The Colors section of the Tools panel lets you choose the colors for your strokes and fills. Before you click one of the drawing icons to begin drawing (or afterward, to change existing colors), you can click either of the Stroke or Fill icons in the Colors section to bring up a color palette, as shown in Figure 2-27. Choose a color from the color palette, and Flash applies that color to the objects you draw.
Figure 2-27. Before you begin drawing with the Pen or Pencil tools (both of which let you create strokes), you can choose the color of the Pen or Pencil by clicking the Stroke Color icon and then selecting a color from the palette that appears. If you want to change that color when you use the Brush tool (which creates fills), then you need to click the Fill Color icon (and select a color) before you click the Brush tool and begin to draw.
One of the best things about drawing in Flash is how easy it is to change things around. If you draw a bright orange line using the Pencil tool, for example, you can change that line an instant later to spruce, chartreuse, or puce (and then back to orange again) with just a few simple mouse clicks.
Note
In Flash, all lines are made up of strokes. The Flash drawing tools that produce strokes include the Pencil, the Pen, the Line, and the shape tools (Oval, Rectangle, and PolyStar).
Flash gives you two different ways to change the color of a stroke: the Properties panel and the Ink Bottle tool.
Changing the color of a stroke using the Properties panel is best for situations when you want to change the color of a single stroke or when you want to change more than just the color of a stroke (for example, you want to change stroke thickness or the color of the fill inside the stroke).
To change the color of a stroke using the Properties panel:
On the stage, select the stroke you want to change.
A highlight appears around or on the selected stroke.
If the Properties panel isn't open, press Ctrl+F3 (⌘-F3).
The Properties panel shows settings related to the stroke, as shown in Figure 2-28.
Figure 2-28. Using the Properties panel is a quick and easy way to change the color of a single stroke. First, select the stroke you want to recolor; then, in the Properties panel, click the Stroke Color icon. When you do, the color picker appears, complete with any custom color swatches you've added to it (if any). The instant you choose a color, the color picker disappears and the selected stroke changes to the new color. Here, the Fill Color icon has a slash through it, meaning that no fill color is currently selected.
In the Properties panel, click the Stroke Color icon.
The color picker appears.
Click a new color for your selected stroke.
The color picker disappears, and Flash displays your stroke using the new color you chose.
The Ink Bottle tool is great for situations when you want to apply the same color to a bunch of different strokes in one fell swoop.
To change the color of a stroke (or several strokes) using the Ink Bottle tool:
In the Tools panel, click the Ink Bottle or press S.
The Ink Bottle and the Paint Bucket share the same Tools panel button. If the Ink Bottle isn't showing, then click and hold the Paint Bucket until you see the fly-out menu, as shown in Figure 2-29, and then select the Ink Bottle tool. Now, as you mouse over the stage, you notice that your cursor looks like a little ink bottle.
Figure 2-29. Use the Ink Bottle tool to change the color strokes. To change the color of strokes one by one, you don't need to select them first; simply click them with the Ink Bottle tool. If you want to change several strokes at once, preselect the bunch, and then click on any one with the Ink Bottle.
In the Properties panel, click the Stroke Color swatch (Figure 2-30).
The color picker appears, and as you mouse over the different colors, you notice that your cursor looks like a tiny eyedropper.
Figure 2-30. Clicking the Stroke Color icon displays the color picker. All of Flash's color pickers work the same. Here, you can change not just the hue, but also the transparency of the color. To do so, click the number in the Alpha box and type in a new percentage or drag right or left to "scrub" in a new value. Numbers from 0%, (completely transparent) to 100% (completely opaque) are valid.
The color picker disappears, and Flash changes the Stroke Color swatch to match your selection.
Click the strokes you want to recolor.
Flash changes the color of the strokes to match the stroke color in the Properties panel.
If you change your mind about the color of any of the fills you add to the stage, no problem. Flash gives you several ways to change the color of a fill, including the Properties panel and the Paint Bucket tool.
Note
The Flash drawing tools that produce fills include the Brush tool and all the shape tools (Oval, Oval Primitive, Rectangle, Rectangle Primitive, and PolyStar).
Using the Properties panel to change the color of a fill is great for situations when you want to change more than just fill color—for example, you want to change both the fill color and the color of the stroke outline surrounding the fill.
To change the color of a fill using the Properties panel:
On the stage, select the object you want to change.
The selected object is highlighted.
If the Properties panel isn't open, go to Window→Properties to open it.
The Properties panel, similar to the one in Figure 2-31, appears.
In the Properties panel, click the Fill Color icon.
The color picker appears.
Click to choose a new color for your selected fill.
As soon as you let go of your mouse, the color picker disappears, and Flash displays your fill using the color you chose.
Note
To change the color of a bunch of fills quickly, select the fills you want to recolor; then select the Fill Color icon and choose a new color. When you do, Flash automatically displays all your selected fills using your new color.
Figure 2-31. Select a fill-containing object (here, the inside of an oval). In the Properties panel, click the Fill Color icon to display the color picker, and then click to choose a new color for your fill. If you don't see the exact color you want, then you can click the Custom Color icon to blend your own custom shade. And while you're here in the Properties panel, you can also change the stroke outline of the object, if you like.
The Paint Bucket tool is great for situations when you want to apply the same color to one or more fills on the stage, either one fill at a time or all at once.
To change the color of a fill using the Paint Bucket tool:
In the Tools panel, select the Fill Color icon (Figure 2-32).
The color picker appears, and as you mouse over the different colors, you notice that your cursor looks like a tiny eyedropper.
Click a color to choose it.
The color picker disappears, and Flash redisplays the Fill Color icon using the color you just selected.
On the stage, click the fill(s) you want to recolor.
Flash recolors each fill you click, as shown in Figure 2-33.
Figure 2-32. Click the Fill Color icon to choose a new color for your fills. As you move your cursor around the color picker, you notice that the Preview window displays the color your cursor happens to be over at any given time.
Figure 2-33. After you select a new fill color, apply it to the fills on the stage by clicking the Paint Bucket and clicking each fill. If you're adding a fill for the first time and you find that Flash doesn't add your fill color, make sure your fill is perfectly enclosed. If it isn't—if there's a gap in the outline surrounding it—Flash may not be able to tell where your fill stops and the stage begins. Fortunately, you can tell Flash to ignore the gap and change your fill color as best it can. To do so, click the Gap Size option. On the fly-out menu that appears, turn on the checkbox next to Close Small (or Medium, or Large) Gaps.
Note
If you don't have a completely closed outline around your fill, Flash might not let you apply a fill color. To tell Flash to ignore small gaps (or medium or even relatively large gaps) surrounding your fill, in the Options section of the Tools panel (Figure 2-33), click Gap Size. Then, from the pop-up menu that appears, turn on the checkbox next to Close Small Gaps, Close Medium Gaps, or Close Large Gaps. Then try to modify your fill again. (You may also want to consider closing the gap yourself using one of Flash's drawing tools.)