Creating a Swatch

I know how to create a gradient but how do I turn it into a swatch and then save it for later use?

Just drag its preview from the Grad palette and drop it into the Swatches palette.
JET

Similar Messages

How do I select a set of swatches (ideally at once) from a long list to create a swatch library?

I just started using PS (CS6) and I added 10 new custom swatches that I want to save in a new swatch library. However, I still have the PS default library of swatches listed (that contains scores of colors). Can I select multiple swatches at once to save them for the swatch library? Or do I need to delete ALL the default swatches first manually, then save the remaining colors in the new swatch library? If so, it makes it a daunting task...

I watched a tutorial on the Preset Manager and was able to finally select multiple swatches to create a swatch library by using the [Shift] key while selecting.
One of the problems was that the swatches were displaying as small thumbnails and it was difficult for me to see each swatch selected (plus, the outline of the selections were blue, and many of the colors I selected were blue).
What also through me off was that when you display swatches in a pane (say, when working on an image), one of the dropdown options is "Save Swatches", which I thought allowed you to save swatches in a library (not just an individual swatch).
Without the tutorial, I don't think I would have been able to figure out the right steps! Thanks for the tips, guys.

Adjusting a created pattern swatch

Hello all,
I've been searching around for a solution to my problem, it seems so basic that i'm suprised i can't find anything on the subject (maybe i use the wrong therm's).
I have the following question, is it possible to adjust a pattern after it has been created ? So what i have done is made some artwork with vector graphics in a document, dragged it into the swatches pannel to create a pattern swatch of it. So far so good, i can apply the swatch to a rectangle f.e. and it will get filled with my artwork. But now i want to be able to adjust the fill color of my pattern, i haven't been able to adjust the pattern swatch itself, the only thing i can do now is adjust the original artwork, create another swatch and apply it again to my rectangle.
Is there a way that i can adjust the pattern instead of having to adjust my original artwork, and create another swatch of it ?
Any help would be very cool
Grts!, Samuel

Samuel,
You should be able to drag the pattern swatch into the Artboard, when nothing is selected ther, and modify (you may use the Direct Selection Tool to pick spefific parts), and drag it back to form a new pattern swatch or Alt/OptionDrag it back upon the original swatch to replace it.
You may search for Modifying patterns in the Help file to see updates to the way described.

Is it possible to create a swatch or style from part of a pasted image?

Good Afternoon,
I'm one of the many (I'm sure) that "jumped right in without floaties" and I have stumped myself this morning. I have an image of my program that I have pasted into photoshop. I'd like to select a certain portion of that image (a titlebar, if you will) and create a swatch or style based off of that selection on the image, that I may then use later on for creating web pages. I have the Master Collection of CS4, so using one software over another shouldn't be an issue.
My initial searching hasn't turned up positive results. I'm hoping it's something really easy that I'm just overlooking. Thanks in advance for any replies.

No, not possible. What you are looking for is similar to symbols and those only exist in Illustrator and Flash. You can also designate such items as editable regions/ library items in Dreamweaver and Fireworks, so they can be reused over and over again. In PS, you will simply have to structure your document accordingly and adapt the content you add to your existing navigation/ mock program UI or whatever, not the other way around.
Mylenium

Problem creating a swatch for rich black (c50 m50 y0 k100)

When I manually create a swatch for rich black (c50 m50 y0 k100) in Illustrator CC (17.1.0) and assign as a fill or stroke, it is getting changed back to ordinary black (c0 m0 y0 k100). That is, I create the swatch as above, select an object and click to assign the rich black swatch. The swatch appears to be assigned to objects stroke or fill as expected. However, if I then reselect that object, the rich black has been reset to the standard black – c0 m0 y0 k100. I'm sure I've done this before without a problem, but not since I upgraded to Illustrator CC. As a workaround, for the piece I'm working rigth now, I created a swatch for c50 m50 y0 k99 – as this holds. Any ideas?
Kind regards
Tim

At the time I was getting the decribed behaviour, I was working on a project destined for an online print service called PrintCarrier, for which I had a particular profile based on the FOGRA39 profile: Eurostd (Coaed) 15% GCR Medium. The latter was causing Illustrator to not retain rich blacks. When I reverted to my usual profile (ISO Coated v2 300% (ECI)) rich blacks were retained – that is Illustrator behaved normally with regards honouring the rich black assignments.
Not sure why the different profile was causing that to happen in Illustrator. I know that under the same profile in InDesign, rich blacks assigned within that application behave correctly, and don't reset as in Illustrator.
Is this a bug getting triggered or am I missing something in the way profiles handle black/rich black?
Kind regards
Tim

How to create a swatch library from multiple png files?

Illustrator CC
I am having a difficult time trying to create a new swatch libray of patterns from multiple png files. The way I am doing this is very slow and repetitive and seems silly for a tool as advanced as the latest CC suite including illustrator.
What it seems I must do is open all the png files in Illustrator, creating multiple workspaces, drag one png file into the swatch window, then save that window as a library, close the existing window to reveal the next png file, open the user library I just created, drag the next image into the currently active swatch window, then drag the previous swatch/s from the user library into the current active swatch window, resave and replace the user defined swatch library (now with two images in there)fromthe updated current active swatch panel/window, close the existing workspace to reveal the next image file, and then repeat the process again, slowly building the user defined swatch library up by adding one image at a time and then adding back into the Swatch panel the previously built up library of swatches again one at at time. (you can select all from the existing user defined library and drag over into swatch panel, but this creates at least one duplicate on each cycle for as soon as you click on the first swatch in the library, it adds itto the current swatch panel and then when you select all swatches to drag across it includes the first swatch and copies it again)
This is a very slow process to build up a swatch library. For some reason you cannot drag swatches directly into the user defined library you have created, only into the active swatch window for each workspace. I searched the web and forums for answers but could find none. There must be an easier way, just can't find it.
Ideally, the best option would be a swatch window option that allows the import directly from a list of selected files in the finder.
Any ideas out there?

Monika,
Thank you for responding, however I am not exactly clear on what you mean by "libraries are plain AI files". For example, I cannot find a file with the same name as my user defined library name that I have created. I can find the preinstalled swatches listed under Adobe Application Support... Library... Swatches, but a user defined folder is not present and the library sets that I have already created are not visible. I have tried searcing my Mac for a (name).ase file and still no luck (at least for the name I was looking for). I can open the user defined library from the Swatch library icon on the bottom left of the Swatch panel, but when I open this I cannot drag and drop add new swatches directly to this library. As stated above, I have to add each pattern, one at at time to the normal swatch panel, then add back the previous ones I have saved from the user defined library to the swatch panel and then save threm all as an updated user defined library. Thus by repeating this process, it builds up the user defined library one at a time.
I am using Illustrator CC if this makes a difference.

Is there a way to create a swatch that defaults to overprint?

Our workflow at work is set up with 3 custom spot colors that I used to draw fold lines or label cover panels on customer's proofs. As long as I remember to set those guides to overprint in indesign they will not print when I send the files through our workflow.
However, sometimes I forget to check the overprint box, so i'm wondering if there is a way to set these swatches up just like the black swatch so they default to overprint?
Thank-you!

ghprintingdesigner wrote:... so i'm wondering if there is a way to set these swatches up just like the black swatch so they default to overprint?
You can't do this in the Swatches panel however you can create a way to aid your workflow using object styles.
Create a new object style for each type of line/fill you will use - Fold, Cut, Spot UV - and then just attach that object style to your line/fill. In the object style box, you can select to set the stroke or fill to overprint. You can then copy these object styles throughout your documents or just set up a template with these already in place.
You can then double check it worked by selecting your line/fill and opening up the Attributes panel to see if Overprint is selected.

"Create New Swatch" not working in Indesign CS5

Suddenly, I am no longer able to create a process swatch by clicking on "new Swatch" on the swatch menu swatch. When I click this
window comes up and the PMS list is over the procees color boxes and i cant input anything. To work around I have been creating the Process colors and them dragging them to the swatch palatte, but this is annoying. Any Idea how to fix this problem?

Trash your prefs. See Replace Your Preferences

How can you create a swatch from a jpeg in Illustrator CS4?

I am trying to create a jpeg image into a swatch in Illustrator CS4. In previous versions you could simply drag the image into the swatches toolbar and it would convert it automatically. Now when I do that nothing happens. When I click on new swatch it creates a colour swatch instead of the actual image itself.

When you say you would drag the image itself into the Swatch Palette and it would show the image itself? How would then use this swatch? Can you give an example of what you would apply a jpeg to as a swatch? The only palette that I can think of off the top of my head that you can drag a jpeg into and have the icon appear as the jpeg is the Symbols Palette. Is is possible that you were using the Symbols Palette in the past and not the Swatch Palette?

JS[CS3] Create Pattern/Swatch

I am new to JS
in AI. I know pretty well JS in ID but the object is totally different.
So I am creating a layer, naming it, Creating a box, Importing an EPS as a groupItem.
NOW the tricky part. The imported EPS is my Stamp so I need to create a pattern from it.
Then apply that pattern to my box. That is where I loose myself. I don't comprehend the relationship between stwatch, pattern & Patterncolor. But I did understand that a swatch COLOR can be of type PatternColor and there you can access its properties like angle, scale, etc... But a PatternColor is a Pattern itself?!? I also understand I can access my pattern using the swatches because a pattern is actually a swatch color.
Any pointer on how to create a pattern from my groupItem? Pattern.add method has no argument, right?
So I can't do
var myDoc = app.activeDocument;
var myStamp = myDoc.groupItems.createFromFile(myFile);
var myPattern = myDoc.patterns.add(myStamp);              <---- Error
myPattern.name = "XXX";
var mySwatch = myDoc.swatches.getByName("XXX");
mySwatch.color.rotation = 45;
mySwatch.color.scaleFactor= [50, 50];
var myRCT = myDoc.pathItems.rectangle(myDoc.pageOrigin[1], myDoc.pageOrigin[0], myDoc.width, -myDoc.height);
myRCT.fillColor = mySwatch.color;     <---- DOES not apply it maybe because a pattern?
Any help is appreciated

Yes that is what I get as well. There as to be a way to assign, just like the GUI does.
Compared to InDesign, AI scripting sucks. It is really poorly implemented. Even the help is sketchy at best.
I'll keep trucking along and post my findings.
Cheers, Alex.

Create Pattern Swatch from Placed Image in Javascript

I need to create a large number of pattern swatches from some .jpg file on disk. I've figured out how to script the insertion of the .jpgs into my AI document as placed images:
     // Embed the image into the document.
     file = new File("MyImage.jpg");
     var document = app.activeDocument;
     var newPlaced = document.layers["swatches"].groupItems.createFromFile(file);
     newPlaced.name = "MyImage_Placed";
This works fine and the item shows up in the correct layer as an embedded image.
Now I want to create a PatternSwatch (I think) from that Image.
To create a new swatch the code starts out as:
     newSwatch = document.swatches.add();
     newSwatch.name = "MyImage_Swatch";
but now I'm stuck! How do I associate the new PlacedItem with the swatch I just created? I can see the swatch in the palette so I'm partway there.

When you say you would drag the image itself into the Swatch Palette and it would show the image itself? How would then use this swatch? Can you give an example of what you would apply a jpeg to as a swatch? The only palette that I can think of off the top of my head that you can drag a jpeg into and have the icon appear as the jpeg is the Symbols Palette. Is is possible that you were using the Symbols Palette in the past and not the Swatch Palette?

[JS][CS3] Create new swatch

Hi all,
I'm writing a script that reads an xml file and then converts the contents to InDesign Objects.
Most of this I can do, but I'm having problems with the colors and swatches in InDesign.
Simple said, what I'm trying to do is the following:
1. Create a rectangle on my document
2. Create a new Color Swatch with CMYK values
3. Use the swatch for the rectangle's fillColor or strokeColor
Using Javascript I can add new colors tot my document: myDoc.colors.add()
But I can't use this color for the fillColor or strokeColor properties, it says they it needs to be a swatch, and not a color.
Unfortunately, the method myDoc.swatches.add() doesn't exist, and I can't set a colorValue property to a swatch.
Does anybody know how to do this? I'm guessing there's a simple solution for this, but I'm just not seeing it.
Thanks in advance,
Dany

Hi Kasyan,
Thanks very much for your reply.
I breaked my head trying to find what was the difference between your code and mine, but now I see:
Instead of using myDoc.colors, I used app.colors, which returns an error if you try to use that color for a rectangle, textframe, etc.
Thanks !
Dany

Create new swatch using Guassian Blur

Hello
I am trying to create a new swatch pattern that repeats consistently (see diagram below)
I create a assemble four (6pt by 6pt squares) together and then colour them in approproiately. I guassian blur at 1.5pt each square. I add a base colour background in a square of 12pt by 12pt and then put a 12pt by 12pt invisible bounding box behind all this. I then drag to the swatch panel to create my new swatch.
Problem is that when I try to colour in a larger square with this patter I get harsh lines ... see the example. Would love thoughts on how to get around this
Thanks
John

Nah, don't create the seams at the edges of the squares but more in a flower shape with one of the squares in the middle and the others surrounding it as ahlf squares.
Mylenium

No "create new swatch" command

I just noticed that there are no icon buttons at the bottom
of the swatches panel to create or delete a new swatch like there
is in AI and PS; is this an oversight?

Paevo Kelley wrote:
> I just noticed that there are no icon buttons at the
bottom of the
> swatches panel to create or delete a new swatch like
there is in AI
> and PS; is this an oversight?
Click in the swatches panel. The cursor will change into a
paint bucket,
and the color of any object you have selected will be added
to the panel.
Stop expecting things in Fireworks to work the same way they
do in
Photoshop. :-)
Linda Rathgeber - Adobe Community Expert
http://www.adobe.com/communities/experts/members/8.html

Center-align created pattern swatch

Hi there
When creating patterns with for example very easy dimensions like the artboard 400 x 400 px etc, and everything right placed, as you can see on the print screens, after having created the pattern, it never aligns center-aligned like I would like it too. Very annoying.
who can help? Thanks!!
Left: the original positioning before creating the pattern.
Right: the result of a perfect square, center aligned to the artboard and with the swatch applied, not too pretty he?

Hi CarlosCanto
You're right. So far so good, but this still doesn't help me getting a nice pattern centered on the artboard?
The image here is an example of the actual pattern I would like to use The smaller image is a print screen of the actual composition of elements in Illustrator which I made the pattern of.
Is there an easy solution for this?
Thanks!

Creating a Swatch

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