Easily Add a Shadow to an Object in Adobe Illustrator

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The ultimate guide to adding shadows in Illustrator

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: August 23, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Drop Shadow

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Drawing a Shadow

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Video

Do you want to add depth to an object in Adobe Illustrator? This wikiHow article shows you how to use Illustrator's Drop Shadow effect to place a shadow behind objects, as well as how to draw a shadow with feathered edges.

Apply a Shadow in Illustrator

Select an object or group you want to apply a shadow to.
Click Effects in the menu bar at the top.
Click Stylize.
Click Drop Shadow.
Adjust the shadow settings in the window.
Click Ok.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Drop Shadow

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It has an icon that resembles a yellow box with "Ai" in the middle. Click the Illustrator icon in the Windows Start menu or Applications folder on Mac.
You can find recent documents under "Recent" on the title screen. To create a new document, click Create and select a preset, or enter the dimensions and color mode for your document manually.^{[1]
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You can select the layer in your Layers panel. To access this panel, click Window in the menu bar at the top, and then click "Layers" in the drop-down box.
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Group the objects you want to apply a drop-shadow to (optional). You can apply a drop-shadow to multiple objects at once. However, if you don't group them together, it will apply a separate shadow to each object individually. If you just want to apply a drop shadow to the outer edge of your objects, you will need to group all of them together. Use the following steps to do so:
- Hold Ctrl or Command and select all the objects you want to group.
  - Alternatively, you can click and drag around all the objects you want to select.
- Click Object in the menu bar at the top.
- Click Group.
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Click the object, group, or text box to which you want to add a drop shadow. Click the selection tool, which is the icon that resembles a black mouse cursor in the toolbar to the left. Then, click the object you want to apply a drop shadow to.
- Alternatively, you can press V on the keyboard to select the selection tool.
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Open the Drop Shadow window. Use the following steps to do so:
- Click Effects in the menu bar at the top.
- Select Stylize.
- Click Drop Shadow.
It's at the bottom of the Drop Shadow window. This allows you to see what the shadow looks like as you edit the settings.
The Drop Shadow window has a variety of settings you can adjust. They are as follows:^{[2]
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This is the way the shadow will be blended. This includes options like "Hard Light, Multiply, Soft Light, Color Burn, Overlay," and more.
- Opacity: This changes how "see-through" the shadow is. The higher the percentage, the more your shadow will stand out.
- X-Offset: This changes how far the shadow extends along the X-axis (left and right). Use positive numbers to extend further right. Use negative numbers to extend further right.
- Y-Offset: This changes how far the shadow extends along the Y-axis (up and down). Use positive numbers to extend down. Use negative numbers to extend up.
- Blur: This affects how wide the blurry edge of the shadow is.
- Color: The radio option next to "Color" allows you to select a color for your shadow. By default, your shadow will be black. You can use the colored square next to "Color" to select a different color.
- Darkness: The radio option next to "Darkness" creates a shadow that is a darker shade of color than the selected object. The percentage next to this option determines how black the shadow is.
It's at the bottom of the Drop Shadow window. This applies the shadow with your settings.
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Change the drop shadow settings. You can adjust the shadow settings you just created by selecting Window in the menu bar at the top and selecting Appearance from the drop-down menu. An Appearance panel will appear that will list the effects of that object. Click on the words Drop Shadow to make changes.
- If you repeat the steps to create a drop shadow from the "Effects" menu, then it will create another drop shadow on top of your current shadow.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Drawing a Shadow

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1
Create a new layer below the object you want to add a shadow to. You can do so in the Layers panel on the left. Click the icon that resembles a blank page at the bottom of the Layers panel. Then drag the new layer below the layer with the object you want to create a shadow for.
- You may want to name the new layer something recognizable, like "Shadow."
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Draw the shadow for your object. You can use any of the tools in the toolbar to the left to draw the shape of the shadow. You can use the Shape tools to create basic shapes or the Pen tool to draw a more complex shape.
- Alternatively, you can make a quick shadow by selecting the object(s) you want to create a shadow for and copy them. Paste them in your shadow layer. Open the Pathfinder under Window > Pathfinder and click the Unite tool to join them into a single shape. Then, use the Scale and Sheer tools to adjust the shape and position of the shadow object.
With the shadow object selected, use the color picker in the menu bar at the top or to the right to select a dark color, like black.
Opacity adjusts how "see-through" the shadow is. You can use the value next to "Opacity" in the menu bar at the top of the page to adjust the opacity of the shadow.
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Open the Feather effect window. The Feather effect allows you to blur the edges of the shadow, making it look more natural. Use the following steps to open the Feather window:
- Click Effects in the menu bar at the top.
- Click Stylize.
- Click Feather.
This allows you to preview the feather effect before you finalize it.
This changes how thick the blurry edges of the shadow will be. Use the box next to "Radius" to adjust how thick the feathered edge is. The higher the radius, the more blurry the shadow will be.
It's at the bottom of the Feather window. This finalizes the feathered edge and completes your shadow.
You can adjust the feather settings you created by selecting Window in the menu bar at the top and selecting Appearance from the drop-down menu. An Appearance panel will appear that will list the effects of that object. Click on the words Feather to make changes