Customised colour swatch palette???

[junglist]

I hate the default set of colours which always appear when I open a new Illustrator file!!!!! I always end up deleting them all.

Is there a way I can customise my set of colours so that each time I open Illustrator, I have only the colours I want?

I've tried looking in preferences, but that doesn't seem to be the answer.

Thanks in advance!

 

[dimoj]

Are you talking about SWATCHES?

If so, yes, you can customize which SWATCHES are displayed by default.

It's been explained many, many times in this forum. Just search.

 

[junglist]

Yeah, I did several searches. I tried "customised swatches" "colour swatches" even just "swatches" - all with no luck.

Is there some other way of locating thread topics, other than the search engine? Something like an index etc.?

 

[dimoj]

OK fair enough. There are two things you can do.

If you go through the files in your Adobe>Illustrator folder you will find two .ai files with the names like 'Adobe Illustrator Startup CMYK' and 'Adobe Illustrator Startup RGB'. Just open those documents, delete and add whatever swatches you want to appear by default and save the documents. Now when you restart Illustrator those will appear. Now the only problem with that is that those default swatches will only appear on a NEW document. Not if you are working on a document already created.

So if you want a set of swatches to ALWAYS be open by default you need to create your own new swatch library document(you can just open one from your Adobe>Illustrator>Swatches folder and Save As with a different name). With that done, in Illustrator, go to Windows>Swatch Libraries and open your newly created swatch library. Now in the drop down menu of that Swatch Librarys window check the Persistant option. Now every time you open Illustrator that Swatch Palette will open as per any other palette that was left open at the time Illustrator was last shut down.

Hope that wasn't too confusing.

 

[dewaun]

Not sure if Windows versions have the same folder structure, but in Mac OS X, from within the Adobe Illustrator 10/Presets/Swatches folder there is a file called: Default_CMYK

This is your default CMYK swatch list. Everytime you open up a CMYK document, this is the swatch you get.

Just open this file up, add/remove colors then just SAVE the document. Now open up another CMYK document just to test... this will be your new Default_CMYK swatch.

hope that helps...

-----------:|:-----------:|:-----------
DeWaun Simmons | RTS Creative Group
The Dallas Morning News

 

[dimoj]

Nope DeWaun, sorry but thats wrong. Default_CMYK is merely just another swatch library just like Pantone Matte or any other. If you want that Default_CMYK library to always be open you have to choose Persistant as I explained above.

Startup CMYK is the true default swatch library. (trust me on this one)

 

[dewaun]

dimoj,

are you talking about the "Adobe Illustrator Startup_CMYK" or "Adobe Illustrator Startup_RGB" file in the Plugins folder?

If so, i agree with you... i didn't look that far.
(My Bad)

That is the correct file to modify.

-----------:|:-----------:|:-----------
DeWaun Simmons | RTS Creative Group
The Dallas Morning News

 

[dimoj]

yep dewaun, thats what I was describing in the earlier post

That screenshot looks pretty....I want a Mac. SANTA?????!!!!

 

[junglist]

I can't find Startup CMYK or RGB!!! (yes I've done a search) All I could find wwas the Default CMYK and RGB.

Does anyone know the exact folder it is in?

Thanks

 

[dimoj]

For Windows:

(whatever hard drive)>Program Files>Adobe>Illustrator(10,CS)>Plug-ins

 

[junglist]

Thanks guys. I appreciate your time and effort.

 

[tad1952]

Aha, tried all of the above because I hated the palette as well. Here's how I got it to work. I found the 2 libraries in Illustrator/Presets/Swatches - both at the very top. I opened them and deleted all the patterns and colours I don't want & saved the files. Then I opened a new document (but not a new page)/Window/Swatch Libraries (at bottom of menu)/Default_cmyk and Presto, the swatch library I wanted displayed. Thank you everyone!