Right-click on the Colors palette or in the Colors section of the Project Sketchbook to display the Context menu. You can also display this Context menu by clicking on the small arrow at the right of the Colors tab in the palette.

Right-click on the Colors palette.
Right-click on the Colors palette.
Right-click in the Colors section of the Project Sketchbook.
Right-click in the Colors section of the Project Sketchbook.

Click below for a description of each option on the Context menu.

Sort Colors

To sort the colors in the color palette, first click on the Colors tab of the Fabrics and Colors palette to display the color chips. Place the cursor over the colors and right-click to display the Context menu. Point to Sort Colors.

In the color palette, right-click to display the Context menu. Point to Sort Colors.
In the color palette, right-click to display the Context menu. Point to Sort Colors.

You can choose from three different methods of sorting — manual, automatic, or unsort.

Manual

When you choose to sort color using the Manual method, the colors will display in the Sort Colors dialog box. Click on the colors in the order you want them to appear. If you make a mistake, click Start over. When you’ve sorted the colors that you want, click Close. The colors will appear in the sorted order.

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Click on the colors in the order you want them to appear.
Click on the colors in the order you want them to appear.

You do not have to click on every color. When you’ve clicked on the important ones you want to appear at the beginning, just close the dialog. The rest of the colors will fall in behind the ones you’ve sorted.

Automatic

When you choose to sort colors using the Automatic method, the Automatic Color Sort dialog box will appear. You may find that applying one of the automatic sorts leaves you feeling as if it’s a bit of a mystery as to how it all works. As with many features, it’s best to just try them out and determine if they are useful for you. Choose from the following options:

  • Into groups by hue: Hue is another word for what we think of as color. In common use, hue is identified by color names like red, orange, yellow, and so on.
  • Dictionary Order: Set the tooltip to display HSL values. The H (hue) values for each color chip will start with the smallest and increase. In other words, the first color chip will have a low number for H like 8, and the last color chip will have a high number for H like 240.
  • Number of groups: Choose from 6 to 20 groups for dividing the current colors.
  • Base Saturation: Determines how much gray is added. The allowable values are from 40 to 160.
  • Hue, saturation, luminosity: Saturation is the strength of the color—how much or how little gray it contains. The higher the saturation the purer the color.
  • Hue, luminosity, saturation: Luminosity is the lightness or amount of white in the color. The palest shade of a given color or hue will have a luminescence value of 240.

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Automatic sorting options
Automatic sorting options

Unsort

When you choose Unsort, the colors will reorganize into their original order before any sort occurred.

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Add Colors

To Add Colors to the Default Palette

  1. Click on a color tool or to display the Fabrics and Colors palette.
  2. Click on the Colors tab at the top of the palette to display the color chips.
  3. Place the cursor over the colors and right-click to display the Context menu.
  4. Choose Add Colors.
  5. To add one of the basic colors you see displayed in the Color dialog, click on the color chip you want to add and click OK.

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Click on the color chip you want to add and click OK.
Click on the color chip you want to add and click OK.

 

To Add a Custom Color

  1. Follow Steps 1-4 above.
  2. Click Define Custom Colors. The dialog will expand.
  3. Enter new values in either the RGB (red, green, blue) or HLS (hue, saturation, and luminescence) boxes. You can also click directly on the color spectrum or use the slider bar.
  4. Click Add to Custom Colors. The color will appear in the Custom colors area of the dialog. You can continue to add up to 16 custom colors.
  5. Click OK. The new colors will be added to the end of the palette.

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Enter new values in either the RGB (red, green, blue) or HLS (hue, saturation, and luminescence) boxes. You can also click directly on the color spectrum or use the slider bar. Click Add to Custom colors when you've found the color you want.
Enter new values in either the RGB (red, green, blue) or HLS (hue, saturation, and luminescence) boxes. You can also click directly on the color spectrum or use the slider bar. Click Add to Custom colors when you’ve found the color you want.
Click OK to add the custom color(s) to your color palette.
Click OK to add the custom color(s) to your color palette.

Add Shades & Tints

Luminescence is the lightness or amount of white in the color. The palest shade of a given color or hue will have a luminescence value of 240. The darkest shade of a given color or hue will have a luminescence value of 0. Therefore, the pale color chips are tints and the darker color chips are shades.

When you use the Add Shades & Tints dialog, you are adding or subtracting the amount of white in the selected color. In other words, you are changing the luminescence. When you look at the HSL values for the newly generated colors, you will see that the luminescence values for each chip are different, and the hue and the saturation remain unchanged.

If you want more shades or tints of a certain color chip, click directly on the color in the palette to select it. Right -click to display the color Context menu and choose Add Shades & Tints.

By default, 10 color chips appear in the dialog. You can add a maximum of 16 colors or a minimum of 4.

  1. Click directly on the color chip in the dialog.
  2. Click Insert or Remove to add or subtract a color chip from the list.
  3. When you are ready to add the displayed shades and tints, click Add to Sketchbook. The dialog will close and the newly created shades and tints will appear at the end of the color palette.

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When you are ready to add the displayed shades and tints, click Add to Sketchbook.

Add Tones

Saturation is the strength of the color—how much or how little gray it contains. The higher the saturation the purer the color. These colors would be described as intense, rich, bold, vivid, and so on. The grayer the color, the less saturated or more neutral it becomes. These colors would be described as subdued, misty, smoky, etc.

When you use the Add Tones dialog, you are adding or subtracting the amount of gray in the selected color. In other words, you are changing the saturation. When you look at the HSL values for the newly generated colors, you will see that the saturation values for each chip are different, and the hue and the luminescence remain unchanged.

If you want more tones of a certain color chip, click directly on the color in the palette to select it. Right-click to display the color Context menu and choose Add Tones.

By default, 10 color chips appear in the dialog. You can add a maximum of 16 colors or a minimum of 4.

  1. Click directly on the color chip in the dialog.
  2. Click Insert or Remove to add or subtract a color chip from the list.
  3. When you are ready to add the tones, click Add to Sketchbook. The dialog will close and the newly created tones will appear at the end of the palette.

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Once you'd added or removed tones, click Add to Sketchbook.
Once you’d added or removed tones, click Add to Sketchbook.

Add Grades

If you want evenly spaced grades of color from one range to another, click directly on one of the desired colors in the palette to select it. Right-click to display the Context menu and choose Add Grades.

By default, 10 color chips appear in the dialog. You can add a maximum of 16 colors or a minimum of 4.

To change one or both of the colors in the range, use the drop-down boxes, and click directly on the color.

  1. Click directly on the color chip in the dialog.
  2. Click Insert or Remove to add or subtract a color chip from the list.
  3. When you are ready to add the grades, click Add to Sketchbook. The dialog will close and the newly created grades will appear at the end of the palette.

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Once you’d added or removed grades, click Add to Sketchbook.

Frame Color

When you select an item in the palette, it becomes highlighted. Use the Frame Color option to change the color that the items are highlighted with. Right-click to display the menu. Point to Frame Color and choose from the eight different colors to highlight your items.

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Display

You can choose the number of items to be displayed at a time in the palette. Each palette allows you to display a different number of items based on the type of palette. Right-click to display the menu. Point to Display and choose the display options you want.

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You can also change the display by clicking the display buttons at the bottom of the palette. The images on the buttons indicate the type of display each button represents.

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For more information, see Changing the Display in the Sketchbook and Palettes >

ToolTips

Click the Colors tab of the Fabrics and Colors palette. Place the cursor over the colors and right-click to display the Context menu. Point to ToolTips. Click on the type of values you would like displayed.

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You can choose from RGB, HSL, Both or None. Pause, or hover, the mouse cursor over a color chip to see the display.

  • RGB: All of the colors in the palette are defined according to R (red), G (green) and B (blue) values. Each can have a value from 0 to 255. If you find the perfect shade of pale pink and you want to be able to reproduce it, these values will make it easy for you.
  • HSL: Hue is another word for what we think of as color. In common use, hue is identified by color names like red, orange, yellow, and so on. In EQ Mini it is expressed as a degree between 0 and 240. Saturation is the strength of the color—how much or how little gray it contains. The higher the saturation the purer the color. Luminescence is the lightness or amount of white in the color. The palest shade of a given color or hue will have a luminescence value of 240.

Reset Palettes

Palettes should display when you have any of the following tools selected: Set Block, Paintbrush, Spraycan, Swap All Colors and Eyedropper. If a palette does not appear, on the menu bar, click VIEW > Reset Palettes.

If a palette does not appear, on the menu bar, click VIEW > Reset Palettes.
If a palette does not appear, on the menu bar, click VIEW > Reset Palettes.