Add ability to apply gradient to text without using new fill
AI allows to make live text colored with gradient only by applying new fill to a text. This knowledge often comes occasionally, when users finally got into Appearance. AI just doesn't says it't wrong, shows no hint, does nothing when people try to apply gradient as they do for everything else.
Meantime, each symbol within text can have their own fill.
And when you apply gradient with a drag to an ungrouped set of path objects, AI applies gradient to all of them, placing each gradient into right position.
Thus I just don't understand, why AI still doesn't allow to apply gradient to each symbol within text the same way? So each one of them will have copy of applied gradient, automatically placed in correct position.
Continuing, when two symbols with same gradient are adjacent, their will share center and edge of this gradient.
Just imagine how cool it would be to select three letters inside text and make them gradient when other letters will be colored differently, while text is still live?

-
Baine commented
From all the posts I've read, you should be able to have individual gradients per letter once you add a non-destructive outline in the Appearance Panel. I've even seen the steps described many times. However, trying to add an individual gradient per letter/number does not work no matter what method I use to add the gradient fill. The letters only show black or show the gradient across all letters - no matter what gradient I choose. There's seems to be a bug, because I've tried several different ways of adding the colors, even selecting each letter individually, and it will not change. Single colors change fine. Destructively outlining it and adding a gradient works fine as well.
iMac
Illustrator 23.0.1
macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 -
Anonymous commented
Why I can't use gradient onto text? Either I have to curve it or I have to take and extra layer from appearance panel..!! I wish I could directly pic the gradient.
-
Ryan Bosse commented
If we could apply gradients to live text the same way you would a shape, that would be great. I'm not sure why after all these years, this still is a missing feature.
-
With type object selected, you can add a new Fill from Appearance panel and apply the gradient on that fill.
-******
-
Anonymous commented
why cant i add gradient to a font ?