Creating Brushes

New artistic, pattern or scatter brush presets and styles can be created from any objects or group of objects. New bristle brush presets and styles can be created by setting the bristle brush options.

When creating and using presets, the brush attributes are copied to every object using the brush. When creating and using styles, the objects using the brush will contain a reference to the brush style. Changing a brush style, by editing its content, or changing its attributes. will automatically updated all objects using the brush style.

The brush styles can be edited in the Brush Styles panel, opened from the Panels - Styles menu. The brush presets can be edited in the Brush Presets panel, opened from the Panels - Presets menu.

The Symbols and Styles chapter provides a detailed description on working with presets and styles, and how to automate styling in a document using reference canvases and objects.

Creating Artistic Brushes

The following steps are considered when creating new artistic brushes:

The type of the new brush determines what kind of content is required by the brush.
For artistic brushes, a single object or group of objects is stretched along a shape.
Typically artistic brushes have a non-uniform shape, simulating a brush paint. A number of artistic brush presets are provided as examples.
To create a new artistic brush preset, select the object used as the brush content, and select the Create Artistic Brush Preset from the Styles - Create Styles menu, or from the Brushes panel menu.
The artistic brush options view is opened. Set the new brush name and options, and confirm to create a new brush presets. For a description of the artistic brush options, see the Artistic Brushes section.
To create a new artistic brush style, select the object used as the brush content, and select the Create Artistic Brush Style from the Styles - Create Styles menu, or from the Brushes panel menu.
Set the artistic brush style name and options in the view.
When creating an artistic brush style, it is possible to keep a link to the selected objects, used as the brush content. Use the Referenced Content check box to enable or disable content linking to the original object.
When the artistic brush style content is linked to the original objects, editing the objects will update all uses of the brush style in the document.
The artistic brush style content can be changed at any time to objects with the Artistic Brush Content role.

Creating Pattern Brushes

The following steps are considered when creating new pattern brushes:

For pattern brushes, an object is repeated along a shape, with different starting and ending objects, and an option to use the fourth object as the spacing between the repeating patterns. In pattern brushes, it is typical that the pattern tiles fit seamlessly, or are spaced uniformly.
To create a new pattern brush preset, select the object used as the brush content, and select the Create Pattern Brush Preset from the Styles - Create Styles menu, or from the Brushes panel menu.
The pattern brush options view is opened. Set the new brush name and options, and confirm to create a new brush presets. For a description of the pattern brush options, see the Pattern Brushes section.
To create a new pattern brush style, select the object used as the brush content, and select the Create Pattern Brush Style from the Styles - Create Styles menu, or from the Brushes panel menu.
Set the pattern brush style name and options in the view.
When creating a pattern brush style, it is possible to keep a link to the selected objects, used as the brush content. Use the Referenced Content check box to enable or disable content linking to the original object.
When the pattern brush style content is linked to the original objects, editing the objects will update all uses of the brush style in the document.
The pattern brush style content can be changed at any time to objects with the Pattern Brush Content role.

Creating Scatter Brushes

The following steps are considered when creating new scatter brushes:

For scatter brushes, one or more objects are scattered along the outline. The objects are not distorted, and their positioning, scaling and rotation depends on the outline shape and the scatter brush settings.
To create a new scatter brush preset, select one or more objects used as the brush content, and select the Create Scatter Brush Preset from the Styles - Create Styles menu, or from the Brushes panel menu.
The scatter brush options view is opened. Set the new brush name and options, and confirm to create a new brush presets. For a description of the scatter brush options, see the Scatter Brushes section.
To create a new scatter brush style, select the object used as the brush content, and select the Create Scatter Brush Style from the Styles - Create Styles menu, or from the Brushes panel menu.
Set the scatter brush style name and options in the view.
When creating a scatter brush style, it is possible to keep a link to the selected objects, used as the brush content. Use the Referenced Content check box to enable or disable content linking to the original object.
When the scatter brush style content is linked to the original objects, editing the objects will update all uses of the brush style in the document.
Each scatter brush style content object can be changed at any time to objects with the Scatter Brush Content role.

Creating Bristle Brushes

The following steps are considered when creating new bristle brushes:

For bristle brushes, the shapes used to simulate a bristle paint is synthesized using the bristle options.
To create a new bristle brush preset, select the Create Bristle Brush Preset from the Brushes panel menu.
The bristle brush options view is opened. Set the new brush name and options, and confirm to create a new brush presets. For a description of the bristle brush options, see the Bristle Brushes section.
To create a new bristle brush style, select the Create Bristle Brush Style from the Brushes panel menu.
Set the bristle brush style name and options in the view.
When creating and using bristle brush styles, changes made to a style are reflected on all objects using the style.