Add Gradients to Strokes in Illustrator CS6

Pam Pfiffner

Strokes are one of the essential building blocks of graphics created in Adobe Illustrator. Creating certain effects, however, required building stroke upon stroke upon stroke, thus resulting in complex files.
Now a new feature has been added to Illustrator CS6 that allows you to add color gradients to strokes. This capability lets you create sophisticated effects within a single stroke.
The three types of gradient strokes are called: within a stroke, along a stroke, and across a stroke. In the examples used in this sneak peek video, the first effect applies the gradient from side to side so that the color bands are vertical. In the second application, the gradient follows the path of the stroke so that one color starts at one end and finishes with another. The third option — my favorite — applies the gradient across the path of the stroke itself.
It’s a bit hard to describe, so you’d best watch Illustrator product manager Brenda Sutherland show you how it works in this video sneak peek.