About swatch types


    The Swatches palette and swatch library palettes can contain the following types of swatches:

    Process colors

    A process color is printed using a combination of the four standard process inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. By default, Illustrator defines new swatches as process colors.

    Spot colors

    A spot color is a premixed ink that is used instead of, or in addition to, CMYK process inks. You can identify spot-color swatches by the spot-color icon  spot-color icon (when the palette is in list view) or a dot in the lower corner (when the palette is in thumbnail view).

    Global colors

    A global color is automatically updated throughout your artwork when you edit it. All spot colors are global; however, process colors can be either global or local. You can identify global color swatches by the global color icon global color icon (when the palette is in list view) or a triangle in the lower corner (when the palette is in thumbnail view).

    Tints

    A tint is a global color with a modified intensity. Tints of the same color are linked together, so that if you edit a tint swatch, all associated tint swatches (and the objects painted with those swatches) are also changed. Tint swatches are identified by a percentage (when the palette is in list view).

    Gradients

    A gradient is a graduated blend between two or more colors or tints of the same color. Gradient colors can be assigned as CMYK process colors, RGB colors, or a spot color. (See Using the Gradient palette.)

    Patterns

    Patterns are repeating (tiled) paths, compound paths, or text with solid fills or no fill, or are designed from scratch with any of the tools in Illustrator. (See Working with patterns.)

    None

    The None swatch removes the stroke or fill from an object. You can't edit or remove this swatch.

    Registration

    The registration swatch registration swatch is a built-in swatch that causes objects filled or stroked with it to print on every separation from a PostScript printer. For example, registration marks use the Registration color so that printing plates can be aligned precisely on a press. You can edit the Registration color by double-clicking it in the Swatches palette. You can't remove this swatch.

    Note: If you use the Registration color for registration marks and for type, and then you separate the file and print it, the type may not register properly and the black ink may appear muddy. To avoid this, use black ink instead for type.