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Apply colors and gradients

Create colorful vector illustrations on your iPad! Learn how to apply fill colors, gradients, swatches, and more using Illustrator on the iPad.

apply colors

Add fill and stroke color using toolbar

Fill color is the color contained in the shape object and stroke is the border of the shape object. The fill or stroke can be a color, gradient, or pattern.

Illustrator on iPad
Fill and stroke tool

To add a fill or a stroke color,

  1. Select the object and tap the Fill or Stroke tool displayed at the bottom of the toolbar.
  2. Choose a solid color from the Color wheel, Color spectrum sliders, Swatches, Color books, and Libraries, or choose a gradient (Linear, Radial, Point).

See also: Paint with fills and strokes in Illustrator on the desktop.

Add a solid color

Color panel
Apply solid color

Tap Fill or Stroke tool, and then tap Solid color to view the color options:

  • Color wheel: Choose a color from the color wheel and apply in your object using the Color Picker tool.
  • Color spectrum: Tap more options to choose a color spectrum.
    • CMYK sliders (Process color)
    • Grayscale slider
    • Hex code (Web color)
    • HSB sliders (Hue, Saturation, Brightness)
    • RGB sliders (Screen colors)
  • Swatches: Tap more options to choose from a swatch. Add the selected color to the swatch for easy access.
    • Color books: Select from industry-standard swatches.
    • CC Libraries: Select from a saved swatch library.
    • Add colors using the built-in camera: Select and add colors from the camera screen.

Add solid colors using the built-in camera

Add solid colors to Swatches using built-in camera

Follow the below steps to add solid colors to your swatches using the camera:
  1. Tap the Fill or Stroke tool.
  2. In the Swatches panel, tap   to open the camera.
  3. Position your camera to adjust the photo for an accurate capture.
  4. Drag the slider on the left side of the screen to increase or decrease the number of colors you want to select.
  5. Tap the screen to freeze or unfreeze the scene and color pointers.
  6.  Drag the pointers to choose the color.
  7. Tap the capture button to add your colors to Swatches.

 Also, you can tap to unfreeze the scene and color pointers.

Apply a gradient

Gradient lets you add a graduated blend of two or more colors or tints of the same color to your shape. You can use gradients to create color blends, add volume to vector objects, and add a light and shadow effect to your artwork. In Illustrator on the iPad, you can create, apply, and modify a gradient using the Fill panel.

  • Linear Gradients: Blend colors along a straight path. 
  • Radial Gradients: Fill an object with a smooth gradient that radiates out from the central point.
  • Point Gradients: Blend colors from point to point within the shape.
  1. Select a shape and select the Fill tool.

  2. In the drawer, select Gradient and select Linear, Radial, or Point gradient. For a Linear or Radial gradient, the Gradient Annotator appears on the object.

  3. Select a color from the Color Wheel or Swatches to change the color of the color stop.

  4. To modify the opacity of the gradient, drag the  Opacity slider in the Gradient panel.

Modify linear or radial gradient

For the linear and radial gradient types, when you select the Gradient tool in the toolbar, Gradient Annotator appears in the object. A Gradient Annotator is a slider that shows a starting point, an endpoint, a midpoint, and two color stops for the starting and endpoints. 

  • Add color stops: Select anywhere on the Gradient Annotator. Select the color stop and add color using the Color wheel or Swatches.
  • Gradient annotator: Drag the Gradient annotator to modify the angle, location, and spread of a linear gradient; and the focal point, origin, and spread of a radial gradient. The gradient annotator snaps at every 45 degrees which lets you ensure precision. 
  • Gradient Annotator slider: Drag the slider located between two color stops to increase or decrease the range of the gradient.
  • Delete color stops: To delete a color stop, select a color stop on the gradient annotator and select       icon. By default, a gradient has two color stops.

Modify a point gradient

Point gradient lets you place color stops anywhere in the object. Therefore, a point gradient does not require a Gradient Annotator.

You can set the spread of a color stop in the points gradient. Spread is the circular area around the color stop in which a gradient is to be applied. 

  • Add color stops: To add one or more color stops, tap anywhere on the object.
  • Change the position of color stops:  Drag the color stop and place them at the desired location.
  • Set the spread of a color stop: Select a point gradient and drag the circular spread.
  • Delete color stops: To delete a color stop, select a color stop on the gradient annotator and select   icon. By default, a gradient has two color stops.

To learn how to apply gradients in Illustrator on the desktop, see Gradients.

Modify color and appearance of objects

Appearance panel
Change color and appearance of an object

To change object color and appearance, select the object and tap Properties panel in the taskbar.

  • Tap Fill to view and change the color options for fill color.
  • Tap Stroke to view and change the color options for stroke color.
  • Blend mode: Specify how colors interact with the overlapping objects. Choose a blend color from the drop-down list.
  • Opacity: Create variations in transparency.
    You can also change the stroke weight using the contextual widget. Select the shape and tap  to change the stroke width using the slider. 

See also: Transparency and blending modes.

Copy appearance of an object

To copy objects from one place to another, tap the object and then tap  to view Cut, Copy, Paste options.

To copy the appearance of an object onto another object, 

  1. Tap the object and then tap Copy appearance
  2. Select the object on which you want to copy appearance and tap Paste appearance.
copy appearance
Copy appearance of an object

Apply stroke for an object

When you create an object, the stroke of the object is set to zero (no stroke).

Applying stroke through Properties panel
Apply stroke through Properties panel

Applying stroke through contextual widget
Apply stroke through contextual widget

To set a stroke, do the following:

  1. Select the object and tap Properties panel.
  2. In the Strokes section, select a stroke type as solid or dashed line.
  3. To view more stroke options, click --
    • In the Stroke weight field, type a weight you want to set for the stroke.
    • In the Align Stroke options, choose:
      •  Align Stroke To Center 
      •  Align Stroke To Inside 
      •  Align Stroke To Outside 
    • In the Cap options, choose:
      • Butt Cap to create stroked lines with squared ends.
      • Round Cap to create stroked lines with semicircular ends.
      • Projecting Cap to create stroked lines with squared ends that extend half the line width beyond the end of the line. 
    • In the Corner options, choose:
      • Miter Join to create stroked lines with pointed corners.
      • Round Join to create stroked lines with rounded corners.
      • Bevel Join to create stroked lines with squared corners.

You can also change the stroke weight using the contextual widget. Select the shape and tap  to change the stroke width using the slider. 

See also: Apply stroke on an object in Illustrator on the desktop.

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