Applying effects to bitmap images

Effects let you apply a special look to bitmap images as well as vector objects. For example, you can apply an impressionistic look, apply lighting changes, distort images, and produce many other interesting visual effects.

Consider the following information when applying effects specifically to bitmap objects:

Effects don’t work on linked bitmap objects. If you apply an effect to a linked bitmap, it is applied to an embedded copy of the bitmap instead of to the original. To apply the effect to the original, you can embed the bitmap in the document.
Adobe Illustrator supports plug-in effects from Adobe products such as Adobe Photoshop and from non‑Adobe software developers. Once installed, most plug-in effects appear in the Effect menu and work the same way as do built-in effects.
Some effects can be memory-intensive, especially when applied to a high-resolution bitmap image.