Gradients not showing up in illustrator text

[overXbound]

I've done this 100s of times all the sudden it doesn't work. I pick a gradient and try to set it to the text and the text turns to black any idea why this is happening? Gradients work fine with object but for some reasons text cannot be anything but a solid color. This is in CS4.

It might be worth noting that I can set a gradient for the stroke on text which in itself is odd as I haven't been able to do that in the past.

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

select the object and do a screen shot of the appearance panel and post it.

I think that you may be trying to fill the type at the text object level when you want to do it at the character level or vice verse.

As far as the gradient stroke I think you are actually using an added fill with an offset that is being filed and it is stacked behind a black fill.

if there is a black fill and a gradient fill drag the gradient above the black fill.

[overXbound]

Here you go. I thought of the black under text that's not the problem as far as I can tell I looked at that before I posted and double checked before I can here. At anyrate the color will change if its a solid color just not a gradient.

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

I am going to try this one more time.

Select the type with a selection tool and then show the Appearance Panel

Take a screen shot of the type and the Appearance Panel.

Post the screen shot of the appearance panel. while you have the text selected.

[overXbound]

Sorry I should have paid closer attention.

You'll note that the graident is selected as the fill. I don't get it.

[Jacob Bugge]

overXbound,

I've done this 100s of times all the sudden it doesn't work.

Such (mis)behaviour may be aused by preference corruption. You may try a possible, and reversible, cure: Move the folder

In older versions, an extra fill was needed to change colour and make gradients. Is this a simplifying change in CS4 (along with the gradient stroke option)?

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

Let's try this one more time.

With the selection tool (black arrow) select the Text, do not use the text tool use the selection tool.

Then place the appearance panel so it will also be in the screen shot and while the text is selected with the selection tool tale the screen shot.

But it appears you have the black fill at the type object level and the gradient at the character level.

But we have to see. Please.

[shunithD]

Wade...

Following this thread and can't apply a gradient to the text... CS4

Wrote the text... tried to apply gradient fill... not working. Text remains black... by clicking on the Fill in the Appearance Palette/Panel, i can change the fill colour but not get a gradient.

Have tried by selecting the text using the Type Tool (highlighting it) and using the Select Tool (black arrow).

Cheers...

S

[Wade_Zimmerman1 · Accepted solution]

I was actually mistaken as I look closer you d not appear to have fill for the Type but only for the characters which is text at the text level which would allow you to add a color but not such as a gradient for which you have to add a fill to the type level.

If you notice the Type does not have an appearance and so you have to give it one and in this case that would be a fill.

http://mysite.verizon.net/wzphoto/Gradient.mov

[overXbound]

Thanks that fixed it. The only puzzling thing now is why I never had to mess with that in the past and gradients showed up then all the suddent stopped.

[shunithD]

Wade... many thanks...

Excellent tutorial... i tried for ages, yesterday, to highlight the 'Type' in the Appearance Panel and click the Gradient Fill... tried all kinds of things from double-clicking to right-clicking... to standing-on-my-head and clicking ... nothing worked! Never thought i'd have to use / of using the 'Flyout'!

Thanks again...

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

You're both welcome, gld it was of help.

[shunithD]

Wade...

Could you put that video up again...?

Many thanks...

[MilkyTech]

Wade, 

Please explain to me how this could just happen on its own?

I have a logo that I have been making adjustments to for over a year.  One day I open the file and 1 of the gradient filled texts is suddenly black. after ripping the hair out of my head for over an hour trying to figure out why I can't get the gradient back, I found this post.

So I did correct the problem with this solution, but how could something that has always had a fill in the appearance panel suddenly not have a fill?  very strange

[ManOnFire6469]

I don't understand what you just said. Could you please lay it out more clearly?

[Larry G. Schneider]

Three step process

[michelm41846416]

This saved me, Thanks!!!!

[cwcurry]

Larry,

Your 3 step process does not work. If you have no fill selected, then "Add a New Fill" is grayed out. When I change from fill icon [None] to fill icon [Registration], the "Add a New Fill" is still grayed out.

In short, the Appearance panel does absolutely nothing with text.

[razvang87726906]

Thank you Larry, 

This was very helpfull. 8 years since this post and it is still helpfull. 

[Larry G. Schneider]

You're welcome. Thanks for the response.

[overXbound]

Like this?

or maybe this?

I'll try you idea too jacob cause like I said I've done this without problem 100s of times.

[Guest]

Hi, just wanna add something on how to change the gradient direction:

1. Using Selection Tool, select the text

2.  Right click, select Transform Each, and tick the Transform Patterns under Options field. Also, change the rotation angle

 

3. The result;

[cwcurry]

Using Adobe Illustrator CC (20.1.0 64-bit)

I have applied gradient to the text, and it is displaying black. Just to prove that this actually is happening, I made a rectangle and applied the exact same gradient. The gradient is working on the rectangle. Nothing, and I mean nothing I can do will make a gradient work on the text. I can change the text color to red or any solid color and it will work on the text, just not a gradient. Look at the image I made here:

Just so you can see that the actual characters themselves have that gradient applied, here is a snapshot of "some" of the characters selected. You will note the black to bright green gradient is indeed applied to the characters themselves.

Gradients are not showing up on my text. Gradients are working on shapes.

It is really making me think that this is a bug that nobody can solve.

[Ton Frederiks]

Select your text with a selection tool (not with the text tool).

Fill the text with none.

Go to the Appearance Panel and add a New Fill.

Change that fill to a gradient.

[cwcurry]

Thank you Ton. That worked! I made a video to help others:

Here is what I gleaned from this:

1. TEXT CANNOT BE GRADIENT FILLED

   so

2. You have to remove any fill on the text

   so that

3. You can select a block of text

   so that

4. YOU CAN GRADIENT FILL THAT BLOCK

You can still use the character tool and insert and delete the characters inside a group. This is a good thing.