Changing Background Color from White 1

[RTek]

I've tried to change the color by changing the background palette, but when i create a new file it jumps back to white. How do I set it up in order to change my background color? Thought it was easy like in Photoshop but not the case..

 

[dimoj]

Just draw a rectangle filled with whatever colour you want as your background and position it lower than everything else in the layer stack/palette. A 'new' Illustrator file opened will always be a blank (transparent but displayed as white) artboard, you cannot change that default. There is no 'background palette' as you called it, in Illustrator, only fill and stroke colour boxes.

 

[Triska]

As a shortcut, create for yourself a 'Template' file with a colored rectangle covering the entire artboard on a separate, locked layer. Make the file read-only, then make a shortcut somewhere convenient and open it eveytime you want to start a new file. This way, you can use Save-As (to your new location after you've added your art, and Save won't be able to overwrite the original (read-only.)

I use this technique with a file that contains a set of guides and several Ultra-light toned boxes for positioning purposes. Then I made an action that copies selected art out to a new file and pops up the Save-as box. In this way I have the benefits of working in a 'Template,' without the added filesize of the guide objects in the final file.

Also, get rid of any any extra swatches you won't use, symbols, etc. in the Template file to make it load quicker.

Here's an example of one I use for column sizing:

http://www.elucidesign.com/Temp/FigureWorkspace.ai

Sef.

It is alright to decorate construction, but never construct decoration. - Pugin, on Arch.

http://www.elucidesign.com

 

[OnYourMark]

Great template advice. How do you save a document as "read only" in Illustrator 8?
Thanks in advance!

 

[RTek]

Triska,

Thanks so much for the information, Gosh that's a smooth technique. This is an awesome board.

dimoj thanks for your method also, I resulted to it since i was stuck.

 

[Triska]

Well, you can't save the file 'read only' within Illustrator itself...but,

In Windows Explorer you right click the Template.ai file and select propeties to 'Check' the Read Only box.

I suggest using this with all sorts of files you never change (but copy) and never want to screw-up accidentally.

Thanks for the star!
Sef.

It is alright to decorate construction, but never construct decoration. - Pugin, on Arch.

http://www.elucidesign.com