Gradients can be extremely useful when trying to apply two or more colors to an image in a gradual transition. But if you use the same few gradient patterns frequently, you may be looking for a way to save them in Affinity Designer for an even easier application.

In Affinity Designer, custom gradients can be created, saved, and reused by adding them to the swatches panel. Gradients can also be saved as ‘Styles’ from the Edit menu.

Creating the same gradients over and over again can be tricky and time-consuming. Keep reading to find out how to save gradients in Affinity Designer for later use.

Creating Custom Gradients In Affinity Designer

Gradients can add a lot to a design, but getting the right look isn’t always easy. While there are some preset gradients available in Affinity Designer, there isn’t much variety available, so it’s often better to create your own and save them for use at any time.

To do this, the best option is to use the Fill tool.

How To Use The Fill Tool To Create Gradients

The Fill Tool can be found on the toolbar located on the left-hand side of the screen. This allows you to adjust and modify the fill and line colors that are applied to different elements in your design. The tool not only grabs one color but can also be used to create a gradient.

To create a gradient, simply grab the fill tool and click and drag it across the object you wish to fill. This will automatically apply a gradient derived from the color you selected.

To change different points of the gradient, simply click that point on the line and choose a new color from the color panel.

Saving Gradients To The Swatches Panel

After you’ve filled a shape with your gradient, open the Swatches panel. To do this, click ‘View’ from the menu at the top of the screen, navigate to ‘Studio’, and select ‘Swatches’. This will open a small window.

From the dropdown box, select ‘Gradients.’ You’ll notice that Affinity Designer doesn’t have very many default gradients saved.

To save your gradient, like the icon next to the dropdown box with three squares and an arrow. It should say ‘Add current fill to palette’ when the cursor hovers over it. This will automatically save the gradient as a swatch.

Savings A Gradient As A Style

If you’re not one to use the swatches panel, there is another way to save gradients in Affinity Designer.

To start, select the object with the gradient you want to save, then navigate to the edit menu and select ‘Create Style’. This will save the gradient as a style.

To access your saved styles, look for the ‘Styles’ tab at the bottom of your layers panel. If the Styles tab isn’t showing up, click on ‘View’ from the top menu and navigate to the ‘Studio’ sub-menu. Make sure that there is a checkmark next to ‘Styles’.

Using The Default Color in Affinity Designer

Once you use a color in Affinity Designer, it will be saved as the default color in the color panel since it was the last color choice used. This included gradients. What that means is that if you draw a shape and apply a gradient, the next shape you draw will also display that gradient unless the default color is changed.

This is an easy way to consistently use a gradient throughout a design without having to save the gradient to your swatches panel.

Copying Gradients To Existing Shapes

What if you have an object that already has a gradient applied and you would like to use that gradient on an existing shape, but it is no longer your default color? While it would be easier to access the gradient if you had it saved to your swatches panel, you can still apply the gradient without having to recreate it.

To do this, first you need to copy the gradient from its current location. Select the shape with the gradient, then navigate to the Edit menu at the top of the screen and select ‘Copy’.

Now select the object you would like the gradient applied to. Once again, navigate to the edit menu, but this time select ‘Paste Style’. The gradient will instantly be applied to the object selected.

Final Thoughts

It can be frustrating to create the perfect gradient, only to not remember how you did it for future use. Luckily, Affinity Designer provides a few ways to save gradients so that you don’t have to make them over and over again.