A blend is a gradual transition from one color to another. To apply a blend to the background of active boxes, do one of the following:

• Choose Item > Modify (Command+M/Ctrl+M), click the Box tab, and then use the controls in the Blend area.
• Display the Colors palette (Window > Colors), click the Background Color button , and then use the controls in the palette.

The blend-related controls available in this tab and palette are as follows:

• Style: Lets you control the type of blend.
• Angle: Lets you control the angle of the transition from one color to the other.

Blends have two colors, each of which can have its own shade and opacity. In the Box tab of the Modify dialog box, the color in the Box area is the first color and the color in the Blend area is the second color. In the Colors palette, click #1 to set up the first color and #2 to set up the second color.

You can also specify blends in an Item Style. For more about Item Styles, see “Item Styles XTensions software.”