To flatten an image in Illustrator, essentially merging all layers and transparency into a single, non-editable layer, you'll want to use the "Flatten Transparency" feature. This process simplifies the artwork, often reducing file size and resolving potential printing issues.
Here's how to do it:
-
Select All: Go to
Select > Allin the top menu bar. This ensures that all objects in your Illustrator document are selected. -
Flatten Transparency: Go to
Object > Flatten Transparency. This opens the Flatten Transparency options dialog box. -
Adjust Settings (Optional): Within the Flatten Transparency dialog box, you can adjust several settings. While the default settings often suffice, consider these:
- Raster/Vector Balance: This slider controls the balance between rasterized and vectorized elements. Moving it towards Vector will attempt to preserve vector elements as vectors, while moving it towards Raster will convert more elements to raster images. This can affect the file size and the sharpness of certain elements.
- Line Art and Text Resolution: Set the resolution for any line art or text that gets rasterized. A higher resolution results in better quality but increases file size.
- Gradient and Mesh Resolution: Similar to line art and text, adjust the resolution for rasterized gradients and meshes.
- Convert All Strokes to Outlines: Check this box to convert all strokes to filled paths. This prevents strokes from appearing thinner or thicker when the document is scaled or viewed on different devices.
- Convert All Text to Outlines: Convert all text to outlines. This avoids font substitution issues when sharing the file but makes the text uneditable.
- Clip Complex Regions: Check this to clip complex regions of the artwork.
-
Flatten: Click
OKto flatten the transparency according to your chosen settings.
Important Considerations:
- Irreversibility: Flattening is a destructive process. Once flattened, you can't easily revert to the original layered structure. It's always a good practice to save a copy of your original, layered Illustrator file before flattening.
- When to Flatten: Flattening is typically done as a final step before printing or exporting to certain file formats that don't support transparency or layers.
- Alternatives to Flattening: In some cases, you can avoid flattening by using the "Convert to Curves/Outlines" option (for text) and ensuring your export settings are compatible with transparency. PDF/X-1a is a good choice for print which often requires flattening.
In short, using "Flatten Transparency" under the Object menu is how you merge all layers of your illustrator file into one layer making your image flat. Just remember to save a copy of the original, layered file beforehand.
