Help with effect please....

[Graphics2u]

I'm not to great with Illustrator and I do not have Photoshop, normally always use Flexi Pro. But I have to make a 4' x 12' vertical banner with a photo at the top and bottom with a black center where the text will be displayed.
What is the best way if at all possible in Illustrator to make the black area in the center fade into the photos at the top and bottom. It would need to be transparent where it fades so the photos gradually appear. Or maybe it would be easier to make the photos fade into the black??

If there is a way I can do this in Illustrator CS2 That would be great!
I do also have an older version of Corel Photo-Paint, I think it's version 9.

I included a layout sample to show what I'm talking about. I don't have the images yet from the musuem otherwise I would have included them in the sample.

If you can give me any ideas that would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Baz]

I would go into your photopaint and fade your pictures to black (top or bottom accordingly). Then bring them into Illustrator and put in a black rectangle joining both pictures. Just makes sure that your pictures and black rectangle are the same color mode with each other (RGB or CMYK).

 

[ENTDesign]

Using Illustrator you want to make a gradient fill. There is a gradient function that will allow you to set the gradient parameters so that you can fade top and bottom and yet be solid in the center. Look in the manual or pull up the program help.

 

[mark in tx]

You can do that gradient in Flexi, apply any gradient to the black box, then double click on the gradient swatch and it should bring up a more advanced control where you can set the gradient sliders and change the colors of the gradient.

 

[MobileImpact]

yeah, I agree with Mark, why not just do it in flexi. Select gradiant fill and then click on the advanced feature, move the sliders. If you click it again, the boxes will come on the screen and you can then fade the gradient to whatever level or angle you want.

Kevin

 

[Graphics2u]

yeah, I agree with Mark, why not just do it in flexi. Select gradiant fill and then click on the advanced feature, move the sliders. If you click it again, the boxes will come on the screen and you can then fade the gradient to whatever level or angle you want.

Kevin

I use gradients in Flexi alot, but I don't think there is away to fade from transparent to another color in this case black, is there??? I thought you always had to use two colors and fade from one to the other.

Maybe I'm not explaining well. What I need is to have it look like the black center portion fades out to transparency on top of the picture. So the picture looks like it gradually appears from the black. Can that be done in flexi??

Thanks for the input.

 

[Graphics2u]

I would go into your photopaint and fade your pictures to black (top or bottom accordingly). Then bring them into Illustrator and put in a black rectangle joining both pictures. Just makes sure that your pictures and black rectangle are the same color mode with each other (RGB or CMYK).

I'll give that a try. Thanks!

 

[3CGraphics]

use nonprinting white - at least that works in AI - so gradient white to blaack and you should have what you are looking for