Making a halftone gradient in Illustrator is fairly simple. First, create a new document with the desired gradient effect.
You can use any gradient type, but we recommend using the Linear gradient type.
Next, select the gradient tool (G) and drag the gradient from the top left corner of the document to the bottom right. You will notice that the gradient will gradually change from one color to another.
1. The gradient may appear banded or ‘stair-stepped’ if not created correctly.
2. The gradient may print incorrectly if the document’s color mode is not set to CMYK.
3. The gradient may not export correctly to other file formats such as EPS or PDF.
To create a smooth gradient, you can use the Gradient Editor (Window > Gradient). To change the direction of the gradient, click on the arrow in the top left corner of the Gradient Editor.
To create a striped gradient, select two or more different colors and drag the gradient in the opposite direction.
To create a tapering gradient, hold down the CTRL key and drag the gradient in a straight line.
To create a radial gradient, select the Ellipse tool (L) and draw a circle. You can then change the gradient color by clicking on the gradient swatch in the Tool Options bar.
