Using the Mixer Tab in Java

Creation Code 128 Code Set C in Java Using the Mixer Tab

You use the Mixer tab of the Mixer and Tints panel to mix up any color of the rainbow for your objects You can mix a color using one of three color models, or you can use the System Color Picker to add a splash of color to your illustration (Mac users can select colors from Crayons, a Spectrum, and more) The neat thing about the Mixer tab is that you re dealing with values If you have a set of values for a color (say that lovely chartreuse your client uses for a logo), you can match that color exactly by entering the values in the appropriate section of the Mixer tab In the next few sections, we explain how to use each color model to mix up a shade of chartreuse, or whatever other color you fancy for your illustration To open the Mixer tab, shown in Figure 6-1, choose Window Color Mixer or press Shift+F9

RGB CMYK Figure 6-1: You can mix a color using one of the three color models Add to swatches Change attribute color System Color Picker HLS

After mixing a color, you can apply it to an object or add it to the Swatches tab of the Assets panel We cover these colorful tasks in the upcoming section, Working with the Mixer Tab

When you mix a color using the CMYK color model, you mix percentages of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK If your document is destined for print, this is the color model you should choose Follow these steps to mix a color using the CMYK color model:

As you drag the sliders, the color swatch on the right side at the bottom of the panel changes to reflect the current values, as shown in Figure 6-2 The values in each field update as well Alternatively, you can enter known values in each field to match a known color, or click the arrows to increment the values

When you create illustrations that will be displayed on a Web site or as part of a CD-ROM presentation, you use the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) color model You have 256 values (values from 0 to 255) of each color to work with For example, if you create an RGB color with the following values (R=255, G=0, B=0), you get bright red; the following values yield bright blue (R=0, G=0, B=255), the values for black are (R=0, G=0, B=0), and so on When you combine the possible permutations, you end up with millions of colors To mix an RGB color, follow these steps:

The Mixer and Tints panel opens to show the Mixer tab (refer to Figure 6-1)

panel The Mixer tab is reconfigured, as shown in Figure 6-3

As you drag the sliders, the color swatch on the right side at the bottom of the panel changes to reflect the current values The values in each field also update Alternatively, you can enter values in the text fields, which by the by, is the proper way to match a known color value

FreeHand uses HLS (Hue, Lightness, Saturation) color; you may see this color model referred to as HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) in other programs When you mix a color using the HLS color model, you choose a hue, specify the lightness of the color, and how saturated the color is The HLS model is actually a color wheel The hue is a value between 0 and 360 degrees Values for light and saturation vary between 0 and 100 To mix an HLS color, follow these steps:

The Mixer and Tints panel opens with the Mixer tab selected (refer to Figure 6-1)