Using the Xtra Color Commands

Using the Xtra Color Commands

Once you have created and used colors, the Color commands under the Xtras menu provide many ways you can adjust the colors in your documents. The Color Control Xtra lets you shift the colors in selected objects.

To use the Color Control dialog box:

1.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Select the objects you want to adjust.

2.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Choose Xtras > Colors > Color Control. This opens the Color Control dialog box

Figure 26. The three different settings for the Color Control dialog box (from top to bottom): HLS, RGB, and CMYK.

3.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Choose which color mode to use to adjust the colors:

o   &nbs 19419l1121t p;    CMYK lets you adjust the cyan, magenta, yellow, or black components of the color.

o   &nbs 19419l1121t p;    RGB lets you adjust the red, green, or blue components of the color.

o   &nbs 19419l1121t p;    HLS lets you adjust the hue, lightness or saturation components of the color.

TIP

The color can be defined in one color mode but adjusted in another.

4.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Use the sliders or the fields to add or subtract color from the selected objects.

o   &nbs 19419l1121t p;    Positive numbers add color.

o   &nbs 19419l1121t p;    Negative numbers subtract color.

5.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Check the Preview box to see how your adjustments affect the selected objects without actually applying the changes.

6.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  When you are satisfied with the color changes, click OK. Your changes are applied to the objects

Figure 27. The Color Control dialog box in the HLS mode was applied to the original artwork to create the other two variations.

TIP

The Color Control dialog box only works on objects that have been colored with process colors, not spot colors.

To darken or lighten colors:

1.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Select the object or objects you want to change.

2.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Choose Xtras > Colors > Darken Colors or Lighten Colors

Figure 28. The results of using the Darken Colors and Lighten Colors commands.

o   &nbs 19419l1121t p;    Darken Colors decreases the Lightness value of the color in 5% increments.

o   &nbs 19419l1121t p;    Lighten Colors increases the Lightness value of the color in 5% increments.

3.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  To continue to darken or lighten the colors, repeat the command as many times as necessary (see page 297).

To saturate or desaturate colors:

1.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Select the object or objects you want to change.

2.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Choose Xtras > Colors > Saturate Colors or Desaturate Colors.

o   &nbs 19419l1121t p;    Saturate Colors increases the saturation value of the color in 5% increments. This makes muted colors more vibrant.

o   &nbs 19419l1121t p;    Desaturate Colors decreases the saturation value of the color in 5% increments. This makes colors less vibrant.

3.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  To continue to saturate or desaturate the colors, repeat the command as many times as necessary (see page 297).

To convert colors to grayscale:

1.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Select the object or objects you want to change.

2.   &nbs 19419l1121t p;  Choose Xtras > Colors > Convert to Grayscale. All colors are converted to grays with the equivalent tonal value.

TIP

Convert artwork to grayscale to be printed as one-color black. For instance, all the artwork created in FreeHand for this book was converted to grayscale.

FreeHand offers several Xtras that help you manage colors in the Swatches panel and in your document.

To name all colors:

·   &nbs 19419l1121t p;   &nbs 19419l1121t p; Choose Xtras > Colors > Name All Colors. All colors used by objects in your document that are not named appear on the Swatches panel, with their names showing their CMYK percentages.

To sort the Swatches panel by name:

·   &nbs 19419l1121t p;   &nbs 19419l1121t p; Choose Xtras > Colors > Sort Color List By Name. This rearranges the Swatches panel. The default colors appear first, followed by the colors named by their CMYK and RGB compositions, and then named colors

Figure 29. The results of applying the Sort Color List by Name command.

To delete unused named colors:

·   &nbs 19419l1121t p;   &nbs 19419l1121t p; Choose Xtras > Delete > Unused Named Colors. Colors that are not applied to an object or a style are deleted. The default colors are not deleted even if they are not used.

TIP

Delete unused colors before exporting artwork to layout programs such as Adobe PageMaker or QuarkXPress.

To use the Randomize Named Colors Xtra:

·   &nbs 19419l1121t p;   &nbs 19419l1121t p; Choose Xtras > Colors > Randomize Named Colors. This command changes the values of the named colors in the Swatches panel. All objects with named colors applied to them are changed

Figure 30. The results of applying the Randomize Named Colors command.

TIP

While there aren't too many uses for this command for ordinary graphics, it does create interesting effects when applied to abstract art.