To set drop shadow options in Macromedia

To set drop shadow options:

1	Double-click the Shadow tool in the Xtra Tools toolbar.
2	In the Shadow dialog box, choose a shadow type: Hard Edge, Soft Edge, or Zoom:
3	For Hard Edge and Soft Edge shadows, choose a Fill option:
	Tint defines the shadow color as a tint of the original object's color, from 0 (white) to 100%.
	Shade defines the shadow color as a percentage of black added to the original object's color.
	Color sets the shadow color by dragging a color swatch onto the color well.
4	For a Soft Edge shadow, drag a color to the Fade To color well to set the shadow's background color (white by default). Set a Soft Edge degree to soften the shadow's edges with the Fade To color, from 0 for a hard edge to 100 for soft throughout.
5	For a Zoom shadow, set a stroke color and fill color.
	For the Soft Edge and Zoom effects, the Shadow tool creates incremental colors. Applying soft-edged or zoomed shadows to objects with spot, Hexachrome, or RGB colors yields incremental CMYK process colors.
6	For Scale, specify the shadow's size as a percentage of the original.
7	For Offset, enter x and y values to offset the shadow relative the object.
8	Click Apply to preview the result without closing the Shadow panel, or click OK to apply the shadow and close the panel.

To add a drop shadow to one or more selected objects:

1	Choose Window > Toolbars > Xtra Tools to display the Xtra Tools toolbar and click the Shadow button.
2	Click to place the shadow and drag to move it. Each time you click, the shadow reappears directly under the selected object.

To add a drop shadow to selected text:

Choose Text > Convert to Paths before applying the drop shadow.

Note: Text that is converted to paths cannot be edited as text.

To add a drop shadow to a clipping path:

Apply the shadow to an object before using it as a clipping path.

Smudging an object

The Smudge tool lets you soften the edges of objects for a drop shadow effect by blending the edge colors.

Smudging creates grouped copies of the original object. If you smudge an object more than once, FreeHand creates copies of each object in the group. An error message appears if a smudge command would exceed the tool's capabilities.

To set smudge options:

1	Choose Window > Panels > Swatches.
2	In the Xtra Tools toolbar, double-click the Smudge tool.
3	Drag a color chip from the color list in the Swatches panel to the Fill and Stroke boxes in the Smudge dialog box.
	To create a drop shadow effect, choose a slightly darker tint of the background color as the fill color and choose a stroke of None.
4	Click OK.

To smudge a selected object:

1	Select the Smudge tool in the Xtra Tools toolbar.
2	Position the pointer over the path to smudge, and then do one of the following:
	Drag outward without releasing the mouse button to see a preview of the selection, linked to the original object by a line, and then release the mouse button.
	Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Macintosh) as you drag to smudge outward from the center for a soft edge.