8. Working with Color
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to do the following:
• Set up color management.
• Determine output requirements.
• Add colors to the Swatches panel.
• Apply colors to objects and text.
• Create dashed strokes.
• Create and apply a gradient swatch.
• Adjust the direction of the gradient blend.
• Create and apply a tint.
• Create and apply a spot color.
This lesson will take about 1 hour to complete.
Download the project files for this lesson from the Lesson & Update Files tab on your Account page at www.peachpit.com and store them on your computer in a convenient location, as described in the “Getting Started” section of this book.
Your Account page is also where you’ll find any updates to the chapters or to the lesson files. Look on the Lesson & Update Files tab to access the most current content.
You can create, save, and apply process and spot colors to objects, strokes, and text. The colors you create and save can include tints, mixed inks, and blended gradients. Using a preflight profile helps ensure that the colors output properly.
Getting started
In this lesson, you’ll add colors, tints, and gradients to a magazine advertisement for a fictitious chocolate company called Tifflin’s Truffles. The ad consists of CMYK and spot colors along with imported CMYK images. Before you get started, however, you will do two things to ensure that the document looks as good in print as it does onscreen: You will review color management settings and use a preflight profile to review the color modes of the imported images.
Note
If you have not already downloaded the project files for this lesson to your computer from your Account page, make sure to do so now. See “Getting Started” at the beginning of the book.
1. To ensure that the preference and default settings of your Adobe InDesign program match those used in this lesson, move the InDesign Defaults file to a different folder following the procedure in “Saving and restoring the InDesign Defaults file” on page 3.
2. Start Adobe InDesign. To ensure that the panels and menu commands match those used in this lesson, choose Window > Workspace > [Advanced] and then choose Window > Workspace > Reset Advanced.
3. Choose File > Open, and open the 08_Start.indd file, in the Lesson08 folder, located inside the Lessons folder in the InDesignCIB folder on your hard disk. If the Missing Fonts dialog box displays, click Sync Fonts.
4. Choose File > Save As, rename the file 08_Color.indd, and save it in the Lesson08 folder.
Note
The graphics may look pixelated or jagged because of the current Display Performance setting. You will change that later in this lesson.
5. If you want to see what the finished document looks like, open the 08_End.indd file located in the same folder. You can leave this document open to act as a guide as you work. When you’re ready to resume working on the lesson document, click its tab in the upper-left corner of the document window.
Managing color
Color management works to reproduce colors consistently across a range of output devices, such as monitors, tablets, color printers, and offset presses. InDesign gives you easy-to-use color management features that help you achieve good, consistent color without needing to become a color management expert. With color management enabled out of the box, you’ll be able to view colors consistently while ensuring more accurate color from edit to proof to final print.
The need for color management
No screen, film, printer, copier, or printing press can produce the full range of color visible to the human eye. Each device has a specific capability and makes different kinds of compromises in reproducing color images. The unique color-rendering abilities of a specific output device are known collectively as its gamut. InDesign and other graphics applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, use color numbers to describe the color of each pixel in an image. The color numbers correspond to the color model, such as the RGB values for red, green, and blue or the CMYK values for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
Tip
To achieve consistent color, it’s important to periodically calibrate your monitor and printers. Calibration brings your devices into compliance with predefined output standards. Many color experts believe that calibration is the most important aspect of color management.
Color management is simply a way of translating the color numbers for each pixel from the source (the document or image stored on your computer) to the output device (such as your monitor, laptop, tablet, color printer, or high-resolution printing press). Because each source and output device has its own specific gamut (or range) of colors it is capable of reproducing, the aim of the color translation is color accuracy across devices. You can find additional information about color management in the InDesign Help file, online at www.adobe.com (search for color management), in books such as Peachpit’s Real World Color Management, and in DVDs/videos such as Peachpit’s Color Management without the Jargon: A Simple Approach for Designers and Photographers Using the Adobe Creative Suite.
Displaying images at full resolution
In a color management workflow, even using default color settings, you should display images at high quality for the best possible color representation that your monitor is capable of showing. When you use lower-resolution image displays, graphics are displayed more quickly, but the colors are less precise.
Tip
You can specify Display Performance defaults in preferences, and you can change the display of an individual object using the Object > Display Performance menu.
To see the difference in one of your documents, experiment with the options in the View > Display Performance menu:
• Fast Display (ideal for quick text editing because images do not display)
• Typical Display (the default)
• High Quality Display (displays raster and vector graphics at high resolution)
For this lesson, choose View > Display Performance > High Quality Display.
Specifying color settings in InDesign
For consistent color in InDesign, you can specify a color settings file (CSF) with preset color management policies and default profiles. The default setting is North America General Purpose 2, which is the best option for beginners.
According to Adobe, “For most color-managed workflows, it is best to use a preset color setting that has been tested by Adobe Systems. Changing specific options is recommended only if you are knowledgeable about color management and very confident about the changes you make.”
In this section, we discuss some of the preset color settings and strategies available in Adobe InDesign that you can use to help achieve consistent color in your projects. However, we will not change any color settings.
Note
The color settings apply to the InDesign application, not to individual documents.
1. Choose Edit > Color Settings.
2. Click the various options in the Color Settings dialog box to see what is available.
3. Point at the Working Spaces title to see a description of this feature in the Description box at the bottom of the dialog box.
4. Point at various other features to see their descriptions.
5. Click Cancel to close the Color Settings dialog box without making changes.
Proofing colors onscreen
When you proof colors onscreen—also known as soft proofing—InDesign attempts to display colors according to specific output conditions. The accuracy of the simulation depends on various factors, including the lighting conditions of the room and whether your monitor is calibrated. To experiment with soft proofing, do the following:
Tip
If a document contains overprinting and will be printed on an offset press, choose View > Overprint Preview in addition to View > Proof Colors.
1. Choose Window > Arrange > New Window for 08_Color.indd to open a second window for your lesson document.
2. Choose Window > Arrange > Tile to display windows for each open document (if you have 08_End.indd open, three windows display).
3. Click the 08_Color.indd:2 window to activate it.
4. Choose View > Proof Colors. You can see a soft proof of the colors according to the current settings under View > Proof Setup.
5. To customize the soft proof, choose View > Proof Setup > Custom.
6. In the Customize Proof Condition dialog box, click the Device To Simulate menu and review the various presses, desktop printers, and output devices such as monitors available.
7. Select Dot Gain 20% from the Device To Simulate menu, and click OK.
Grayscale profiles such as Dot Gain 20% let you preview how a document will print in black and white. Notice that the InDesign document’s title bar shows which device is being simulated, such as (Dot Gain 20%) or (Document CMYK).
8. Try different soft proofing options.
9. When you’re finished reviewing the various soft proofing options, click 08_Color.indd:2’s close box to close the second window. Resize and reposition the 08_Color.indd window as necessary.
Defining printing requirements
Whether you are working on a document for delivery in a print or digital format, it’s a good idea to know the output requirements before you start working. For example, for a print document, meet with your printer and discuss your document’s design and use of color. Because printers understand the capabilities of their equipment, they may suggest ways for you to save time and money, increase quality, and avoid potentially costly printing or color problems. The ad used in this lesson was designed to be printed by a commercial printer using the CMYK color model.
Tip
Your service provider or commercial printer may provide a preflight profile with all the necessary specifications for output. You can import the profile and use it to check your work against these criteria.
To confirm that your document matches the printing requirements, you can check it against a preflight profile, which contains a set of rules regarding the document’s size, fonts, colors, images, bleeds, and more. The Preflight panel can then alert you to anything in the document that does not follow the rules set in the profile. In this exercise, you will import a preflight profile provided by the printer of a magazine that will publish the ad.
1. Choose Window > Output > Preflight.
2. Choose Define Profiles from the Preflight panel menu (
).
3. In the Preflight Profiles dialog box, click the Preflight Profile Menu button () below the list of preflight profiles at left. Choose Load Profile.
4. Select the Magazine Profile.idpp file, in the Lesson08 folder, located inside the Lessons folder within the InDesignCIB folder on your hard disk. Click Open.
5. With the Magazine Profile file selected, look through the settings specified for the output of this ad. Checked options are those that InDesign will flag as incorrect. For example, under Color > Color Spaces And Modes Not Allowed, if RGB is checked, any RGB images will be reported as errors.
6. Click OK to close the Preflight Profiles dialog box.
Tip
The lower-left corner of the document window always displays the number of preflight errors in a document. If you start to see a lot of errors, open the Preflight panel to see more information.
7. From the Profile menu in the Preflight panel, choose Magazine Profile.
To quickly edit an imported image in its original image-editing application or one of your choice, select the image in the Links panel and choose Edit Original or Edit With from the Links panel menu.
Notice that the profile detects one issue with an imported Illustrator file. If you were actually going to send this ad to the magazine, the error would need to be resolved first.
8. To view the error, click the triangle next to IMAGES And OBJECTS.
9. Click the triangle next to Stroke Weight Too Small.
10. Double-click SocietyLogo.ai, the graphic file name, to view the problem image. For details on the problem, click the triangle next to Info below.
11. Close the Preflight panel.
12. Choose File > Save.
Creating and applying colors
For maximum design flexibility, InDesign provides a variety of methods for creating and applying colors and gradients. The software makes it easy to experiment while helping to ensure proper output. In this section, you will learn a variety of methods for creating and applying colors.
Note
As you work through the lesson, you can move panels around or change the magnification to the level that works best for you. For more information, see “Working with panels” and “Changing the magnification of a document” in Lesson 1.
Adding colors to the Swatches panel
You can add color to objects using a combination of panels and tools. The InDesign color workflow revolves around the Swatches panel. Using the Swatches panel to name colors makes it easy to apply, edit, and update colors for objects in a document. Although you can also use the Color panel to apply colors to objects, there is no quick way to update these colors, which are considered unnamed colors. Instead, if you want to change an unnamed color on multiple objects, you need to change each one individually.
You’ll now create most of the colors you’ll use in this document. Because this document is intended for a commercial press, you’ll be creating CMYK process colors.
1. Make sure that no objects are selected, and then open the Swatches panel. (If the Swatches panel is not visible, choose Window > Color > Swatches.)
The Swatches panel stores the colors, tints, and gradients that you create and store for reuse.
2. Choose New Color Swatch from the Swatches panel menu (
).
Note
The Name With Color Value option names a color according to the color values you enter; the name automatically updates if you change any color values. This option is available only for process colors and is useful when you want to use the Swatches panel to monitor the exact composition of process-color swatches. For this swatch, you deselected Name With Color Value so that you can use a name (Brown) that’s easier to read.
3. In the New Color Swatch dialog box, deselect Name With Color Value, and for Swatch Name, type Brown. Make sure that Color Type is set to Process and Color Mode is set to CMYK.
4. For the color percentages, type the following values: Cyan (C) = 0, Magenta (M) = 76, Yellow (Y) = 76, Black (K) = 60.
5. Click Add to include this new color in the Swatches panel, and keep the dialog box open. InDesign creates a copy of the current color for use as a starting place.
Tip
If you forget to type the name for a color or if you type an incorrect value, double-click the swatch in the Swatches panel, change the name or value, and then click OK.
6. Repeat the previous three steps to name and create the following colors:
• Blue: Cyan (C) = 60, Magenta (M) = 20, Yellow (Y) = 0, Black (K) = 0
• Tan: Cyan (C) = 5, Magenta (M) = 13, Yellow (Y) = 29, Black (K) = 0
7. When finished, click Done in the New Color Swatch dialog box.
New colors added to the Swatches panel are stored only with the document in which they are created—although you can import them into other documents. You’ll apply these colors to text, images, and strokes in the layout.
8. Choose File > Save.
Applying colors to objects with the Swatches panel
You can apply color swatches from the Swatches panel or the Control panel. There are three general steps to applying a swatch color: (1) selecting the text or object, (2) selecting the stroke or fill option, depending on what you want to change, and (3) selecting the color. You can also drag swatches to objects. In this exercise, you will apply colors to strokes and fills using the Swatches panel.
Tip
To increase the zoom level, press Ctrl+= (Windows) or Command+= (Mac OS). To zoom out, press Ctrl+hyphen (Windows) or Command+hyphen (Mac OS).
1. Select the Zoom tool (
) in the Tools panel and drag to draw a marquee around the three diamond shapes in the upper-right corner. Make sure that you can see all three diamond shapes.
2. Using the Selection tool (
), click in the center diamond.
3. Select the Stroke box (
) in the Swatches panel.
4. Select the Green swatch (you may need to scroll down in the list of swatches).
The Stroke/Fill toggle (
) lets you swap the stroke and fill colors of a selected object. The Stroke/Fill box also shows whether the stroke or fill box is currently active. Whenever you apply colors, keep an eye on this box, as it’s easy to apply color to the wrong part of an object.
The stroke of the center diamond shape is now green.
Tip
If you apply color to the wrong object or the wrong part of an object, you can always choose Edit > Undo and try again.
5. Select the diamond on the left. Select Brown in the Swatches panel to apply a brown stroke.
6. With the diamond on the left still selected, select the Fill box (
) in the Swatches panel, and then select the Green swatch.
Applying colors with the Eyedropper tool
The diamond on the right requires the same Brown stroke and Green fill. You’ll use the Eyedropper tool to copy the stroke and fill attributes in one quick step. In addition, you will apply InDesign’s [Paper] color using the Fill box on the Tools panel rather than using the Swatches panel.
Tip
[Paper] is a special color that simulates the paper color on which you’re printing.
1. Select the Eyedropper tool (
), and click the diamond on the left.
Notice that the Eyedropper tool is now filled (
), indicating that it picked up the attributes from that object.
2. With the loaded Eyedropper tool, click the gray background of the diamond on the right.
That diamond now has the fill and stroke attributes of the diamond on the left.
Now you’ll change the fill color of the diamond in the center to [Paper].
3. Using the Selection tool (), click the diamond in the center.
4. Select the Fill box () in the Tools panel, and then click [Paper] in the Swatches panel.
5. Choose Edit > Deselect All, and then choose View > Fit Page In Window.
Applying colors to objects with the Control panel
Now you’ll apply a brown stroke to the six small diamonds at the bottom of the ad.
Tip
If a document contains many color swatches that are intended for specific purposes (such as chapter openers or divider pages), you can group the swatches. panel. To create a new color group, choose New Color Group from the Swatches panel menu and drag swatches into it.
1. Using the Selection tool (), click one of the diamonds to select the group.
2. In the center of the Control panel, locate the Fill and Stroke controls. Click the Stroke menu to see the available colors.
3. Select the Brown swatch (if necessary, scroll down to see it).
4. Choose File > Save.
Creating dashed strokes
You’ll now change the black line that borders the ad to a custom dashed line. Because you are using the custom dashed line on only one object, you will create it using the Stroke panel. If you need to save a stroke for repetitive use throughout a document, you can easily create a stroke style. For more information about saving stroke styles, including dashes, dots, and stripes, see InDesign Help.
In this exercise, you will specify a dashed stroke for the frame on the ad and then customize the dashes.
1. Choose Edit > Deselect All. If necessary, choose View > Fit Page In Window.
2. Using the Selection tool (), select the black outline that borders the ad.
3. Choose Window > Stroke to display the Stroke panel.
4. From the Type menu in the Stroke panel, select Dashed (the last option).
Six dash and gap boxes appear at the bottom of the Stroke panel. To create a dashed line, you specify the length of the dashes and then the gaps, or spacing, between the dashes. Usually, you need to experiment with the values to achieve a desired effect.
5. Choose Brown from the Gap Color menu to fill the gaps with brown.
6. Type the following values in the Dash and Gap boxes: 12, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4 (press Tab after you type each value to move to the next box).
7. Choose Edit > Deselect All and close the Stroke panel.
8. Choose File > Save.
Working with gradients
A gradient is a graduated blend between two or more colors or between tints of the same color. You can create either a linear or a radial gradient. In this exercise, you will create a linear gradient with the Swatches panel, apply it to several objects, and adjust the gradients with the Gradient tool.
Tip
It’s a good idea to test gradients on the intended output device, whether it’s a tablet, inkjet printer, or press.
Creating and applying a gradient swatch
Every InDesign gradient has at least two color stops. By editing the color mix of each stop and adding additional color stops, you can create custom gradients.
1. Choose Edit > Deselect All to make sure no objects are selected.
2. Choose New Gradient Swatch from the Swatches panel menu ().
In the New Gradient Swatch dialog box, gradients are defined by a series of color stops in the gradient ramp. A stop is the point at which each color is at full intensity between the transitions; it is identified by a square below the gradient ramp.
3. For Swatch Name, type Brown/Tan Gradient. Leave the Type menu set to Linear.
4. Click the left stop marker (
). From the Stop Color menu, select Swatches, and then scroll down the list and select Brown.
Notice that the left side of the gradient ramp is now brown.
5. Click the right stop marker (). From the list of colors, select Tan.
The gradient ramp shows a color blend between brown and tan.
6. Click OK. The new gradient swatch appears in the Swatches panel.
Now you’ll apply the gradient to the fill of the center diamond in the upper-right corner of the layout.
7. Zoom in on the upper-right corner, bringing the three diamond shapes into view.
8. Select the center diamond with the Selection tool ().
9. Select the Fill box (
) in the Tools panel, and then click Brown/Tan Gradient in the Swatches panel.
10. Choose File > Save.
Adjusting the direction of the gradient blend
Once you have filled an object with a gradient, you can modify the gradient by using the Gradient Swatch tool to “repaint” the fill along an imaginary line that you draw. This tool lets you change the direction of a gradient and change its beginning point and end point. You’ll now change the direction of the gradient.
Tip
When using the Gradient Swatch tool, the farther away you start from the outer edges of the object, the more gradual the gradient blend will be.
1. Make sure the center diamond is still selected, and then select the Gradient Swatch tool (
) in the Tools panel.
Now you’ll experiment with the Gradient Swatch tool to see how you can change the direction and intensity of the gradient.
2. To create a more gradual gradient effect, position the cursor outside of the selected diamond and drag as shown below.
When you release the mouse button, you’ll notice that the transition between brown and tan is more gradual than it was before you dragged the Gradient Swatch tool.
Tip
To constrain gradient angles to horizontal, vertical, or 45 degree angles, press the Shift key while dragging with the Gradient tool.
3. To create a sharper gradient, drag a small line in the center of the diamond using the Gradient Swatch tool. Continue to experiment with the Gradient Swatch tool in the diamond so that you understand how it works.
4. When you are finished experimenting, drag from the top to the bottom of the diamond. That’s how you’ll leave the gradient of the center diamond.
5. Choose File > Save.
Tip
Each spot color you create generates an additional spot-color plate for the press. In general, commercial printers produce either two-color (using black and one spot color) or four-color CMYK work, with the possibility of adding one or more spot colors. Using spot colors typically increases printing costs. It is a good idea to consult with your printer before using spot colors in a document.
Creating a tint
As well as adding colors and gradients, you can add tints to the Swatches panel. A tint is a screened (lighter) version of a color that you can apply quickly and consistently. You’ll now create a 30% tint of the brown swatch you saved earlier in this lesson.
Tip
Tints are helpful because InDesign maintains the relationship between a tint and its parent color. For example, if you change the Brown color swatch to a different color, the tint swatch you create in this exercise becomes a lighter version of the new color.
1. Choose View > Fit Page In Window to center the page in the document window.
2. Choose Edit > Deselect All.
3. Select Brown in the Swatches panel.
4. Choose New Tint Swatch from the Swatches panel menu ().
5. In the New Tint Swatch dialog box, the Tint option at the bottom is the only option you can modify. Type 30 in the Tint box, and then click OK.
The new tint swatch appears at the bottom of the list of swatches. The top of the Swatches panel displays information about the selected swatch, with a Fill/Stroke box showing that the Brown 30% tint is currently the selected fill color and a Tint box showing that the color is 30% of the original Brown color.
6. Using the Selection tool (), click the word “¡Sí!” in the center of the page.
7. Make sure the Fill box () is selected, and then click the Brown tint that you just created in the Swatches panel. Notice how the color changes.
8. Choose File > Save.
Creating a spot color
This ad will be printed by a commercial printer using the standard CMYK color model, which requires four separate plates for printing—one each for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. However, the CMYK color model has a limited range of colors, which is where spot colors are useful. Because of this, spot colors are used to create additional colors beyond the range of CMYK (for example, metallic inks) and to ensure consistent colors (for example, for use in company logos).
In this ad, the design calls for a spot ink not found in the CMYK color model. You’ll now add a spot color from a color library. In a real-world scenario, you would need to contact the magazine publisher to ensure that the ad can include a spot color.
Tip
When selecting PANTONE colors for print, it’s a good idea to select them from a printed PANTONE color guide, available from www.pantone.com.
1. Choose Edit > Deselect All.
2. Choose New Color Swatch from the Swatches panel menu ().
3. In the New Color Swatch dialog box, choose Spot from the Color Type menu.
4. Select PANTONE+ Solid Coated from the Color Mode menu.
5. In the PANTONE C box, type 567 to automatically scroll the list of Pantone swatches to the color you want for this project, which is PANTONE 567 C.
6. Click OK. The spot color is added to your Swatches panel.
The icon (
) next to the color name in the Swatches panel indicates that it is a spot color.
Applying colors to text and objects
You can apply a color swatch to the fill and/or stroke of selected characters and objects—including text that is converted to outlines, as shown in the script text in the center of this ad. You will apply a color to a font and outlines here.
Tip
To convert text to outlines, select the text frame with the Selection tool, then choose Type > Create Outlines. You can also select characters with the Type tool and convert them to anchored objects.
Applying colors to text
As with objects, you can apply a stroke or fill to text. You’ll apply colors to the text on the top and bottom of the document.
1. Using the Selection tool (), select the text frame containing the word “Indulgent?” at the top left.
2. In the Tools panel, click the Formatting Affects Text button (
), below the Fill box. Then, make sure the Fill box (
) is selected.
3. In the Swatches panel, click PANTONE 567 C, and then click a blank area to deselect the text frame. The text now appears in the spot color.
4. Press T to select the Type tool (
). In the lower-right corner, select the words “Paris • Madrid • New York.”
5. If necessary, click the Character Formatting Controls icon (
) in the Control panel.
6. Locate the Fill and Stroke controls in the center of the Control panel. Click the Fill menu to see the available colors.
7. Select the PANTONE 567 C swatch (if necessary, scroll down to see it).
8. Choose Edit > Deselect All, then choose File > Save.
Applying colors to additional objects
The script text in the center of the page is converted to outlines so the document does not require the original font used. In this case, each word was converted to a single object. You will now apply the same color used by the outlined text “Oui!” to the outlined text “Yes!” First, you’ll magnify the view of the outlined text “Oui!” to see which color is used.
Tip
You might convert text to outlines to create a text-shaped object to fill with an image or to adjust the shapes of characters.
1. In the Tools panel, select the Zoom tool (), and then drag to place a marquee around the script text in the middle of the page.
2. Select the Direct Selection tool (
) and click the text “Oui!”
Note
When you select an object with the Direct Selection tool, you can adjust its contours, as you can see here.
Notice that the corresponding swatch in the Swatches panel becomes highlighted when you select the object to which the swatch is applied.
Now you’ll apply this color to the “Yes!” text.
3. Make sure that the Tint setting in the Swatches panel is 100%.
4. Drag the Green color swatch from the Swatches panel to the text “Yes!” Be sure to drop it inside the object and not on the object’s stroke.
The pointer changes to an arrow with a black box (
) when you drop the swatch onto the fill of the text. An arrow with a line to the right (
) appears if you drag the swatch onto the stroke of the text.
Creating another tint
First, you’ll apply the Blue swatch to text, but then decide that a different shade would look better. You’ll then create a tint based on the Blue color. If you edit the Blue color, the tint that is based on the color also changes.
1. Choose Edit > Deselect All.
2. Select the frame containing “¡Sí!” with the Selection tool () and click the Blue swatch for the fill color.
3. With Blue selected in the Swatches panel, select New Tint Swatch from the Swatches panel menu (). Type 40 in the Tint box, and then click OK.
4. With the “¡Sí!” text still selected, click the Blue 40% swatch for the fill color.
5. Choose Edit > Deselect All.
Next, you’ll change the Blue color. Blue 40% is based on the Blue swatch, so the tint also changes.
6. Double-click the Blue swatch (not the Blue tint swatch) to change the color.
7. In the Swatch Name box, type Violet Blue. For the color percentages, type the following values: C = 59, M = 80, Y = 40, K = 0.
8. Click OK.
The name and color of the color swatch, and the tint swatch based on it, are updated in the Swatches panel.
9. Choose File > Save.
Using advanced gradient techniques
InDesign lets you create gradients of multiple colors and control the point at which the colors blend. In addition, you can apply a gradient to individual objects or to a collection of objects.
Creating a gradient swatch with multiple colors
Earlier in this lesson, you created a gradient with two colors—brown and tan. Now you’ll create a gradient with three stops so that a yellow/green color on the outside fades to white in the middle.
1. Choose Edit > Deselect All.
2. Choose New Gradient Swatch from the Swatches panel menu, and then type Green/White Gradient in the Swatch Name box.
Leave the Type setting at Linear. The colors from the previous blend appear in the gradient ramp at the bottom of the New Gradient Swatch dialog box.
3. Click the left stop marker (), choose Swatches from the Stop Color menu, and select the Green swatch in the list box.
4. Click the right stop marker (), choose Swatches from the Stop Color menu, and select the Green swatch in the list box.
Note
If you press the Shift key while you adjust one color value, the other color values adjust in proportion automatically.
5. With the right stop marker still selected, choose CMYK from the Stop Color menu. While pressing the Shift key, drag the Yellow slider until the % value for Yellow is 40% and then release.
The gradient ramp is now made up of Green and light Green. Now you’ll add a stop marker to the middle so that the color fades toward the center.
6. Click just below the center of the gradient ramp to add a new stop.
7. For Location, type 50 to center the stop. Press Tab to implement the value.
8. For Stop Color, select CMYK, and then drag each of the four color sliders to 0 (zero) to create white.
9. Click OK, and then choose File > Save.
Applying the gradient to an object
Now you’ll apply the new gradient swatch you just created. First, change the zoom level so that you can see the entire page.
Tip
When creating gradient swatches, you can include tints of swatches. To do this, first create the tint swatches in the Swatches panel. You can then select them while creating a gradient swatch.
1. Choose View > Fit Page In Window or double-click the Hand tool (
) in the Tools panel to achieve the same result.
2. With the Selection tool (), select the diagonal green stripe to the right of the chocolate bar picture. (The rectangular bounding box of the diagonal line is selected.)
3. Select the Fill box () in the Tools panel, and then select Green/White Gradient in the Swatches panel.
4. To adjust the gradient transition, select the Gradient Swatch tool () in the Tools panel and drag up and to the right of the object, as shown. Results will vary according to where you start dragging.
5. Choose Edit > Deselect All, then choose File > Save.
Applying a gradient to multiple objects
Previously in this lesson, you used the Gradient Swatch tool to change the direction of a gradient and to change the gradient’s beginning point and end point. You’ll now use the Gradient Swatch tool to apply a gradient across multiple objects in the six diamond shapes at the bottom of the page. You will then view the final layout in Presentation mode.
1. Using the Zoom tool (), zoom in on the diamond shapes below the “Paris • Madrid • New York” text.
2. Using the Selection tool (), click to select the group that includes the six diamond shapes and the line behind them.
Now you’ll apply the Green/White Gradient to the six different diamond objects.
3. Confirm that the Fill box () is selected in the Swatches panel.
4. At the bottom of the Tools panel, click and hold down the Apply Color button, then choose Apply Gradient from the menu to apply the last selected gradient.
Notice that the gradient affects each object on an individual basis. (If necessary, zoom in to view the color and gradient.) Now you’ll use the Gradient Swatch tool to apply the gradient across the six selected objects as one.
5. With the six objects still selected, select the Gradient Swatch tool () in the Tools panel.
6. Drag a line across the objects, starting from the leftmost object and releasing the mouse at the end of the rightmost object.
Now the gradient runs across all six selected objects.
7. Choose Edit > Deselect All, then choose File > Save.
Now you will review the document in Presentation mode, during which InDesign is hidden entirely and the document fills the entire screen.
Tip
Presentation mode works well for presenting design ideas to clients on a laptop. You can navigate the pages of the layout using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
8. Click and hold down the Mode button (
) at the bottom of the Tools panel and choose Presentation (
). When you’re finished viewing the document, press the Escape key.
Exploring on your own
Follow these steps to learn more about importing colors and working with gradient swatches:
1. To create a new document, choose File > New > Document and click OK in the New Document dialog box.
2. If necessary, choose Window > Color > Swatches to open the Swatches panel.
3. Choose New Color Swatch from the Swatches panel menu ().
4. In the Color Mode menu, select Other Library and browse to find the Lesson08 folder.
5. Double-click 08_End.indd. Notice that the colors you created earlier in this lesson appear in the New Color Swatch dialog box.
6. Select Brown/Tan Gradient and click Add.
Tip
In addition to importing selected colors from another document, you can quickly import all colors from another document. To do this, choose Load Swatches from the Swatches panel menu.
7. Select any other swatches you wish, and click Add to load the colors into the new document.
8. Click Done when you’re finished adding colors.
9. Use the frame tools to create several rectangles and ovals, then experiment with the Gradient Swatch tool. Notice the difference in the gradients when you drag shorter and longer distances.
10. Double-click the color swatch [Paper] and change its color values. For a more realistic preview, the page color changes to reflect the color of the paper on which the document will be reproduced.
Review questions
1. What is the advantage of creating colors in the Swatches panel instead of the Color panel?
2. What are the three general steps involved in applying a swatch of color?
3. What are the pros and cons of using spot colors versus process colors?
4. After you create a gradient and apply it to an object, how do you adjust the direction of the gradient blend?
Review answers
1. If you use the Swatches panel to apply a color to text and objects, and then decide you want to use a different color, you don’t need to update each use of the color individually. Instead, change the color’s definition in the Swatches panel, and the color changes automatically throughout the layout.
2. The three general steps to applying a color swatch are: (1) selecting the text or object, (2) selecting the stroke or fill box, depending on what you want to change, and (3) selecting the color. You can access color swatches in the Swatches panel and the Control panel. The Tools panel provides quick access to the last color applied as well.
3. By using a spot color, you can ensure color accuracy. However, each spot color requires its own plate on the press, so using spot colors can be more costly. Use process colors when a job requires so many colors that using individual spot inks would be expensive or impractical, such as when printing color photographs.
4. To adjust the direction of the gradient blend, use the Gradient Swatch tool to repaint the fill along an imaginary line in the direction you want.