2017

The Exclusion blend mode has been applied to the topmost cyan colored object,
overlapping the magenta colored object.
Working with opacity
Opacity is applied at the color level, so you can specify opacity for just about anything
you can apply a color to, including the first or second color in a blend. This means
you can have different opacities at work on different attributes of the same item — a
text box frame, a background, a picture, and each character of text, for example, can
have differing opacities.
Specifying opacity
Specifying opacity is as easy as specifying the shade of a color. In fact, wherever you
can pick a color — in the Colors palette, the Measurements palette, the Style menu,
various tabs of the Modify dialog box, and more — you can enter an opacity value
from 0% (transparent) to 100% (opaque) in 0.1% increments.
To specify opacity for a picture:
• (Windows only) Enter a value in the Opacity field of the Picture tab (Item >
Modify).
• (Mac OS X only) Enter a value in the Opacity field of the Picture Box tab of the
Measurements palette.
Specifying opacity for groups
Keep in mind that when you stack items of varying opacities, the colors are combined
and may produce a buildup of ink. For example, if you place a yellow box with a 30%
opacity in front of a cyan box with 100% opacity, the box in front will become slightly
greenish.
You can control this by grouping items and specifying a group opacity rather than
individual item opacities. To do this, on Windows, use the Group Opacity field in the
Group tab of the Modify dialog box (Item menu) and on Mac OS X use the Home tab
of the Measurements palette. Depending on the effect you want, you may need to
revert the Opacity field for the individual items to 100% (otherwise, each item's opacity
is added to the group's opacity).
296 | A GUIDE TO QUARKXPRESS 2017
COLOR, OPACITY, AND DROP SHADOWS