Illustrator 10 - "missing" swatch

[2NinerNiner2]

Again, it's probably just me, but I scoured the online help and went through the steps outlined in ColoRIP but AI 10 won't show the CutPath swatch I created. Oh it's there somewhere ... AI complains that that name is already in use if I attempt to create it again. But nowhere is it to be seen on the Swatch or any other palette. Anyone know how to bring it out of 'hiding' ?

 

[Bobby H]

You might try trashing the AI prefs file and rebuilding the swatch. It seems like deleting the AI preferences file (and forcing Illustrator to automatically rebuild it) will fix some of the strange things that can happen in Illustrator from time to time.

 

[2NinerNiner2]

Thanks, Bobby H ...I had a look around but cannot find what would appear to be a 'prefs' file; do you know the name/location of said file? Many thanks!

 

[Drip Dry]

I use Versaworks but it seems it would be the same for color rip.
I loaded the swatch library for versaworks from my roland disk to Illustrator. I'm assuming you did this already.
Next I access it from Illustrator by pulling down the WINDOW menu and
then SWATCH LIBRARYS. Select Color rip. It shows up basically as a stroke color

Jim

 

[2NinerNiner2]

Thanks Jim, but no such luck with ColoRIP; have to add the CutPath swatch manually, which I have successfully done in CorelDRAW 12. The ColoRIP 'Help' provides very easy instruction on how to do this for CDR and AI and it works as advertised in AI, but in AI, it only saves with the document, not as a global swatch, as is does in CDR. Interestingly though, just to try, I loaded the Windows AI 10 on my Mac iBook running Virtual PC/Win XP and it works! Stays right there on the Swatch palette as it should Hmmmmm....

 

[Mason]

Explain to me how you loaded the swatch into Illustrator.
If you go to: Program Files/Adobe/Illustrator10/... look for the "swatches"folder paste a copy of the swatch file in to that folder it should show up globally as its own seperate swatch pallete, you can then access it by going to the WINDOW drop down menu and selecting it from "Swatch Libraries"

 

[2NinerNiner2]

Mason ... this is from the ColoRIP Help file; basically, adding a new swatch to an existing palette.

CutPath with Adobe Illustrator 8, 9 & 10
The following tech note will walk you through creating a CutPath to use with Roland COLORIP, from Adobe Illustrator 8, 9 & 10

1. Start by creating a new blank document.
2. Click on Window and select Show Swatches.
3. Click on Window and select Show Stroke.
4. To create a new Swatch you can click on the right arrow of the Swatch Window and select New Swatch.

5. The Swatch name must be CutPath.
6. The Color type must be Spot Color.
7. The Color mode may be set to any color space you choose. Whatever color you select, COLORIP will replace this color with "marching ants" along the cut path.
8. Click OK to save the swatch.

9. From the Stroke tab, apply the following settings:

Weight .25
Miter Limit 1

10. For Illustrator 9 and 10 users, the Transparency options need to be set as follows:

Normal Opacity at 100%

11. Select the Stroke Color and then select the CutPath color swatch.
12. You can create your art work with the CutPath stroke around the art you wish to have cut out.
13. When finished, save or print your artwork to create a .ps, .eps, or .prn file.

 

[vid]

The way I build custom palletes --- like vinyl colors --- is to open the Default_CYMK Swatch pallette as a document
>File
>Open
>Adobe Illustrator
>Presets
>Swatches
>Default_CYMK

Opens New Document with the Default CYMK Pallette

I make new Spot Color Swatches to match vinyl or to my liking and delete others
SAVE AS "new vinyl colors" or appropriate name ---
----> In the Swatches Folder.

Restart Illustrator to load the new palette in the settings.
>File
>Open
>New ...or Existing Document

Window>
Swatch Library>
"new vinyl colors" ---

I haven't messed with it, but if you save that as your default page, it should open up everytime you start a new document?

Hope this helps.

 

[2NinerNiner2]

Thanks much, Vid! ...that did the trick!