InDesign

Apply color

Adobe InDesign CS3 provides a number of tools for applying color, including the Toolbox, the Swatches panel, the Color panel, and the Color Picker.

  1. Select the object you want to color by doing one of the following:

    • For a path or frame, use the Selection tool  or the Direct Selection tool , as necessary.

    • For a grayscale or monochrome (1‑bit) image, use the Direct Selection tool. You can only apply two colors to a grayscale or monochrome image.

    • For text characters, use the Type tool  to change the text color of a single word or the entire text within a frame.

      To change the color of gaps in a dashed, dotted, or striped stroke, use the Stroke panel.
  2. In the Toolbox or in the Color or Swatches panels, select the Formatting Affects Text or Formatting Affects Container to determine whether color is applied to the text or the text frame.
  3. In the Toolbox or in the Color or Swatches panels, select the Fill box or the Stroke box to specify the fill or stroke of the object. (If you selected an image, the Stroke box has no effect.)
    Fill and stroke area of the Toolbox

    A.
    Fill box

    B.
    Stroke box

  4. Do one of the following:

    • Select a color, tint, or gradient using the Swatches or Gradient panels.

    • Double-click either the Fill or Stroke box in the Toolbox or the Color panel to open the Color Picker. Select the desired color, and click OK.

You can apply color to any grayscale image, provided it does not contain alpha or spot channels. If you imported an image with a clipping path, select the clipping path using the Direct Selection tool to apply color to the clipped area only.