blend modes and semi-transparent gradients?

Hi all.

I don't do a lot of print, so whenever I have the need I find myself a little disoriented in my design approach. I know AI has blend modes, does FH have any sort of blend mode ability?

I also need - and this is my main hurdle - the ability to fade a gradient to transparent. So a gradient that goes from a solid color, to a transparent color. I never found a way to do this in AI, except to mask the object with an opacity mask. Is there any way in FreeHand?

TIA