How do I change the color of a rasterized image using swatches in Illustrator?

[sheisverycheeky]

I've done this before, years ago, and know its possible but I've forgotten how I did it.

Pls see image.  This texture image is vector.  I'd like to rasterize it in illustrator, and recolor it in illustrator using swatches. Also, I need to maintain transparency of the background.  I do not have photoshop.  I do know how to edit colors-adjust colors but I'd like to be able to quickly change the color using swatches. Its driving me  nuts!

[Dan Rodney]

Why do you want to rasterize it first, and then change the color? If it's vector, can't you change the color and then rasterize it (if you really do need to rasterize it for some reason).

[sheisverycheeky]

I need to rasterize it first, then change the color because I'm tweaking colors and will need to change the colors dozens of times. I need to rasterize the file as its huge. Do you know how to rasterize it in illustrator, and recolor it in illustrator using swatches while maintaining the transparency?

[Ton Frederiks]

Your example looks if it can be done with a pattern.

Then your file would not be huge.

You can recolor the objects filled with the pattern using Recolor Artwork that will create a new color variation of your pattern.

No need to rasterize.

[sheisverycheeky]

I dont want to make this a pattern as I need to keep it in its individual repeat and its exact size.  its a texture going on top of a pattern.

Anyways, Do you know how to rasterize it in illustrator, and recolor it in illustrator using swatches while maintaining the transparency?

[Dan Rodney]

What do you do with this art after you rasterize it? Are you using it in Illustrator or are you exporting it and using it in another app? If you keep it in Illustrator, what are you doing with it? The artwork you show above does not look like it would be large, so I'm still not sure why you need to rasterize it first before coloring it. Knowing what you will be doing with it would help us to best advise the best options for you.

Do you know about using Effect > Rasterize? It lets you rasterize the output, without rasterizing the original. That way you can keep an editable vector that you can easily change the color of. In some cases that can work if the output fails because of art that's too complex.

[sheisverycheeky]

I appreciate the responses and there are lots of work arounds, but Im looking to rasterize it in illustrator, and recolor it in illustrator using swatches while maintaining the transparency.

[Monika Gause]

sheisverycheeky  schrieb

Im looking to rasterize it in illustrator, and recolor it in illustrator using swatches while maintaining the transparency.

Please read the introductory parts of the documentation where it explains the difference between raster and vector editing.

[sheisverycheeky]

i understand the difference

[Dan Rodney]

I see you replied with some more details as I was posting my previous response. I'm curious if Effect > Rasterize would work for your needs. That lets you keep an editable vector in Illustrator, so you can change the color of it easily, but the effect rasterizes the output. Does that work for you?

[Ton Frederiks]

Images cannot be colored in Illustrator when they contain transparency.

[JETalmage]

Object>Rasterize>Grayscale or Bitmap. (If using Grayscale, do not turn on the Transparency checkbox.)

Apply the desired swatch to the fill.

JET

[Ton Frederiks]

Yes Bitmap mode can keep transparency.

[sheisverycheeky]

Jet- I need the transparency as its a texture going on top of a print. bitmap changes the visuals too much for my client.

This is similiar to what I remember doing.  PRE CC.  I feel like it was object> rasterize> grayscale>convert to cmyk but thats not working.  Maybe something has changed in CC.  I tied to find one of my old files where I utilized the trick but they are gone.  I was able to find  a few old distressed textures that when places you are able to recolor using swatches.  Curiously, they are tiffs

[Monika Gause]

Then create a rectangle of the desired color and apply your image as an opacity mask. This can be transparent.

[occdana]

The files that you can recolor that are Tiffs are probably in bitmap mode and made in Photoshop.  You can create a file in Photoshop, put it as a black and white bitmap mode, saved as TIFF format, and recolor the non vector image in Adobe Illustrator using illustrator solid swatches.  I do this all the time with texture overlays.

[JETalmage]

This is similiar to what I remember doing.  PRE CC....Maybe something has changed in CC.

I'm using CS6. (I don't rent software.)

I feel like it was object> rasterize> grayscale>convert to cmyk but thats not working.

That couldn't be it, because you can't colorize a CMYK image.

I was able to find  a few old distressed textures that when places you are able to recolor using swatches.  Curiously, they are tiffs

Nothing curious about TIFF. You can colorize placed (linked) TIFFs in AI so long as they are grayscale and don't contain alpha transparency.

Are you sure you weren't setting the opacity mode of the colorized raster to Multiply?

JET

[Snaglefoot]

Too bad they cant just answer your question

[sofia_6579]

Hi! I'm sorry no one could answer your question. I was not able to figure out how to do it with swatches unfortunately, but this solution could work for someone else:

1. Rasterize artwork
2. Edit > Edit colors > Adjust color balance...

So definitely no swatches but I was able to change the hue. This is in version 28.7.1!

[sofia_6579]

actually this didn't work for me perfectly but it won't let me delete my reply LOL. good luck!

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

Object > Rasterize > Grayscale > Background White

Apply a color