Questions re Gradients and Swatches

[Michael J B]

I have been creating a timeline using graphic boxes with fills and gradients, please see attached Screen Shot 2022-02-04 | 220204. How do I:

• remove the gradient so that I have a solid fill;

• determine which specific swatch I used in the box (I have an extensive collection of swatches in which I often have numerous tints for a single colour)? I cannot seem to find a way to identify a swatch used in a box once a it has been applied. In the case of this timeline, I began working on it about a year ago, then had to address other projects, and I am only getting back to it now, hence no memory of which swatch was used where.

Thanks in advance.

[Steve Werner · Accepted solution]

I'm going to assume that you created the gradients in InDesign. You create them by choosing New Gradient Swatch from the Swatches panel menu (Window > Swatches). Then you may have picked solid colored swatches of green and Paper colors in the Gradient panel (Window > Gradient) and applied them to the bar at the bottom of the panel. Each color stop (looks like a little house) represents a swatch color. I had to rotate the gradient 90 degrees (also on the Gradient panel) to get it to run the length of the rectangular shape:

To see what gradient swatch is applied, use the Selection tool (black arrow) and if the Gradient swatch was saved it should appear in the Swatches panel. I named my gradient to make it easier to recognize: Green - Paper color.

To change the rectangle from gradient to solid color, you must select the rectangle with the Selection tool and choosing one of your solid color swatches:

[Steve Werner]

This InDesign Help file about Gradients will probably also help:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/gradients.html