Changing color of a symbol

[Guest]

Ok I'm brand spanking new to Illustrator and I was just going through the tools one by one. I added a blood looking splotch from the "Grime Vector" pack it's default color is black and i want to make it red.

I selected the Symbol Stainer Tool then selected red on the color swatches and clicked on the still selected sprayed on splotch and nothing happens. I can't figure out for the life of me how to change the whole color of the object to red please help.

[Jacob Bugge]

Mattie,

You should be able to drag the symbol to the Artboard/Workspace, use the Break Link to Symbol button in the Symbols palette/panel, and modify the now normal object, possibly just selecting everything or using the Direct Selection Tool to pick parts, and then drag it back as a new symbol (upon the New Symbol button) or a replacement for the old one.

[Junk Mailer]

Even easier, you could just double-click an instance of your symbol,

edit it and then double-click the artboard to return to your

illustration. All instances of the symbol will change simultaneously.

You might want to make a copy of your original symbol first, as this

alters the symbol in the symbols palette.

-JM

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

No the Stainer is easier and probably the best way.

Select the stainer tool but double click on it to open its options and make the settings you want.

Select an instance of the symbol with a selection tool by holding down the command (Mac) or control key (Windows)

Then go tot he color panel and make certain you have CMYK, or rgb if you want color the default seems to be grayscale?

Select the color you want while the symbol is still selected and stain away.

If this does not work for you I will do a video. But it should work.

[Junk Mailer]

Well that's fine as long as everything is going to be tints of the

same color, but even your example shows a multi-colored symbol. The

OP has some good choices here, but it is going to depend on

specifically what they are trying to accomplish.

-JM