Illustrator

Create a color group in Live Color

You create a color group in the Live Color dialog box by choosing a base color and a harmony rule. The harmony rule uses the base color as the basis for generating the colors in the color group. For example, if you choose a blue base color and the Complementary harmony rule, a color group is created using the base color, blue, and its compliment, red.

As you manipulate the colors in the color wheel, the selected harmony rule continues to govern the colors that are generated for the group. To break the harmony rule and edit the colors freely, click the Unlink button .

  1. Open the Live Color dialog box, and choose a color harmony from the Harmony Rules menu, if desired.
    Note: To confine colors to a swatch library, click the Limits The Color Scheme To Colors In A Swatch Library button , and choose a library from the list.
  2. If the color bars are showing, click the Color Wheel icon to display the color wheel instead.
  3. Set the base color by doing one of the following:

    • Drag the base color marker (the largest, double-ringed color marker) around the wheel to set the base color you want.

    • Adjust the color sliders at the bottom of the dialog box.

  4. Choose a new harmony rule or move the color markers, as desired.
  5. To preview the new colors on selected artwork, click Recolor Art.
    Note: Recolor Art will recolor selected artwork when you click OK to close the dialog box. If you don’t want to recolor the selected art, make sure to deselect this option before clicking OK.
  6. Type a name in the Name box to the right of the Harmony rules menu, and click New Color Group .
    Note: if the New Color Group icon is not visible, click the Show Color Group Storage icon .
  7. To save the new color group to the Swatches panel, click OK and close the Live Color dialog box.
Note: You can also create a color group by using the Color Guide. (See Create a color harmony using the Color Guide.) For a video on creating, editing, and experimenting with color groups in Live Color, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0059.