shadow in Adobe Illustrator CS6

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You're watching VisiHow. This tutorial will show you how to apply a "Drop Shadow" effect to an object in Adobe Illustrator CS6 in Windows 7.

1. 1
   You should have Illustrator open and a document ready

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   There's a object created using the "Blob Brush" tool. For information on how to use this and other drawing tools, please view our other Adobe Illustrator tutorials.

   

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2. 2
   First, click "Selection Tool" in your vertical toolbar on the left side of the window

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   The selection tool icon is a black arrow.

   

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3. 3
   Click the object to which you would like to apply the "Drop Shadow" effect

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   The selected object will have a blue frame.

   

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4. 4
   Next, click "Effect" near the top-left side of the window

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5. 5
   Move the cursor to "Stylize" under "Illustrator Effects"

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6. 6
   Click the first option, "Drop Shadow...", in the expanded menu

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7. 7
   A small dialogue box should appear where you should first check "Preview" in the bottom-left corner

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   A "Drop Shadow" effect will appear around the object.

   

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8. 8
   Now, we can adjust the settings by clicking the "Mode" drop-down menu first

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9. 9
   Click a mode

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   It is recommended to experiment with these modes, depending on the background and the object.

   

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10. 10
    You can change "˜Opacity"

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    You can increase or decrease it with the up and down arrows. Alternatively, you can manually edit the value by typing the percentage. The default value is 75 %.

    

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11. 11
    Now, you can change "X Offset" and "Y Offset"

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    These are the vertical and horizontal offsets. You can click and highlight the numbers to change them or click the arrows at the side.

    

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12. 12
    You can also change the "Blur" value to give the object a more realistic effect

    .

    

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13. 13
    Finally, you can change the "Color" and "Darkness" settings, depending on your object

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    For this tutorial, we will change the color setting by double-clicking the box next to "Color". This will bring up the "Color Picker" pop-up window.

    

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14. 14
    Click a color

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15. 15
    Click "OK"

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    You can revise and readjust the settings.

    

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16. 16
    Click "OK" to apply any changes to your object

    

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This concludes our tutorial on how to apply a "Drop Shadow" effect to an object in Adobe Illustrator CS6 in Windows 7. If you have any questions or comments regarding this video or the program used, add them to the comment section below. Thank you for choosing VisiHow!

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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