Three color blend..

[GiddyupGilbert]

..and I must be slow, but I can't seem to get it to work for me. is there a tut that may show this old critter the way. I going from a sky blue to a golden and then to green. It's going to soft with ragged edges. I just can't make it work yet and I'm scratching my scalp. Thanks for any input.

[gwpriester]

All I know is you click on the control points to change the colors and you can modify the side and configuration of the triangle.

Try the four color fill and see if that works better. Two of the colors can be the same if you want.

[wizard509]

Or try a linear blend, which is what I mostly use.

[handrawn]

in principle [and a bit rough and ready] - I always used transparency to get the effect, sticking to only 2-colour linear fills as you can then adjust the profiles and use the transparency to meld the overlaps - I found I got better smoothness than using the actual blend tool that larry suggested [which is prone to 'banding'], but it is more work so if the blend tool works for you I'd use it - it is a long time since I actually did anything like this in xara, because it is so fiddly in comparison to more up to date, less seat-of-the-pants, methods

I've included examples of the '3 colour', as opposed to 'linear', fills so you can see what these actually do [the fill is zoomed out to show the patterning]

[GiddyupGilbert]

Thanks for the input. I'm trying to achieve a vertical, three color blend, sky blue, golden and green on the bottom. So far I have not been successful. The help files I've found and the manual are totally useless, unless I'm just missing something. Well NEVER MIND, I just discovered how to use the Linear Tool. I really appreciate the input from everyone.

[mwenz]

Then create a linear blend and add one or more stops along the gradient line.

You add a color stop by double-clicking on the gradient's line.

[wizard509]

Thanks Mike for posting this fine example for Gilbert. That's the way I would do it. I rarely use the 3 or 4 color blend.

[mikeymopar]

one thing i've done, whether it's with the blend tool or the fill tool is do the two end colors and then, using a copy of the original in the case of the:

1. fill (as @mwenz mentioned) added the third color in the middle but then used transparency to control the smoothing effect after placing this copy on top of the original 2 color one
2. blend added a third color image between the original 2 and blend all three. then using transparency to control the smoothing effect after placing this copy on top of the original blended 2 color one.

the trick i think to getting a nice transition using either method, at least what i've figured out, is using the transparency of a second one to control it like @handrawn stated
and, you mentioned something about "soft to ragged edges" so i quickly did this using the blend tool. two images, 1 blue to green blend on the bottom and the other a blue to yellow to green blend with transparency on the top. (probably way off base but.....)

[GiddyupGilbert]

All this info is really neat and appreciated. You are the best..and I'm just a bit on the slow side.

[wizard509]

iblend tool that larry suggested [which is prone to 'banding'],

Oops, did I say blend? I meant linear fill.