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Copy fill colour to stroke colour

Jul 28, 2012 6:04 AM

Hi All,

I humbly seek help to copy specific fill colour so that it can be filled in as stroke colour in other compound path. I attached 2 screen shots as below. I want to copy the blue olour to replace he red stroke.colour. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

2027 Views 25 Replies Latest reply: davidjerk, Jul 30, 2012 6:03 PM

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1. Jacob Bugge,

Jul 28, 2012 6:39 AM in reply to davidjerk

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David,

I see no compound path, but if I understand it in the right way, you may use the normal Selection Tool and the bottom of the Toolbox as follows:

1) Select the target path with the unwanted stroke colour and set the stroke colour to None,
2) Select the source path with the desired fill colour and switch to the Fill box,
3) Select the target path, switch to the Stroke box, and click the Color box, reset the Stroke Weight if needed.

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2. davidjerk,

Jul 28, 2012 6:55 AM in reply to Jacob Bugge

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Hi Jacob,
Thanks for the reply. However will this copy the desired blue colour value to the target path so that the stroke is filled as blue? I am confused, sorry.

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3. emil emil,

Jul 28, 2012 6:56 AM in reply to davidjerk

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I do it this way
Select the object to be changed.
Look at the fill/stroke box at the bottom of the tool box or color panel and make sure the stroke box is in front of the fill box the way it is on your second screen shot. (pressing X on your keyboard toggles them)
Pick the Eyedropper tool, hold Shift (or press I on your keyboard) and click the color you want for your stroke

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4. davidjerk,

Jul 28, 2012 7:14 AM in reply to emil emil

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Hi emil,
Let me try it out, if I fail getting it done, will let you know,thanks a lot.

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5. emil emil,

Jul 28, 2012 7:31 AM in reply to davidjerk

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If I do it as Jacob suggested I will do in different order so, that I can see the target object all the time in preview mode.
Select the source object, and make sure the fill box is in front of stroke box in the color panel the way it is on your first screen shot and the image below
Select the target object and press the color box (circled in red on the image below)
Swap stroke with fill (Shift + X)
Press / key on your keyboard (which is the question mark key without Shift), to set the fill to none.

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6. davidjerk,

Jul 28, 2012 7:35 AM in reply to emil emil

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Hi emil,
I guess I should be able to get it done. You are really helpful, thanks a lot.

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7. Jacob Bugge,

Jul 28, 2012 9:07 AM in reply to davidjerk

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David,

However will this copy the desired blue colour value to the target path so that the stroke is filled as blue?

Yes.

The proof of the pudding is the eating.

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8. Wade_Zimmerman,

Jul 28, 2012 11:43 AM in reply to davidjerk

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Perhaps this is easier to do

1. select the blue filled path

2. bring the fill prox to the front (either in the tool panel or in the color panel.

3. make a new swatch of theat blue from the flyout of either the color or swatch panel.

4 select the path with the stroke you wish to change and bring the stroke proxy to the front

5 select the swatch you just made.

This is handy in case you wish to use this color again.

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9. davidjerk,

Jul 28, 2012 7:40 PM in reply to Wade_Zimmerman

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Hi Jacob,
My screen shot shows that I do not have "last colour" as shown in black circle. Pls adv.

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10. davidjerk,

Jul 28, 2012 8:54 PM in reply to davidjerk

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Hi Wade,
I am trying your method adding the colour as new swatch. However, my screen shows two different icons, pls adv if I am doing it correctly. Thanks in advance.

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11. emil emil,

Jul 28, 2012 9:08 PM in reply to davidjerk

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davidjerk wrote:

Hi Jacob,
My screen shot shows that I do not have "last colour" as shown in black circle. Pls adv.
Because your current color is the same as your last color, so you don't need it. It will show when you select something with different color and press X to switch the fill box in front

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12. emil emil,

Jul 28, 2012 9:01 PM in reply to davidjerk

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davidjerk wrote:
... However, my screen shows two different icons, pls adv if I am doing it correctly. Thanks in advance.

the little triangle on a swatch mean spot (with the dot) or global color, don't worry about that.

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13. davidjerk,

Jul 28, 2012 9:03 PM in reply to emil emil

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Hi Wade,
Now I can create a new swatch from the fill colour and it will be used as stroke colur from the swatch panel. However, I cannot accomplish it with Jacob's method. Pls advise and thanks for helping me.

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14. emil emil,

Jul 28, 2012 9:14 PM in reply to davidjerk

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Where are you stuck with the Jacob's method?

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15. davidjerk,

Jul 29, 2012 12:39 AM in reply to emil emil

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Hi emil,
I used Jacob's method by selecting the source path with the desired fill colour "blue" and switch to the Fill box, However when I clicked the target path, the fill box changed to the target path colour which is red and the "blue" is not longer selected. I cannot grab the "blue" colour to fill the target as stroke colour. Hope I explained clearly. Thank you.

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16. Jacob Bugge,

Jul 29, 2012 2:23 AM in reply to davidjerk

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David, apologizing for my absence (after 1:39AM over here),

It sounds as if you have skipped step 1), setting the target path Stroke to None. When you do (not skip) that, the Color box will (or should) keep the Fill Color from step 2) to step 3).

If it works differently, something may be ailing or disturbing Illy.

Thank you for stepping in, Emil.

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17. Wade_Zimmerman,

Jul 29, 2012 4:33 AM in reply to Jacob Bugge

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Jacob's way is very fast and efficient and if you do not need to mae the color a swatch for reuse or if a swatch already exist and you have lot's od swatches it is very good.

In case this is simply not registering and I find a video is an easier way to explain things here is a video of Jacob's way.

http://www.wadezimmerman.com/videos/Jacobsway.mov

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18. emil emil,

Jul 29, 2012 6:40 AM in reply to davidjerk

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David, I guess I confused you with suggesting a different order of Jacobs method. I didn't pay attention that the fill of the target object on your screen shot is white and I thought it is none. So, the steps I suggested in post #5 to skip step 1 are valid only if you start with an object with its fill already set to none. If not you can't skip step 1 and should follow exactly the steps suggested by Jacob in post #1. The most important thing to note with using the Last Color is that either the fill or the stroke of the target object has to be none in order for the Last Color to show. If the two objects have fills an stroke color, the Last Color will never be available.

To avoid confusion just ignore, my suggestion in post #5, and follow only the three different suggestions: Jacob's in post #1, mine in post #3, and Wade's in post #8 which you already tried successfully. And then use the one that you find easiest or most appropriate for a situation.

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19. davidjerk,

Jul 29, 2012 11:07 PM in reply to emil emil

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Hi emil,
You are absolutely correct. The most important thing to note with using the Last Color is that BOTH the fill and stroke of the target object must be none in order for the Last Color to show. If either fill or stroke of target object is not none, last colour will not appear.
Wonder why I cannot get it done with Jacob's method, did I miss the shis steps?
I want the left target object stroke colour is green colour which is the the right source object fill colour.

fill target stroke none

select the source path with the desired fill colour and switch to the Fill box

source fill col is not selected

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20. Jacob Bugge,

Jul 30, 2012 3:30 AM in reply to davidjerk

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David,

As you say, both fill and stroke need to be None; I believed there was no (white) fill in the target object in the OP.

When you have both fill and stroke in the target object and wish to copy the fill colur of the source object to become the new stroke colour, you may use an extension (cheatery) as follows:

0) Create a nostroke/nofill auxiliary object,
1) Select the target path with the unwanted stroke colour and set the stroke colour to None,
2) Select the source path with the desired fill colour and switch to the Fill box,
3a) Select the auxiliary path, switch to the Stroke box, and click the Color box,
3b) Select the target path and click the Color box, reset the Stroke Weight if needed.

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21. davidjerk,

Jul 30, 2012 3:46 AM in reply to Jacob Bugge

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Hi Jacob,
I somehow managed to accomplish it by draging and droping the source colour from the colour box to the target path. Thanks for all the time and effort detailing the methods. Really appreciate a lot.

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22. Jacob Bugge,

Jul 30, 2012 4:38 AM in reply to davidjerk

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David,

How somehow?

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23. davidjerk,

Jul 30, 2012 8:02 AM in reply to Jacob Bugge

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Hi Jacob,
I was wrong, draging and droping source colours to target stroke doesnt get it done. Finally, with your method, I have done it, thanks a million. And many thanks to emil and Wade too.

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24. Wade_Zimmerman,

Jul 30, 2012 8:26 AM in reply to davidjerk

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You're wlecome hope we helped you in someway to work better with Illustrator.

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25. davidjerk,

Jul 30, 2012 6:03 PM in reply to Wade_Zimmerman

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Hi Jacobs, Emil and Wade,
Thank you for so much for all the assistance and effort, you guys are really helpful.

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