Setting envelope options

You can set options for envelopes to determine what, if any, attribute of the envelope is expanded with the original object and how precisely the art is distorted to fit the envelope.

To set envelope options:

1. Select the envelope in the artwork, and choose Object > Envelope Distort > Envelope Options.
2. Select Anti-Alias to smooth rasters when distorted with an envelope. Deselecting Anti-Alias can decrease the time it takes to distort rasters.
3. The Preserve Shape Using option lets you specify how rasters preserve their shape when distorted by non-rectangular envelopes:
• Clipping Mask uses a clipping mask on the raster.
• Transparency applies an alpha channel to the raster.
4. Specify a Fidelity percentage to indicate how precisely you want the object to fit the envelope mold. Increasing the Fidelity percentage can add more points to the distorted paths and increase the time it takes to distort the objects.
5. Select Distort Appearance if you want to distort the appearance of an object (such as applied effects or styles) and not just the object's underlying geometry. When this option is not selected, the appearance is applied after the envelope distorts the underlying geometry.
6. Select Distort Linear Gradients or Distort Pattern Fills if you want to distort the respective fill type.
7. Click OK.

Note: If you expand the envelope with a Distort option selected, the respective property is expanded separately.