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Andrea23141209dbp1
Participant
March 16, 2022
Answered

Cannot save freeform gradient to swatches in Illustrator - Bug?

  • March 16, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 6064 views

I feel like I am crazy; I am able to save linear and radial gradients to the swatches panel in a document I am working on, but cannot save freeform gradients.  I can drag it onto the panel and a green plus sign appears, but then that ding and it will not save.

 

Is this a setting or something?  I unfortunately recently upgraded to Ai 2022 and I think that's when it stopped working.

 

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Ton Frederiks

You cannot save a freeform gradient to the swatches panel.

You can drag an object with a freeform gradient to the swatches panel, but it will become a pattern.

When you edit the pattern you will notice that the freeform gradient has turned into non-native art.

3 replies

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Ton FrederiksCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
March 16, 2022

You cannot save a freeform gradient to the swatches panel.

You can drag an object with a freeform gradient to the swatches panel, but it will become a pattern.

When you edit the pattern you will notice that the freeform gradient has turned into non-native art.

    Carol F Metzger
    Carol F Metzger
    Inspiring
    November 30, 2023

    Hi, Ton.
    I saved a freeform as a graphic style, but cannot apply it to the object I want, the "cfm designs." What is possible? Perhaps I will try some kind of compound path.

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 30, 2023

    Freeform gradients are unreliable, you can try to use the text as a clipping mask.

    tromboniator
    Community Expert
    tromboniatorCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 16, 2022

    Freeform gradients are (still) weird animals, and can behave in unexpected ways.

     

    Save your freeform gradients as graphic styles (Window menu > Graphic Styles) rather than as swatches.

     

    Peter

      Ton Frederiks
      Community Expert
      Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 16, 2022

      I like this idea Peter, just be careful that the style needs to be applied to objects that have a similar shape as the original.

      tromboniator
      Community Expert
      tromboniatorCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 17, 2022

      You're absolutely right, Ton. Thanks for pointing this out. I did mention unexpected ways – The behavior seems to be more or less predictable, but it takes a bit of experimentation to be able to make the predictions. My experiments continue…

       

      Peter

      Peru Bob
      Community Expert
      Peru BobCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 16, 2022

      I've moved this from the Using the Community forum (which is the forum for issues using the forums) to the Illustrator forum so that proper help can be offered.

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