Illustrator Color selection and gradients

[agentmoeller]

Does any Ai user know of a good tutorial/explanation/whatever for how to select colors, add colors to gradients, and add gradients to objects, etc.? I find it maddening (compared to Ps) sometimes getting a gradient onto (or off of) an object.

 

[hawkeye]

Select the object and use one of the gradients in the swatches panel as fill, or open the library and select gradients. To change colors use the Gradient panel and drag the color swatches onto the sliders, or double click the slider to open a color panel. Add additional sliders and adjust them like in Photoshop.

 

[agentmoeller]

I appreciate that. Let's say I have an object already filled with a gradient, but I want to change one of the colors in the gradient. I can't double-click on the slider in the gradient panel, because that brings up a selection of gray-tone swatches. I can't single-click on a slider and use the color panel -because that doesn't work. I have to single-click on a slider and then use the background/foreground color box display on the control bar on the left (default setting) to change the color. I change my gradients all the time in an object, and either 1) I am doing it all wrong, or 2) Ai is just clunky with gradient modification. :banghead:

 

[hawkeye]

If you are only seeing the Grayscale, change the setting on the color panel (upper right corner).

 

[agentmoeller]

I have similar difficulties when trying to change colored gradients. Perhaps I can better explain it from home when I have Ai open in front of me. I appreciate the help, though.