Creating new swatches


    You can create new swatches automatically by dragging colors, gradients, and patterns to the Swatches palette or clicking the New Swatches button. However, if you plan to set options when you create the swatch, such as the swatch name or color type, it is simpler to use the New Swatches command in the palette menu.

    For more information on the types of swatches you can create, see About swatch types.

To create a process-color swatch:

  1. Select a color using the Color Picker or Color palette, or select the fill or stroke of an object that has the color you want. (See Selecting colors.) You can also select a color using the Eyedropper tool or by selecting a style from the Graphic Styles palette. (See Copying colors between objects.)
  2. To create a swatch with the default options, do one of the following:
    • Click the New Swatch button New Swatch button at the bottom of the Swatches palette.
    • Drag the color from the Fill or Stroke box in the toolbox or from the Color palette to the Swatches palette, positioning the pointer where you want the new swatch to appear.
  3. To specify options when you create the swatch, double-click the swatch in the Swatches palette or choose New Swatch from the palette menu. Do one or both of the following in the Swatch Options dialog box, and click OK:

To create a spot-color swatch:

  1. Select a color using the Color Picker or Color palette, or select the fill or stroke of an object that has the color you want. (See Selecting colors.)
  2. To create a swatch with the default options, do one of the following:
    • Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the New Swatch button New Swatch button at the bottom of the Swatches palette.
    • Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) the color from the Fill or Stroke box in the toolbox or from the Color palette to the Swatches palette, positioning the pointer where you want the new swatch to appear.
  3. To specify a name when you create the swatch, choose New Swatch from the Swatches palette menu. Enter a unique name in the Swatch Name text box, choose Spot Color from the Color Type pop-up menu, and click OK.
  4. Tip iconYou can also add spot colors to the Swatch palette from a custom swatch library, such as a PANTONE color library. (See Using swatch libraries.)

To create a color tint swatch:

  1. Select a global color in the Swatches palette, or select an object to which you've applied a global color.
  2. In the Color palette, drag the T slider or enter a value in the text box to modify the color's intensity. The tint range is from 0% to 100%; the lower the number, the lighter the tint will be.
  3. Note: The T slider only appears in the Color palette when a global color is selected.

  4. Do one of the following:
    • Drag the color from the Fill or Stroke box in the toolbox or from the Color palette to the Swatches palette, positioning the pointer where you want the new swatch to appear.
    • Click the New Swatch button in the Swatches palette.

    The tint is saved with the same name as the base color, but with the tint percentage added to the name. For example, if you saved a color named "Sky Blue" at 50 percent, the swatch name would be "Sky Blue 50%."

To create a new gradient swatch:

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Select an object with a gradient fill. Then choose Window > Gradient.
    • Create a gradient with the Gradient palette. (See Using the Gradient palette.)
  2. Select the gradient in the Gradient palette. (See Using the Gradient palette.)
  3. Do one of the following:
    • Click the New Swatch button New Swatch button at the bottom of the Swatches palette.
    • Choose New Swatch from the Swatches palette menu. Enter a name in the Swatch Name text box.
    • Drag the color from the Fill or Stroke box in the toolbox or from the Color palette to the Swatches palette, positioning the pointer where you want the new swatch to appear.

To create a new pattern swatch:

    Do one of the following:

    • Drag the pattern from your artwork to the Swatches palette, positioning the pointer where you want the new swatch to appear.
    • Select the pattern in your artwork and choose Edit > Define Pattern. Enter a unique name for the swatch and click OK. (See Working with patterns.)