Color in CC Libraries

A Creative Cloud Library is a collection of design assets. Several types of design assets can be added to a Creative Cloud Library. With Adobe Illustrator, assets can be Colors, Color Themes, Brushes, Character Styles, Graphics, and Text.

Creative Cloud Libraries help you organize, browse, and access creative assets. For example, you may want to create a Creative Cloud Library that contains all the components most frequently used in a specific project.

The Libraries panel is under the Window menu. To have access to the content of the Libraries outside of Illustrator, choose View on Website from the Libraries panel dropdown menu. You can go to creativecloud.adobe.com, log in using your Adobe ID and password, click on Your Work at the top left, then choose from your Libraries on the left side.

Creative Cloud Color Storage and Usage

Add Colors

To add colors to the Libraries panel, create an object and apply a stroke and/or fill. Select the object and click on the + at the lower right of the Libraries panel. A window will allow you to add the fill color, stroke color, or the object to the Libraries panel.

Once the color has been added, hover the mouse pointer on an available color asset to view the name and hexadecimal code of the color. To change the name of the swatch, hover over the lower portion of the swatch and double-click on the HEX color to edit the name. To change or edit the color in the Libraries panel, double-click on the color swatch. This opens the Color Picker. Change the swatch color and click OK. You can also right-click on the color and choose Edit as well as other options.

To add colors to the Libraries panel through the Swatches panel, click on the dropdown menu on the Swatches panel and choose New Color Swatch. Create the color you want, check the box at the lower left (Add to my Library), choose the library you want to add it to from the dropdown menu, and click OK.

Apply Colors

To use colors that are in the Libraries panel, create an object and target the fill or stroke in the toolbar and select the color from the Libraries panel. Colors in the Libraries panel are non-global colors. If you edit a color in the Libraries, the color in the object will not reflect that color edit.

Colors in the Libraries panel can be added to the Swatches panel by selecting the color swatch, right-click, and choosing Add Color to Swatches.

Delete Colors

To delete a color from the Libraries panel, select the color and click the trash can icon in the lower right, or right-click on the color and choose Delete.

Share, Collaborate, Import, and Export Libraries

To share colors in your library with other people or team members, click on the dropdown menu from the Libraries panel. Here you can select from a list of options.

To export a current library, select it and choose Export Name Of Library. This will save the library to be imported into a library for another person or onto another computer.

To import a library, click on the folder icon next to Select Library and click Import. Navigate to a saved library, select it, and click Open.

When you choose Collaborate, a web browser will open to your Adobe Creative Cloud account and a dialog box will appear. Add in the email address for the person you want to collaborate with, and choose from options that allow them to View or Edit the Library. Then click Invite.

To share a library, choose Share Link, and a web browser will open to your Adobe Creative Cloud account. A dialog box will appear. A link can be copied and shared with other people. Link options allows others to Follow your library and to Save to your Creative Cloud account.

CC Libraries in Other Adobe Applications

The Libraries panel in other Abode applications may be listed under the Window menu in CC Libraries. To open the Libraries panel in other Adobe Applications, choose the library from the dropdown list. From there you can access the library you saved your colors to and now have access to the colors that were created in Illustrator—without having to re-create them in your current application.