Recipe 1.29. Stretching, Rotating, and Repositioning Fills

Problem

You want to stretch, rotate, or reposition a gradient or bitmap fill within its shape.

Solution

Use the Fill Transform tool (F).

Discussion

The Fill transform tool has simple controls for repositioning fills, stretching and shrinking fills, and rotating fills. The important concept to understand when using this tool is that it affects only the fillnot the contours of the shape.

To achieve the desired effect, drag the appropriate control handle. To apply a transformation, press the Esc key. You can apply multiple transformations to a fill, and undo the previous transformation. In addition, fill transformations are nondestructive and nonpermanent, so you can apply new transformations at any time.

See Also

Recipe 1.32, Recipe 6.2