illustrator · HeyBraza shows you
illustrator recolor artwork greyed out
HeyBraza spots why recolor artwork is greyed out for your selection and points you to the path that makes it active.
the recolor artwork button greys out when your selection isn't editable vector - most often a placed photo, a mesh, or a single path. once you know which, it's a quick fix. here's how to make recolor work on your art.
short answer
recolor needs at least two vector colours selected, so a single path or a placed photo leaves it greyed out. select a group of two or more coloured objects - or trace and expand the photo into vectors first.
or do it yourself
- 1select your artwork with the selection tool (v) - recolor needs at least two vector colors selected to switch on.
- 2if it's a placed photo, recolor won't apply; trace it first via image trace, then expand it into vectors.
- 3if it's a single path, recolor stays greyed out - select a group of two or more colored objects instead.
- 4open the recolor panel via edit > edit colors > recolor artwork, or the color-wheel icon in the top control bar.
- 5drag the handles on the color wheel, or click 'edit' to map each old color to a new one across the whole selection.
steps last checked
let HeyBraza do this with you
HeyBraza teaches you software while you're using it. hold a key and ask out loud - an ai tutor that sees your screen walks you through every step in real time, pointing and highlighting on your real work, talking you through it as it goes - not someone else's tutorial.
downloadcommon questions
why is recolor artwork greyed out on my image?
it's a raster photo, not vectors - recolor only works on vector art, so run image trace and expand it first.
why won't recolor change a mesh object?
gradient mesh objects aren't supported by recolor artwork; recolor the mesh points manually or rebuild it as flat shapes.
