How to Invert Colors in Illustrator

In this walkthrough, we’ll share how to invert colors in Illustrator, so you can create a cool negative effect that gives your images an otherworldly quality. 

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How to Invert Colors in Illustrator

You may have noticed that when you highlight text in Illustrator, the program will invert the text (i.e. from black to white) and image background colors. With the Invert Colors feature, this negative effect can be applied to any object in your project.

First, make a duplicate of your original layer by dragging it from the Layers panel to the tiny New Layer icon at the bottom. In the Layers panel, click on the lock icon next to your original layer to prevent any accidental changes to it

Next, select the Arrow tool and drag over the area that you’d like to invert. You will now see your layer selected. You can grab individual elements in your layer if you only wish to invert certain parts of your design.

Finally, choose “Edit” > “Edit Colors” > “Invert Colors” to apply the effect. From here, you can continue cropping and reshaping the inverted section. 

Below you can see a before and after of the Invert Colors Effect.

 

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How to Create a Black and White Negative Photo Effect

When you invert a colored image, the negative is still colorful, but a black and white negative flips the monochrome image for a more ghoulish look.

To create this spooky effect, select the image and choose “Edit” > “Edit Colors” > “Convert to Grayscale”.

This will convert any image to black and white.

Then, choose “Edit” > “Edit Colors” > “Invert Colors” to create a black and white negative. 

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Cover image via Mystery Kit.

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