A quick and easy way to create an all-vector ray burst in Illustrator (like the one shown below)
This effect is used to create a pattern in the background of many graphics. It is nice to know how to do this quickly as it provides a nice background that draws the eye toward an element and it can be customized many different ways to get a unique look.
I am going to be working in Illustrator cs3 for this tutorial.
You can do this with a fewer steps in photoshop but you will have to work in raster and there are downsides to this that I won't go into here. I have read many different ways of creating this type of a graphic in illlustrator but this is the most useful that I have found.
Here we go:
Create a vertical line with the vertical line tool
Stroke the line with black and reduce width to .5
Select Effects/Distort & Transform/ Transform
Click the preview button and set your number in the copies dialogue box (you won't see any difference when you do this. Make sure both Reflect buttons are not selected)
Now adjust the horizontal move slider until the lines are nicely spaced (this will adjust the density of your burst later)
When this looks something like this, select ok
Now we have to create the shape
Draw triangle laying on its side and fill with black
In the brushes palette fly out menu select new brush
Next select "New Art Brush"
Name the brush and hit ok. It should look like this
Select your line and apply the brush
With the line selected go to object/expand appearance (this converts the line from a stroke to an actual filled object)
The fun part
Select all the lines and go to effect/warp/arc
Set you setting similar to this until it looks how you want
 
After you have done this, again go to Object/Expand Appearance
 
There you have it. Keep playing with it until you get exactly what you are looking for.
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