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If that's not possible, I will have to open the pattern every time, copy it, paste it, and drag it into the swatches.
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Can you clarify your question: Are you talking about vector patterns you're acquiring in AI or EPS formats? Or are you talking about vector patterns created by Illustrator via its Object > Pattern > Make feature. When you create a pattern or edit one using the latter feature, patterns are automatically saved as swatches.
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I'm talking about vector patterns that I'm aquiring as AI or EPS, yes.
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The copy paste and drag across files is a bit shaky procedure.
I'm saving the swatches in my Print.ai document, so they are always there, what I need, and I'm deleting the default swatches from it.
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End of your last sentence was cut off. When you acquire an AI vector pattern, are you opening it by double-clicking it? You should be able to double-click on it to open up the pattern-editing workspace and give you the opportunity to save as a swatch.
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I have edited the comment, now it's not cut off. Yes I just open them in Illustrator. I'm saving the swatches in my Print.ai document profile, because I don't want to make custom profile. Saving it as a swatch is not sufficient, it needs to be saved as a swatch in my Print.ai document profile.
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What is the easiest way to do it?
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I'm opening them from the open file menu, not by double clicking.
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The procedure depends on what's in the file. SOme people sell patterns, but there are none in the swatches panel.
The easiest solution would be to collect them all in one AI file that you store on your computer. Then you go into the swatches panel, and load a swatches library. Load that file as a library. When it's loaded, go into its panel menu and check Persistent from the panel menu. The library will then always load whn you launch Illustrator. When you buy new patterns, just put them into the AI file.
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I only use my Print.ai file. And the question is what is the easiest way to store a bought pattern (ai or svg) in my Print.ai?
Currently I am copy pasting the pattern from the bought asset file into Print.ai and dragging it into my Print/ai swatches. Anyways, the color needs to be changed usually before creating the swatch, also. I have to change their color from black to white because I work on black background.
What you describe that's difficult to comprheend. But anyways, thanks.
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Because I need to move the pattern across files, the best is to create the swatch from the destination file.
So I am looking for something more direct than copy pasting, then dragging, like:
Open my destination file, which is Print.ai, then open my Print.ai swatches panel, and wish to have a swatch import option in my Print.ai swatches panel, that could directly import an AI or SVG pattern as a swatch.
Does that option exist?
That's the only thing I am looking for.
If it doesn't exist, do you think it would be useful?
However after importing it as a swatch I cannot change the pattern fill color of it. Or can I?
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But if I can't change the color after, the feature I want would still make sense because I could change the pattern fill color in the source file before importing it.
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I have read this but i don't get it:
How to Import New Textures Into Illustrator (chron.com)
I couldn't import it following this tutorial.
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I just found a better way:
place the source pattern > object > pattern > make, within Print.ai, and the swatch will be created in Print.ai, so no need to open the source file in separate window and copy paste and then drag into swatches.
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I don't understand what you want with the copy/paste. When your patterns are in a library that you have open in a panel, you just need to click on the pattern in the library and it will be put into your swatches panel of the file you are working in.
Maybe you want to read about libraries in the official documentation instead of some tutorial.
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If they are vector patterns you would see them as pattern swatches in the Swatches panel of the .ai or .eps file.
If they are not in the Swatches panel you need to add them one by one, either by dragging them with a no stroke/no fill rectangle behind them or by selecting the "pattern" object and using Object > Pattern > Make
Once you have added them all to the Swatches panel, save as an .ai file.
Open your Print.ai file and select your swatches file from the Swatches panel menu > Other Library.
Select all your swatches in that library panel and choose > Add to Swatches.
White patterns will not be visible, so leave them black.
When you use a black pattern on an object, choose Edit > Edit Colors > Invert Colors to make them white.