Today I want to share a few quick tips on how to create a metallic gold gradient in Adobe InDesign. If you’re new around here, I have been creating a series of short tutorials to help with some of my frequently asked questions on using Adobe InDesign.
Watch the tutorial below for a run-down of how to create a metallic gold gradient in Adobe InDesign. Or keep reading for the notes from the video tutorial, if you prefer to read the tips. And if you’re a fan of YouTube, click here to subscribe to my channel for more design tutorials and tips!
First, we’ll draw a shape so we can see our gold gradient as we create it.
I’ll click the Rectangle tool and hold it to show some other shape options – I’ll choose the circle option.
Then I’ll click and drag my mouse while holding the Shift key to draw my circle – the Shift key keeps it in perfect proportions so it forms a perfect circle and not an oval.
Next, we’ll go to the Swatches flyout menu on the right. If you don’t see this option on your screen, you can go to Window > Color > Swatches and toggle it on there.
Click the four-bar drop-down menu in the top right corner, and select New Gradient Swatch.
You can name your swatch (“gold”) and select linear to start with.
Then you’ll have to select the first color on the gradient spectrum at the bottom to see the color controls come up.
For the darker side of the gradient, we’ll use this CMYK formula: 17 / 39 / 84 / 18.
Then click the other end of the spectrum, and I like to make this one the exact same as the first one just as a starting point.
Then we can make subtle adjustments to lighten this end of the spectrum, and the golden gradient becomes more evident.
Click OK, and you’ll see your new gradient swatch in your list of Swatches.
Click your shape, and apply the gradient swatch to it to see it in action.
Then you can double click on your swatch and make more adjustments – click the Preview icon to see your changes live on your document as you make them within this gradient window.
One adjustment you can make is sliding this diamond icon in the middle of the gradient to adjust where the color change starts.
And finally, one last place you can make some extra adjustments to your gradient is the Gradient flyout menu. Go to Window > Color > Gradient to toggle it on.
From here, most of the controls are the same, but you can adjust the angle of your gradient here, which you can’t do in the Swatches window.
Select your shape, and then change the angle field (45) to change the direction and degree of your gradient within that shape. But note that this change will only apply to the shape you have selected, it doesn’t apply to all places your gradient swatch is used.
So there you have it – a simple way to get a metallic gold color using a gradient.
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