Illustrator :: Why Can't Pull Pattern Swatch From The Palette To Artboard
May 26, 2011
I want to alter the colors of my pattern. Typically, I pull it from the palette to the artboard, change my colors.. re-select the entire patterns repeat and drag and drop it back into the swatches palette. None of my layers are locked and all are visible. What's the deal? (iMac CS2) (I have loaded up other files with patterns in them and it works just fine!) (I have also quit .AI and reloaded the same file with the same problem.)
I wanted to save a pattern swatch and not the whole swatch library so I deleted all the swatches until it was just the one pattern swatch. I saved it as an .ase and then opened it in another document. I noticed however that when I open the pattern in the other document it shows the default swatch library and no pattern swatch. When I save the swatch as an ai. it opens the default library as well as the pattern swatch. Is there a way to save just the pattern swatch?
In Illustrator CS4. I want to create a repeating pattern, using a swatch. I've done this before succesfully but not sure why this one isn't working as planned.
The small image at the bottom (just the area inside the artboard) is the spacing I want between the characters, but the pattern at the top is what I get.
I am trying to work out how to rotate a pattern swatch without that rotation affecting all the other pattern swatches on my palette. I don't want the rotation to apply to just one instance of fill, I want to edit the actual swatch so that whenever it is used in the future, that rotation is applied.
I have tried the obvious - eg going to object, transform, pattern only... and it works, but it also rotates all my other swatches; and I can't work out if it's rotating it for just that object or if it's actually updating the pattern swatch orientation.
Additionally some comprehensive tutorials on making patterns using the updated CS6 software - everything I've found so far just raises further questions for me. I'm talking about, for example, being able to change the width or rotation of a stripe within a pattern and have it still tile seamlessly.
It may be the way I'm using this feature and I've just missed it - it appears to me that you can't have a solid background to your swatch because the way it stacks/overlaps elements means that you will end up cropping some elements on some sides.
Try it just by putting a solid shape the exact size of the tile.
I really want to make a small honeycomb swatch pattern (the polygons should be small - 2 px x 2px) , but I just cannot get it to work. What I did is make one small polygon, and went to: Object>pattern>make and applied the following settings:
You will see that on the shoulder of the t-shirt, the pattern is kinda trasparent - the bottom layer is visible-I don't want it to be.The bottom pattern(on the side of the t-shirt) you will see came out fine, except that the polygons are too big and I cannot get it any smaller.
When creating patterns with for example very easy dimensions like the artboard 400 x 400 px etc, and everything right placed, as you can see on the print screens, after having created the pattern, it never aligns center-aligned like I would like it too.
Left: the original positioning before creating the pattern. Right: the result of a perfect square, center aligned to the artboard and with the swatch applied, not too pretty he?
I recently created a script that reads the layer names of an Illustrator file, and uses the name to identify a swatch to use to pattern all elements on that specified layer. The script works well, and is a real time saver for our mapping staff, but it requires duplicate swatches to exist, where the only difference is their colour.
To improve the script I want to duplicate a swatch and modify its' colour before applying it to a specific layer. I think the only way this can be done is via the "placedItems" command. So the code I'm trying to write looks likke this:
for(var s=0; s<slib.length; s++){ // search swatch library var pat=slib[s].name; // get swatch name
[Code]...
However I'm struggling to find the correct syntax to make this work.
I can't figure out how to create outlines (vector lines) for my patterns , as I need to laser cut the pattern, and all the lines have to be seen I use Illustrator CS6.
When making a pattern into a swatch and applying it to letters, I am noticing that you can see an abrupt point where the pattern stops and repeats. How can this be done so it is not visible?
I have some 2 coluor artwork consisting of 2 x pantone colours purple and grey.
Within the artwork is a stripe pattern swatch consisting of the same colours. On screen the colours are fine and I've checked all the colour settings and these are fine too.
Why however when i print the artwork does the pattern print in a different colour?
I have an AI file containing seamless pattern swatches.I'd like to get each swatch vectors (ie : access the swatch groupItem). It's doable when clicking on the swatch panel and dragging the swatch on the document, or even double clicking the swatch in the swatches panel, I'd like to do it with javascript.
how to access swatch patterns properties.
How to access the swatch properties, like when double clicking on the swatch in the swatches panel, how to "simulate" a drag & drop of the swatch to the document, I'll take it too, though I think it is not the most convenient way to do.
I have created polka dots or even more complicated pattern in previous version illustrator. They are perfect. When i migrated to the CS5, the exactly same pattern always have a fine line in between the pattern swatches. After i export the artwork to jpg in 300dpi, they are still there.
When I create a shape with a Pantone Color and then decrease the opacity in the color swatch palette, then go to my swatches palette and select "Select All Unused Colors" it highlights the pantone color being used in the file. In previous version, it never did this. This is for CS6. Any know fix for this?
I made a pattern in illustrator c6 (lets say simple dots in rows) and I want to color this dots with a swatch (which means a specific color that changes automatically when I change this particular swatch). It does change the color but it also causes a lot of troubles, it makes weird compound paths and illustrator gets very slow...
I have a simple clothing pattern I want to make a 3d Texture from which I can do however what I would like to do is make a layer out of the white background around the template with the marked pattern areas as transparent so after I paint the main template clothing ares, I can place the white background with transparent areas back in as a layer to cover where I paint or fill over the marked template area. Is this possible, if so, how?
1.) I dragged out vertical and horizontal guides from the rulers and then created a new art board. The new art board now has the horizontal guides carried over from the first art board. How can I have separate guides on each of my art boards? I am using art board rulers.
2.) Is there a way to layout vertical and horizontal guides on an art board and copy them over to a new blank art board?
Where I work we do a lot of plate and punch holes in beams for rebar. Is there a way to pull the flat patteren layout of sheet metal and convert to an NC1 file. I can export to a DXF but then i must manually go in and make changes to the DXF in order for it to cut right on our plasma and laser tables. As far as punching holes and cutting beams any clues on this either? We were outsourcing our drafting work before but now we are switching over to in house. I have contacted our supplier of plate nesting software and it looks like they sell something but that means another license of it on another computer.
Whenever I create a new colour in the colour swatches it only stays there for a couple of actions while working on a project. I understand from others that once they create a colour it stays there. Why can't I get that to happen?
I'm trying to edit a document created in Illustrator CS6 and the document is 2/3 garbled when open with the newest download version of Illustrator. I can't edit at all.
I played with the feature a bit and understand how to create the patterns. Problem is when I go to fill in my 12x12 space there are seams. I have chosen different sizes in the pattern window but all show up with seams when I fill the larger space. Am I doing something wrong or is the largest size you can create with this tool seamlessly only 9x9?
down under step #4 it says to Copy (& Paste) the circle that's inside a Clipping Mask and to the drag it out of the mask in order to duplicate it twice.
I've pulled it out of the mask or even, actually, how to go about pulling it out of the mask
thus far I've Copied and Pasted in In Front ... does copying and pasting it in front bring it outta the mask?
do i need to create a new layer after I've Copied it and then Paste it on the new layer?
I love the new Pattern Maker in CS6, but I keep running into a problem:
When I create a pattern that is NOT tiled in Grid (i.e. Brick), it usually works without any problem. But once I save and re-open the file, opening the pattern in PM again will show this message:
A clipping mask was created around the pattern tile bounds to preserve legacy pattern appearance. For best results, release the clipping mask when changing the tile size or editing art that overlaps the tile edge. I would then find that, instead of a single motif layed out in a Brick tile, I would have one complete motif in the center and four quartered motifs on the corners of one clipping box. This is tiled in a Grid pattern to emulate a Brick appearance.
So long story short, what's supposed to be a Brick tile turns into a Grid tile that's faking a Brick tile.
I opened a PDF in Illustrator and it has 4 Spot color swatches. Two of them will not delete or let me alter them and I need to change them to CMYK. I've tried reopening the document, restarting my computer and copying and pasting everything into a new document. Nothing has worked for me. I've also tried selecting everything, and going to Edit > Edit Colors > Convert to CMYK ... and then making a new color group (with global checked.) Still won't let me edit the two problem swatches. I then went to "Select all unused" from the swatch panel (thinking they would at least get selected because all of the colors should link to my new global color group) and the two problem swatches did NOT get selected. I've tried deleting all the links (thinking maybe the spot color was tucked in an eps file or something.) No objects are locked and none of the layers are locked.
I have downloaded some of Ian symbols which is a zip file and Safety Nut 10° thru 55°. How do I place these files in Illustrators Swatch Libraries. The Safty Nut file has installed itself somewhere?? If I double click on the folder Illustrator starts up an the nuts are there in a window but when I close Illustator and restart Illustratior and look for it in the swatch folders it dose not show up?
I frequently use Pantone solid coated colors in my work, and have to open that palette anew each time Illustrator has been restarted. I know that in CS4 I could keep that palette available, but I haven't been successful doing the same in CS5. I have saved my workspace, but the Pantone palettes disappear when Illustrator quits.
Swatches Swatches Read-only. The swatches in this document.
Deletes a swatch from the current document Set appRef = CreateObject("Illustrator.Application") Set documentSwatches = appRef.ActiveDocument.Swatches Set swatchToDelete = documentSwatches(5) swatchToDelete.delete
How am I supposed to be able to make changes to the swatches collection - it is read only...
Not supprisingly I have failed to implement this in C-sharp
I can not delete some of the swatches (PMS colours) from the dock. I've tried to search for any artwork that may contain the colour, but I could not find anything. When I open Swatch Options it only lets me change Color Mode. Swatch name and color type are greyed out no matter what color mode I choose. I've tried to copy and paste the artwork in a new document, restart Illustrator but the problem persist.
