Color, Strokes, and Fills > Using the Color Mixer panel

 

Using the Color Mixer panel

Use the Color Mixer panel to define colors, adjust hue, lightness, and saturation, and to choose colors from the System Color dialog box. Controls in the Color Mixer panel let you choose from four color modes and add colors to the color list in the Swatches panel.

Both the Color Mixer and the Tints panel use the same color box to display a color as you edit it. The color box displays the original color on the left and the new color on the right. You can change this display to a single color box using Preferences. The single color box shows only the new color.

To show or hide the Color Mixer panel, do one of the following:

Click the Color Mixer button in the Main toolbar.

Choose Window > Panels > Color Mixer.

To change the color box display for the Color Mixer and Tints panels:

1

Choose Edit > Preferences. Click Colors.

2

Do one of the following:

Deselect Color Mixer/Tints Panel Uses Split Color Well to display a single color box.

Select Color Mixer/Tints Panel Uses Split Color Well to display a split color box.

3

Click OK.

To display a color's components, do one of the following:

Use the Eyedropper to drag a color swatch from any object or color box to the color box at the bottom of the Color Mixer panel.

Hold down Control (Windows) or Option (Macintosh) and click a color swatch in the Swatches panel.

The Color Mixer panel displays the color's CMYK or RGB values as appropriate.

To change a color mode:

Click a color mode button in the Color Mixer panel.

To define a CMYK color or an RGB color:

1

Click the CMYK or RGB mode button to change color modes.

2

To adjust color component values, move the sliders or enter values in each entry text box. Use the color box to monitor the color as you mix it.

3

To add the new color to the Swatches panel, do one of the following:

Click the Add to Swatches button in the lower left corner of the Color Mixer panel. Enter a name for the color, and then specify Spot or Process. Click Add.

Drag a color swatch from the color box to the arrow button on the Swatches panel. (For more details, see Adding colors to the Swatches panel.)

To define an HLS color:

1

In the Color Mixer panel, click the HLS button to display the HLS color picker.

2

To select the hue (color), click or drag the color point around the color wheel, or enter a value between 0° and 360° in the top, or hue, text box. Hues range from red (0° ) through orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

3

Use the vertical slider or enter a percentage in the middle, or lightness, text box from 0% (black) to 100% (white).

4

To set the strength of the hue, click or drag the color point toward or away from the center of the color wheel, or enter a percentage in the bottom, or saturation, text box. Increasing saturation adds color; decreasing saturation removes color, leaving a grayer color.

5

Switch to CMYK view or RGB view to see the color component values for the new color.

6

To add the new color to the Swatches panel, do one of the following:

Click the Add to Swatches button. Enter a name for the color, and then specify Spot or Process. Click Add.

Drag a color swatch from the color box to the bottom of the Swatches panel. (For more details, see Adding colors to the Swatches panel.)