Black and White

[patindaytona]

I am new and taking a crash course on Adobe Ilustrator. When I open any color image, for some reason, my color swatches do not appear in the color swatch palette, and also the gradient is black and white. Can you figure out why this is happening?
Thanks

 

[apepp]

...the gradient is always a default black and white, unless you select an object on the artwork that is a true vector color gradient...

...it is often better to select objects by way of the layers palette, as some artwork can be very complex. You can think you have an object selected when in fact it is a completely different element like a clipping mask, that has no color or stroke...

...as for your color swatches, this can be document specific, so if the artwork you open had color swatches deleted, then saved, you won't see any when opened...

Andrew

 

[patindaytona]

Thanks Andrew for not getting too complicated with your reply. I had opened a raster image and didn't even create an object on top of it at that point, .....so I guess that's why no color swatches were showing at that point.
Pat

 

[apepp]

...opening a raster image does behave differently, if you create a new doc then choose file > place, you will have the default color swatches...

...if you directly open a raster file then no swatches are available...

...you can if you wish, choose the flyout menu of the swatches palette, then browse down to "open swatch library"...

...there are a vast array to choose from there, including the default swatches...

Andrew

 

[apepp]

...the flyout menu is that tiny arrow top right of the palettes...

Andrew

 

[patindaytona]

Is there a "best way" to always place or open up something? I sort of understand what "linking" does. Seems like placing an artwork is best the way you describe, but UN-link it(embed). A friend is taking on too much work, and he's trying to teach me a little about Illustrator. It's mainly for publishing and not really much use for any home use, isn't it?

 

[patindaytona]

I'm reading the book "Adobe IllustratorCS"(basically the entire "Help" section of the program. This is too overwhelming. I can see that anyone who uses it only uses it for specific purposes and does not need to know it all. I think it would be best to aquire what you NEED to know from someone else, or maybe from videos that teach you how create certain things, rather than trying to put it all together on your own. I'm only going to need the program for very limited usage, but I'd like to use it for my own personal pleasure such as creating thing that are not too complicated(this goes back to being taught again). How did you learn it? Do you know any good video sites?
Pat

 

[apepp]

...yes, a hell of a lot to get your head around really...

...i've learnt through my trade (lithographic), and completely self taught over about 9 years on my own computer, and with software changing all the time, you never stop learning and there is often more than one way to achieve something...

...i've avoided paying anyone to train me, just dived in really and became familiar with the functions as best I could...

...backward engineering other peoples work was something I remember doing quite often at work...

...these days knowing illustrator on its own is rarely enough, with job descriptions requiring knowledge of the entire creative suite, and not just for print graphics but for the web too and maybe even 3D on top of that, with motion graphics too. Some job adverts actually make me laugh sometimes, requesting such as graduated leavers with supposed experience in a commercial environment, minimum 3 years experience. Now apparently graduates don't always go straight into work, simply because they aren't commercially experienced enough, so a bit of a vicious circle for many...

...moving on though...

...linking is essentially where the graphic is seen by illustrator as non-embedded, in that when you open the illustrator file it will need to know where that linked graphic is on your hard disk...

...embedding means the graphic is part of the illustrator file, and hence will make your illustrator file much larger than if it were linked...

...it is generally best to link, although there are occasions when embedding is required, so until you find you have to, just link graphics...

...you can re-link an embedded graphic using the links palette, flyout menu, if need be...

...a good place to explore is the Adobe Video Workshop here:

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/

Andrew