Missing pattern swatches in illustrator

[kimmo242]

I have an illustrator document with 650 squares, each with a unique pattern swatch applied. However, in my swatches pallette, there are only 642 pattern swatches.

I intend to package the patterns from the swatches pallette, so I need all 650 to be in there, and must have somehow deleted a few from the swatches palette (though they are still applied to objects on the pasteboard by the looks of it?). Is it even possible to have patterns applied to objects that aren't showing in the swatches palette?

I've tried copying and pasting the 650 squares with patterns applied to a new illustrator document, so that the patterns are re-added to swatch palette, and again the patterns come up short in number compared to the pattern objects on the pasteboard, and I can't seem to find any duplicates that would explain this!

Anyone have any ideas on how this could be happening? or ways to force illustrator to add all pattern fills used on pasteboard to swatches pallette?

I basically have 650 patterns I need to batch rename and export as a library, so having patterns missing and not knowing which ones they are is very frustrating!

thanks in advance

[lambiloon]

hi check following video may be it help you...Thanks.

[kimmo242]

Thanks,  I've seen this and I know how to add and use pattern swatches. My issue is that though I have x number of patterns applied in my document I have a different x number of patterns showing in the document swatch pallette

[lambiloon]

check this video

[kimmo242]

you see how in her video, the swatch for her pattern is IN her swatches pallette where it should be? mine is not. There are patterns missing, though there are objects with the pattern applied on the pasteboard. If she were to DELETE her pattern swatch from the swatch pallette, she would now have a patterned object on the pasteboard with no swatch to match it in the swatches pallette, and even if she copied and pasted her patterned object into a new document, the pattern would still not appear in swatches. 

I need to know if there is a way to force patterns used on objects back into the swatches pallette, though I have accidentally deleted the swatch from the swatch pallette. Yes, I can select the object and click 'add new swatch' to add it back in, but I have 650 swatch objects and it's hard to find which one is missing so I'm wondering if there is an easier way.

[Monika Gause]

Are you sure they are really patterns?

Or maybe clipping masks?

[kimmo242]

I thought this at first, so I did a document info check - no clipping masks, and 650 pattern objects. I know i'm not miscounting in the swatches pallette either because i'm using a script that labels swatches for me in sequential numbering and everything seems to be in order

[Monika Gause]

Did you import this file from some other application? GIS for example?

It's possible that patterns importet from other applications are actually applied to the object, but are not in the swatches panel. This is rare, but I've seen it in documents. You then need to create the pattern swatch from the object.

[kimmo242 · Accepted solution]

Hi there, no I created them in the very same document in illustrator. Have figured out what is happening though!

So it looks like in illustrator, if you have say 5 patterned objects on artboard, and 5 corresponding pattern swatches in the swatches pallette, if you delete one of the corresponding pattern swatches from the swatches pallette leaving only 4 swatches, you can still have the deleted pattern applied to the object on the artboard, but not have it show as linked to a swatch in the swatches pallette. Even if you copy and paste your 5 patterned items from the artboard to a new document, you will still only have 4 patterns show in the swatches pallette.

To fix this I selected all of my objects with patterns applied on the pasteboard, on the top right flyout of the swatches menu I found an option called 'Add used colors' which luckily applies to patterns also! after doing so I now have 650 patterns back in my swatch pallette again. Phew!

Thanks for your replies

[madisonvahle]

Hello, I know this is an older thread. But, I was wondering if there's some secret hideout for patterns made with pattern maker? I will generate a pattern I like and then apply it from the swatches and it uses it as a fill pattern. However, I have to expand the object to take it to another document as the swatches won't float from one document to another. The reason this is a bigger issue is that I had a memory crash occur and all I have is a rasterized version with low DPI (I had exported some of these elements as png files prior). NOW - for whatever reason, this pattern I have created and was once in my swatches (I had saved it, named it, etc) -- is now gone. Argh! I can start a new thread though if need be. Thanks so much for any and all help! 

[Monika Gause]

Unless you save them as a library, swatches will only be saved inside the document they have been created in.

[Ton Frederiks]

"I will generate a pattern I like and then apply it from the swatches and it uses it as a fill pattern. However, I have to expand the object to take it to another document as the swatches won't float from one document to another."

If you apply a pattern swatch to an object, just copy this object and paste it into a new document. The pattern will automatically appear in the Swatches panel. No need to expand.

[defaultbe5gtapuqyzg]

"I will generate a pattern I like and then apply it from the swatches and it uses it as a fill pattern. However, I have to expand the object to take it to another document as the swatches won't float from one document to another."

If you apply a pattern swatch to an object, just copy this object and paste it into a new document. The pattern will automatically appear in the Swatches panel. No need to expand.

I have this same issue also. In previous versions of Illustrator when coping and pasting an object with a pattern in a new Doc. the pattern would also automatically copy over and add to the swatch panel. 

Since the last update patterns are no longer copying over with the object. 

Please help how to change this back so that the patterns also copy? 

Thank you 

[Ton Frederiks]

There are some problems with (pattern) swatches in the 25.3.1 version.

See:    https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/43713711-patter...

Reverting to a previous version seems to be a current workaround.

[lambiloon]

i understand lets wait hope you find some more easy solution by other fellows here.