No matter what layer I’m on, I can’t use the gradient tool 😭 this assignment is already late and I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong please help please even when I create a new layer above the others it still does not work at all
freeform gradient tool is grayed out and not working. – Adobe Illustrator
Gradient tool issues - Adobe Illustrator - Uservoice
Why doesn't the gradient tool appear over the object I've applied it to in Illustrator CS6? - Graphic Design Stack Exchange
Updated to CC 2020, and the Gradient tool is not working correctly?
Sounds like an accidental reversion on Adobe's part. It's doing that in 2020 for me as well.
The live gradient update was only just added in 2019 in the first place; did you just start using AI this year?
Personally I prefer the old way, things start getting really slow when I try to adjust a gradient that's one fill/stroke in a complicated appearance stack.
Anyway. Go to the uservoice site and file a new bug, maybe it'll get fixed, maybe not.
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Kind of late but hope my answer can be of help.
So the control that you are looking for is called the "Gradient annotator" can might be switched off accidentally by pressing the shortcut "cmd + opt + G" for mac. Not so sure about Windows.
To reactivate it simply press the shortcut again or go to View > Show Gradient Annotator and you should have the gradient controls back on.
All good answers (I'm working in CS 5.5) I've had this problem and also noticed that even though groups and compound paths may cause issues with gradients, they do not make gradients impossible. Sometimes you have to Ungroup, Release Compound Path (Object/Compound Path/...), then re-make the compound path (if there was one to begin with) and re-Group. Usually this will fix the problem for me.
So I updated to CC 2020 from 2019, and I have a what for me is a pretty big issue. Previously, when applying or moving a gradient on any shape, the result was live updated as you dragged the gradient around/changed it etc. Now, it only updates when I release the mouse button, which is very hindering/ineffective.
Is this intentional? How do I make it so it acts like in 2019? Both me and a colleague is experiencing the same things on both our machines.
Sounds like an accidental reversion on Adobe's part. It's doing that in 2020 for me as well.
The live gradient update was only just added in 2019 in the first place; did you just start using AI this year?
Personally I prefer the old way, things start getting really slow when I try to adjust a gradient that's one fill/stroke in a complicated appearance stack.
Anyway. Go to the uservoice site and file a new bug, maybe it'll get fixed, maybe not.
I don't have a fix, but I am using 2020 and it still live-updates if I drag the sliders over the object while the gradient tool is active (not in gradient panel)