creating colour swatches

[kttring]

Please be gentle with me. I am new to Illustrator having spent several years on a sub-editor's desk using Quark and Photoshop but have recently got a job requiring the use of Illustrator. On the surface I was amazed at the power of the package and wondered why I had never got round to mastering it before, but today I have hit my first snag and it has really got me stumped.

I am creating a bar graph in Illustrator for inclusion in a Quark document. The graph tool is great and I have created a graph I like but I want to edit the colours. I noticed in the swatch palette an interesting blended fill called steel cylinder and I would like to use it in my graph but I don't want it in black, I want to use it in greens and purples. Can anyone tell me how I can edit the colour from black to green but maintain the graduated shading which gives the 3D effect?

I am sure this must have a very simple solution but the most infuriating thing is that a very similar fill pattern is used in red and blue in the tips and hints book I have but the secret is not revealed!

Help me please!

 

[ERIXWORX]

No worries; everyone was once just getting started.

You have to have your 'gradient' window open. Drag the desired color swatch from your swatches palette to the little 'slidey tab' along the gradient bar that has black (or whatever color to be replaced) in it. To remove unwanted slidey tabs, drag them downward. Note that you may also set their location, and that of the center point of the gradient, numerically using the appropriate little window in the gradient window/docker/what-have-you. The other option is to click on the slidey tab of the color to be replaced, and then go up to your 'color' window and change the R/G/B or C/M/Y/K slidey tabs there to the desired color. Also, I think there might be extra gradient swatches, depending on your AI version (can someone confirm? I'm stuck with AI10). Look under 'window' > 'swatch libraries'. That's where your PMS color palattes are, too.

This should do it; let us know if that clears it up.

-E

(DISCLAIMER: Self-taught AI user; unorthodox methods w/good results)
'There is no LEASH LAW for the IMAGINATION!'
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