Isolate blending modes, Knock out objects within a group, Underlying objects in the group. (see – Adobe InDesign CS5 User Manual
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USING INDESIGN
Transparency effects
Last updated 11/16/2011
Isolate blending modes
When you apply a blending mode to an object, its colors blend with all objects beneath it. If you want to limit the
blending to specific objects, you can group those objects and then apply the Isolate Blending option to the group. The
Isolate Blending option confines the blending to within the group, preventing objects beneath the group from being
affected. (It is useful for objects that have a blending mode other than Normal applied to them.)
Group (star and circle) with Isolate Blending option deselected (left) compared to selected (right)
It is important to understand that you apply the blending modes to the individual objects, but apply the Isolate
Blending option to the group. The option isolates blending interactions within the group. It doesn’t affect blending
modes applied directly to the group itself.
1 Apply the blending modes and opacity settings to the individual objects whose blending you want to isolate.
2 Using the Selection tool, select the objects you want to isolate.
3 Choose Object > Group.
4 In the Effects panel, select Isolate Blending. (If the option is not visible, select Show Options in the Effects panel
menu.)
You can isolate the blending of objects in a PDF file that contains blending modes. First, place the PDF file with the
Transparent Background option selected in the Place PDF dialog box. Then apply the Isolate Blending option.
Knock out objects within a group
You use the Knockout Group option in the Effects panel to make the opacity and blending attributes of every object
in the selected group knock out—that is, visually block out—underlying objects in the group. Only objects within the
selected group are knocked out. Objects beneath the selected group are still affected by the blending or opacity that
you apply to objects within the group.
It is important to understand that you apply the blending modes and opacity to the individual objects, but apply the
Knockout Group option to the group.
Group with Knockout Group option deselected (left) compared to selected (right)
1 Apply the blending modes and opacity settings to the individual objects that you want to knock out.
2 Using the Selection tool, select the objects that you want to knock out.