The name of this dialog box changes depending on context:

When you have artwork selected and you access the dialog box by clicking the  icon in the Control panel, Swatches panel, or Color Guide panel, or when you choose Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork, the dialog box opens as the Recolor Artwork dialog box and you have access to the Assign tab and the Edit tab.

When you do not have artwork selected and you access the dialog box by clicking the  icon in the Control panel, Swatches panel, or Color Guide panel, the dialog box opens as the Edit Colors dialog box and you have access to the Edit tab only.

Regardless of which name appears at the top of the dialog box, the right side of it always displays the color groups for the current document, along with two default color groups: Print Color and Grayscale. You can select and use these color groups at anytime.

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Create or edit color groups, and assign colors using the Edit Colors/Recolor Artwork dialog box.

A.

Create and edit a color group in the Edit tab

B.

Assign colors in the Assign tab

C.

Select a color group from the Color Groups list

The Recolor Art option at the bottom of the dialog box lets you preview colors on selected artwork, and specifies whether artwork is recolored when you close the dialog box.

The main areas of the dialog box are:

Edit

Use the Edit tab to create new color groups or edit existing color groups. Use the Harmony Rules menu and the color wheel to experiment with color harmonies. The color wheel shows you how colors in a harmony are related, while the color bars let you see and manipulate individual color values. In addition, you can adjust brightness, add and remove colors, save color groups, and preview the colors on selected artwork.

Assign

Use the Assign tab to view and control how colors from a color group replace original colors in your artwork. You can assign colors only if you have artwork selected in the document. You can specify which new colors replace which current colors, whether spots are preserved, and how colors are replaced (for example, you can replace colors entirely or replace hue while retaining brightness). Use Assign to control how artwork is recolored with the current color group or to reduce the number of colors in the current artwork.

Color Groups

Lists all saved color groups for the open document (these same color groups appear in the Swatches panel). While in the dialog box, you can edit, delete, and create new color groups using the Color Groups list. All your changes are reflected in the Swatches panel. The selected color group denotes which color group is currently being edited. You can select any color group and edit it or use it to recolor selected artwork. Saving a color group adds the group to this list.

For a video on creating, editing, and experimenting with color groups in the Edit Colors/Recolor Artwork dialog box, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4019_ai. For a video on integrating color harmonies with smart objects in Photoshop and InDesign, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0191.