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BiancaF_
Participant
August 6, 2020
Answered

Importing gradients

  • August 6, 2020
  • 5 replies
  • 17218 views

I am trying to import gradients from photoshop to illustrator. I have saved my gradient from photoshop however when I try to import it onto illustrator it comes up with "the file is in a unkown format and its styles cannot be imported." 

Does anyone know why this is happening and how I can fix it? 

The file is saved as a .gdr

    Correct answer Ton Frederiks

    Gradients from Illustrator can now be added to CC libraries and used in Illustrator and Photoshop.

    5 replies

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Ton FrederiksCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    March 12, 2025

    Gradients from Illustrator can now be added to CC libraries and used in Illustrator and Photoshop.

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 28, 2023

    777 votes today. 

    777 is considered a lucky number. 777 is used on most slot machines in the United States to identify a jackpot. 

    So you never know...

      T
      Tarek28906419zq12
      Participant
      September 28, 2023

      I don't Adobe. They aim to have this unique shared environment and yet this so basic feature is not available. Crazy.

        Ton Frederiks
        Community Expert
        Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        August 6, 2020

        And you may add another vote (to the current (Edit: 482) 795 841 votes here:
        https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-feature-requests/suggestions/30997678-allow-gradient-swatches-to-be-added-to-cc-library

         

          Ton Frederiks
          Community Expert
          Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          January 5, 2023

          693 current count

          F
          federico platon
          Legend
          August 6, 2020

          Illustrator nature is vectorial, not pixel based as Photoshop gradients. GDR is a format extension unrecognizable by illustrator.

          A pixel gradient from PS is unusable as Illustrator gradient.

          You have to create a new gradient in Illustrator, though you can used those colors in the swatches stops picking up colors with the Eyedropper tool from a raster pixel object placed from Photoshop using those gradients.

          An alternative is to use Cloud libraries that include those sngle swatches.

          Or use the standard practice of exporting selected swatches from Photoshop swatches panel as .ase file (Adobe swatches exchange file) that can be use in Illustrator or InDesign too.

            Ton Frederiks
            Community Expert
            Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            August 6, 2020

            Unfortunately, Photoshop gradients are different from other Adobe apps.

            I once made a comparison between applications using gradients with the same color stops.

            Photoshop was different.

            It will be hard to exchange gradients this way. But it may not be impossible for smart Adobe engineers.

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