Note:
The Color Themes panel available in Illustrator CC releases earlier than April 2017 is no longer supported.
Beginning with the April 2017 release, Illustrator CC provides a new color theme creation experience. Using the new Adobe Color Themes panel, you can create or edit thousands of themes, and then use them in your projects. For details, see Use the Adobe Color Themes panel.
Adobe® Color® is a web-based application used to experiment with, create, and share color themes that you use in a project. Illustrator has a Color Themes panel that enables you to view and use the color themes that you have created or marked as favorite in the Adobe Color application.
In Illustrator, the Color Themes panel (Window > Color Themes) displays:
- Themes you created, and are synced with your account on the Adobe Color website (color.adobe.com).
- Public themes that you have marked as a favorite themes on the Adobe Color website.
The Adobe ID used in Illustrator is automatically used to sign in to the Adobe Color website, and the Color Themes panel is refreshed .
Note:
If the credentials you are using with Illustrator do not have an associated Adobe ID, then one is automatically created using the Illustrator credentials. You can then access the Color Themes website using your Adobe ID credentials.

A simple and fun way to capture inspiring color combinations wherever you see them. Simply point the camera at something colorful and Adobe Color CC will instantly extract a series of colors.
Learn more about the Adobe Color CC app here.
Download the amazing Adobe Color CC app from the iTunes app store (Available for your iPhone, iPad, and iWatch!).
Note:
For the Color Themes panel to work, Internet connectivity is essential when you launch Illustrator. The Color Themes panel cannot be used, if you do not have Internet connectivity while launching Illustrator.
The swatches and themes available in the Color Themes panel are read-only. You can use a swatch or theme in your artwork, directly from the Color Themes panel. However, to modify or repurpose a swatch or theme, first add them to the Swatches panel.
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If you have added a theme in Color Themes after you started Illustrator, click Refresh in the Color Themes panel to include the latest theme.
Note:
The Color Themes panel lists the themes that you have created, modified, or marked as favorite (listed under Adobe Color website > My Themes)
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To add a swatch:
- In the Color Themes panel, select a swatch, and then click the flyout menu > Add to Swatches.
To add multiple swatches:
- In the Color Themes panel, hold the Ctrl/Cmd key and select multiple swatches, and then click the flyout menu > Add to Swatches. You can also use the Shift key to select multiple swatches.
To add a theme:
- In the Color Themes panel, select the entire theme by clicking the theme's folder icon. The entire theme is added to the Swatches panel.
To add multiple themes:
- In the Color Themes panel, hold the Ctrl/Cmd key, click multiple theme folder icons, and then click the flyout menu > Add to Swatches. You can also use the Shift key to select multiple themes.