**Program Tutorials** : Photoshop : *Program Basic

Tutorial © 2003 Suzanne (gibbous)

How to load a swatch:

- Save your swatch somewhere that you will find it. Mine are in this folder:
C:Program FilesAdobePhotoshop 7.0PresetsColor Swatches

- Go to Window>Swatches and make sure there's a check mark next to "swatches"
- Now left click on the little blue arrow in a circle to the right of the tabs in the color swatch window
- Select "replace swatches" (this will NOT delete thecurrent swatch.)
- Depending on your settings, it may default to the correct folder. If not, just find the folder where you saved your swatch and select that file and click on "load"
- Ta Da! Your new swatch should be loaded. To return to the Photoshop standard swatch just select "reset swatches"

How to customize a swatch:
There are a few ways to do this, but this is the easiest in my opinion.
- Make sure the swatch window is open (go to "window" and make sure "swatches" has a check mark.)
- Now, create/select the color you want in the foreground color selector on the left in the main tools bar.
- Click in an empty space on the swatch palette (just the gray area)
- A window will pop up with the color and a window for you to name your color.
- Name your color and hit ok. That color should now appear in a new square in the swatch.
- To save this swatch click on the blue arrow to the left of the tabs at the top of the window.
- Select "save swatches"
- Make sure you're in a folder where you'll be able to find the swatch again.
- Name the swatch whatever you'd like and hit ok.

Tip: right clicking on a color square in the swatch will allow you to create a new swatch, delete a swatch or rename the swatch. In this case a swatch is an individual square of color - not the whole palette.