Create and Save Swatches In Illustrator

If you have a series of colors - or swatches - that you regularly work with, then it would be beneficial to have them saved in such a way that you can access them easily when needed. In this tutorial I’ll be demonstrating how you can save swatches in Illustrator that you’ve created yourself, so you can use them in the future. This is one of Illustrator’s many handy features that will surely improve your workflow.
If you want to learn more about logo design, be sure to check out my Logo Design Academy - an interactive 18-part video course where you will learn my entire creative process for coming up with logo ideas and implementing them: logosbynick.com/learn/
Intro song: "In Da Mood" by Combustibles, used with written permission

[@eringrace2296]

Thank you for your brief & easy-to-follow Illustrator lessons. I’m an apparel decorator and I’ve always outsourced (and paid) for even the simplest graphic design needs because I was too intimidated by Illustrator & Photoshop. But your brief and narrowly focused videos have made it so easy for me to learn without feeling overwhelmed. Thanks so much!

[@jarbird83]

Just what I needed to know. Thanks for keeping it clean and concise.

[@JohnHoulgate]

Thank you. I appreciate your short concise instruction on saving custom swatches.

[@ruhanszubair]

I am truly grateful for the knowledge and skills I have gained under your guidance. Your teaching has not only expanded my understanding of the subject matter but has also inspired me to pursue further learning and personal growth. Your dedication to helping students reach their full potential is truly inspiring, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to be your student. -love you from nepal

[@julietrosen4913]

You're good. Clear + concise. THANK YOU!!

[@arianepenrose9287]

Simple and straight to the point! Thank you.

[@kay_kaylita]

Thank you so much! You instructions were very clear, and easy to follow!

[@tamarajify]

Thank you , exactly what I needed and quick!

[@sasuke1243]

Simple, Instructional, great. Thank you!

[@aliomar6252]

Thank you for a simple and brief explanation!!

[@tinaglynn9306]

Thanks so much. Been trying to do this for an age. You are a star!

[@douglang2327]

Again Thanks you helped me transition from inkscape to illustrator

[@omardesigns15]

you could use a zoom option with your video editing software when you have a small icon like a brush option or swatches or whatever ,hope you read this and make your deiting better too.

[@lothbrok7313]

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

[@cheftoe_7368]

Thank You, quick and to the point!!

[@ulfahhazli4341]

Thank you! Your video is very clear and helpful. Can you add another colour to a colour group that's already been added/saved onto the swatches?

[@studiopanda7949]

just what i was looking for - thank you!

[@stixstudios3380]

Thank you for the clear and precise info - very much appreciated.

[@johnbrown-neaves5142]

Thanks mate, great little informative vid. Ive come back to this a few times now as a refresher.

[@KimiWei]

Appreciate the tutorial, worked great. Only snag was that I tried first to save as swatches, a bunch of screenshots I had taken of colors I wanted to create swatches from and that didn't work. The folder appeared when I saved it, but it was empty. So then I created shapes and filled them with the colors from my jpegs and I was able to save those shapes as swatches.

[@peijichan2589]

Oh, thank you for this! I have tried making my own swatches but never could figure out the process. I'd just end up dragging every color into my libraries in frustration.

[@elvismylove48]

This was so helpful. Thank you so much

[@Z_3R0]

You are a lifesaver, man.

[@ahmedchoudhary6477]

I want that these should always be shown in the swatches panel with other sawtches as default can u please guide

[@celiatoast]

super helpful, thank you!

[@ggheemo]

thanks for the quick explanation.

[@tutu1614]

thank you so much , i need how to save and use in the future. Your video is very useful

[@daeff7353]

I love you. You have made my day.

[@ryovanny]

This is great. Thanks for sharing!

[@Mamariard]

Thank you for the straigth guide!

[@NicoLargi]

Exactly what I came for. Thanks

[@eddieandhenrypugsadventure8105]

Finally my colour pallet is saved....thanks 🤩

[@pineforest8316]

Thank you so much, I have learned one new thing ❤❤

[@flopued]

THANK YOU! It took me so much time to figure this out hahaha

[@ReachForLuxe6267]

SUPERB THANK YOU!!!

[@designerSnehaPriya]

This is really helpful, thanks:)

[@issacmarrujo563]

Super helpful thank you!!!!!!!!!

[@deadxcowboy9665]

Thanks! Really helpful

[@flashretry317]

Great content bro!! Keep up the good work

[@rookrynrynx8469]

this is amazing oh my god, thank you

[@a7xfanben]

Great to know, thank you!

[@VROMANDO2TIME]

thanks sir, your tutorial is too helpfully

[@mom-and-son]

THANK YOU!!!

[@sterwinfernandez4900]

Cool its Working !

[@viesure]

Hi, great video, I am still trying to modify a already saved swatch, so basically modifying one of the colors - seems to be impossible. Any ideas? thanks!

[@StiliSHpaInter]

nice, useful video! thank you!

[@user-jx7rr3in5b]

I love ur this tutorial

[@ebenasare8661]

Awesome! thanks

[@roastbeefy0weefy]

thank you!

[@mariasampson4747]

Excellent thanks 😊

[@andreojuegosyestrategia1266]

Thanks! This is what I needed to know. Do you have one video about color palettes? I would like to know how those integrate from the adoble creative cloud

[@MyShanaenae]

Great and too the point. But, how do you remove/delete created swatch groups?

[@gregwoolliscroft6255]

WHY do all of the tutorials start when the first part is MISSSED OUT...!!!!!

[@XxxAddi]

Thanks A LOT BRO

[@tranha9958]

thank youuuu so much!!!!! Cam on!!!

[@worldofharold]

Awesome!

[@EROKOJR]

Thank you 🙂

[@audunjemtland8287]

Amazing tutorial thanks alot. Is there a way to get that window open automatically with ALL created swatches? Without clicking and finding it.

[@omardesigns15]

and cool vid by the way simple and easy but most important helpful

[@aditing3312]

Just THANKS!!!!

[@h2kkawser692]

THANKS BRO ❤❤❤❤

[@LORDSofCHAOS333]

This was cool.

[@rrrchagas]

Thank u!

[@navinkumar-ze9ot]

Thank You

[@KmalSadek]

So to save a color for future we have first to save it as new from the bottom of the box, then from the left bottom mini icon we choose save swatches, right? One problem, is that the options when saving a new swatch or color group does show for me... How do I fix that? Thanks a buch

[@shlokapoojary5069]

Thanks alot🤟🏻🤟🏻

[@kurtbostelaar3687]

great video 👍

[@anuwad09]

Thanks bro

[@LaughingKarrot]

🔥

[@LatinoWebStudio]

Thanks for the video! Would you recommend deleting the other default swatches from illustrator if I never use them?

[@miaroscfala]

yes because you can easily restore them. See the video "Restore Default Color Swatches in Adobe Illustrator Tutorial".

[@beehr4468]

Awesome video - how can I find out the exact color code of the color “Nardo Grey” into illustrator

[@maxmagnus777]

hey can I create a swatch of strokes, like 20 different of them when I do tracing of real world things. That way I can switch between them and see better what I am doing ?

[@SouthbayCreations]

Thanks for the video! Can this be done in Affinity Designer also? Thank you! Jason

[@DesignMadeSimple]

I believe so. I'll get around to a tutorial on that eventually.

[@workfromhome69]

Can you please tell me, how to edit swatches after it has been saved?

[@PalomaMcClain]

How do you edit your swatches after you save them?

[@KmalSadek]

I seem to have a problem saving the new colors... They seem to be saved twice and even though I name the color, after I load it it's called new swatch... I'm confused. Would anyone please let me what's happening and how to save new colors or gradients in the correct way.

[@angelictigerette]

I'm able to save and open the swatches, but only on the document I saved them on. Is it possible to open them from a new document?

[@swarbhanudutta6312]

what is include swatch for tints in new colour group?

[@AnonymouslyP91]

Thank you! I just hate having to import my swatches to everytime I open my illustrator.

[@MadSUPANOVA]

Can you please show me/us how to create the Harley Davison bike logo, appears so simple but..

[@bradmacdonald6591]

The 'User Defined' menu option is greyed out / disabled after I create the swatch.

[@WhiteStormX]

Yeah how can i add them to fill and Stroke my swatched i saved

[@maquia_drafts]

I made a custom color, for a pattern. Now I wanted to fill that pattern/color in my another traced image saved in another artboard. How do i do it. Please help. U did for swatches but i tried doing the same process for the color and the user defined option is Unclickable / unavailable. Idk what to do . How will i put the color in my image . Help me

[@cagoldoffice1136]

Is there a way to save the swatch to the Creative Cloud instead of a local file? I've been trying to figure out how to save patterns and swatches to the Library for months.

[@DesignMadeSimple]

Not that I'm aware of

[@007Yasir]

I just wish Adobe will add a feature where I can have my swatches appear as a default in every document I open, I think there is request on Adobe users voice, but it’s takes over 3 years and still no action.

[@razishafiei6968]

tanx

[@randomrandy3059]

How do you delete a color from the swatch?

[@MoLtenMetaL7]

the user defined option is greyedout

[@angellolopezaguayo]

⭐🐶👍

[@BananaBeach519]

pleae Affinity Designer tutorial

[@ramtinsheibani4207]

Hey man i just did every think you did but i can't press "user defined" , like there is no swatches saved there

[@wokayzofficial]

same for me..have u get any solution for that?

[@ramtinsheibani4207]

@@wokayzofficial i found a solution . after you saved your swatches , click on other library and open your swatch file

[@wokayzofficial]

@@ramtinsheibani4207 ok thnx 4 the info

[@user-cf2ux8ox8s]

It's easy. But then what's the point to save colors to cloud library ? XD I saved all my brand colors, but I can't use it nowhere. It's just non-sense to me that feature

[@wenl511]

But why do they disappear sometimes? 🤔 It's so inconsistent - there are times when they're still there, and other times, the swatch panel is completely empty. I can't wrap my head around the logic behind it.

[@wenl511]

And huge thanks for the video! 😄 I've been trying to figure out how to add back the color palettes that disappear.

[@fdre3wsd]

Some of it is, prolly

[@shelleytween3872]

Illustrator no longer works this way. When saving the swatch to the library, the dialog box does not appear. Also, the video is blurry when made larger.

[@MartinMcDarren]

most moronic thing in color management is adobe illustrator.

[@jannatulferdousmeghla2067]

Thanks bro