Adobe ILLUSTRATOR CS2 User Manual page 259

To apply a gradient in a different direction
Once you have filled an object with a gradient, the Gradient tool lets you modify the gradient by "repainting" the fill
along an imaginary line you drag. This tool lets you change the direction of a gradient, change the beginning point
and endpoint of a gradient, and apply a gradient across multiple objects.
1 Fill the object with a gradient. To apply a gradient across multiple objects, fill all the objects with a gradient.
Select the object or objects.
2
3 Select the Gradient tool
4 Position the pointer where you want to define the beginning point of the gradient, and drag across the object or
objects in the direction you want the gradient to be painted.
5 Release the mouse button where you want to define the endpoint of the gradient.
See also
"To apply a color, pattern, or gradient to an object" on page 224
To create or modify gradients
Do one of the following:
1
•
To modify an object's gradient, select the object.
•
To modify a preset gradient, click a gradient swatch in the Swatches palette. (To display only gradients in the
palette, click the Show Gradient Swatches button
•
To create a new gradient, deselect all objects and click the gradient box at the bottom of the toolbox.
Select a gradient type (Linear or Radial) in the Gradient palette.
2
If you select Linear, enter an angle of direction for the gradient in the Angle text box. Alternatively, drag the
3
Gradient tool in the document window to set the angle.
Select colors for the gradient.
4
Gradient colors are defined by a series of stops in the gradient slider. A stop is the point at which a gradient changes
from one color to the next and is identified by a square below the gradient slider. The squares in the Gradient palette
display the color currently assigned to each gradient stop. With a radial gradient, the leftmost gradient slider defines
the center point's color fill, which radiates outward to the color of the rightmost gradient slider.
You can adjust gradient stops in the following ways:
•
To define the starting and ending colors of a gradient, click the leftmost (starting color) or rightmost (ending
color) gradient stop. Then create a color in the Color palette, or Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) a
color swatch in the Swatches palette. Alternatively, drag a color from the Color palette or the Swatches palette onto
the gradient stop.
Note: If you create a gradient between spot colors, you must deselect Convert To Process in the Separation Setup dialog
box to print the gradient in individual spot color separations.
•
To add intermediate colors to a gradient, drag a color from the Swatches palette or the Color palette onto the
gradient slider. Alternatively, click anywhere below the gradient slider, and then select a color as you would for the
starting or ending color. To delete an intermediate color, drag the square off the gradient slider.
•
To adjust the midpoints of the gradient's color stops (the point at which two color stops are 50%), drag a diamond
icon located above the slider or select the icon and enter a value between 0 and 100 in the Location text box.
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ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2 252
User Guide