Can't use spot color in gradient?!

[Brett_A@adobeforums.com]

I am so frustrated. I have created an image (Pantone Black C, and
Pantone Red 032 C) that has a gradient in the black portion that goes
from black to white. I want the image to be used in an IDCS document
that will have only two spot colors. The problem is that when I set the
color to my Pantone Black C and then try to make a gradient, the black
reverts to some generic black. Why is that? Can't I use a spot color
in a "screen" gradient? Or does IL not create that type of object? I
want the white to be the paper that the image will be printed on, but
there is no way to select "paper" as the white color. Am I just not
understanding how ILCS creates gradients?

Any help would be appreciated.

Brett

[LenHewitt@adobeforums.com]

Brett,

Make the 'white' a 0% tint of the spot black

[Brett_A@adobeforums.com]

Len,

I just tried doing the same thing in a new file using a rectangle filled
with Pantone Black C, but as soon as I select radial in the gradients
palette, the color changes to just black - at least that is what I
think. If I click on the black gradient slider and then select the
Pantone black swatch, the rectangle goes back to solid Pantone Black
without the gradient, then when I re-select radial the color palette
changes from Pantone to just the "K" slider 0 - 100%. I am assuming
that that is the "generic" black, or am I mistaken? I assume that
because it is the K of CMYK, is that right?

Brett

[LenHewitt@adobeforums.com]

Bret,

You need to drag the Pantone swatch to the gradient d/box and drop it onto
the appropriate slider. Then you can set the percentage tint. ie for a spot
colour black to white you would drop your Pantone black onto both sliders
and then set one to a 0% tint

[Brett_A@adobeforums.com]

I figured out the problem. I was selecting the gradient slider and then
picking the color in the swatch, but it was not making that color the
color of the gradient slider, even though that is one of the methods
described in the online help. So I tried another method of picking the
color swatch and dragging it to the gradient slider. That did work! So
all is well now.

Thanks Len for your input.

Brett

[LenHewitt@adobeforums.com]

You're welcome, Brett

[B. Philippus]

Brett:

The other way (no dragging) is to activate the slider and alt-clicking the swatch. The alt key makes the actual spot appear on the gradient, not its CMYK counterpart.

Bert

[Brett_A@adobeforums.com]

Bert,

Thanks for the info.

Brett