(Continued from Fill/Stroke Editor - Gradient Fill)
Clicking the Advanced... button will take you to a robust tool allowing you to edit or create gradients.
On the left, you'll recognize the Gradient Type and Color Mode. You can read more on those in the article listed at the top of this one. When you are creating your gradient, you can decide what Gradient Type you want to use and the Color Mode here.
Gradient Name
You can name your Gradient here. This will be useful if you want to use this Gradient again later.
Gradient Angle
You can give your gradient a predetermined angle here.
Add to Swatch Table
When you've finished making your gradient, you can check this box to add it to your Swatch table and thus your preset gradients for later use.
Transform with Object
Check this box if you want the gradient to shift and change with the shape. For example, rotating the object 90° will also rotate the gradient 90°. If the box is unchecked, however, the gradient will stay in its original form. This should usually be left on unless you have a specific issue that needs it.
Use Existing Gradient
This dropdown box will call in an existing gradient with all of its settings. It will also function as sort of a preview while you make it.
Adding, Editing, and Removing Gradient Nodes
At the bottom of the Advanced window is where you can edit the nodes and colors of your gradient.
Edit Node
Clicking on a node will cause the the arrow on the bottom to fill in black. This is the "selected" node.
While a node is selected, you can change the color of that node here:
You can also click and drag a node to change the gradation.
Alternatively, you can type in a value in the Position field while a node is selected. 0% is far left while 100% is far right.
Adding or Removing Nodes
If you click in the space between nodes, a new node will be created. By default, it will use the color at the location you selected. You can add as many nodes as you like.
Much the same way, you can change the color of these new nodes to create different gradients
If you've decided you no longer want a node, click the node and drag it up off of the gradient. (note: you have to do it quick)
Use HSV Transition
Check this box to use the Hue Saturation Value color mode to interpret the color transition from node to node. This will force the gradient to travel through the HSV color space to get to the color instead of fading from one color to another. This is more drastic for colors further apart from each along the HSV color space (which are Red, Green, and Blue)
Notice in the example below how the nodes are red and blue, but we still get green and yellow in the gradient.
With HSV transition turned off, it can simply meld into the other color:
Shade
If you are using a Spot Color Gradient, the Shade field becomes editable.
The Shade field will determine how light the starting point is for the spot color. 0% is white where 100% is full depth of the color.
If you use the Double Spot Color option, it will give you a Shade Field for both the top and bottom options. Both nodes will have their own Base and Top Shade settings, so you may need to edit them for each.