Create gradients from color library

This is messed up, yes. We lost a feature and the new variables also can’t be used inside gradients.

And not just gradients, if we want to create a special pairing to go with a brand color based on the brand color we have to dig through the styles, apply it, unlink it, then we can finally use the colors. Before this update we could just pick the library colors where the document colors are. And it made it easy to see what the hex values are. Styles, it’s all hidden behind some locked bubble that you can’t interact with other than to activate it. Annoying.

Figma stated that users can’t use complex color combinations, including Gradient and Color blending mode. But the style is the same as usual with the layout has been revamped a little bit.

Here are their words about this subject.

You can check out this post: https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/14506821864087-Overview-of-variables-collections-and-modes

Regarding creating a gradient style and adding it to the library, you can see the image below

Agreed, very annoying. A bunch of extra clicks for not even being able to replicate the workflow of selecting library colors when building gradients. Not a fan of the new color menus. 😕

Appreciate the insight to the changes, @Thong_Nguyen but I don’t think it fully captures the issue of this post.

I’ve stumbled on the same limitation as Alex, as before I could create custom gradients by using colors from a shared color library. The workflow isn’t associated in any way with variables, it’s more about the on-the-go gradient tab within the color picker panel.

There used to be a dropdown where it says “Document colors”, where you could select any shared library to get colors essentially from any other external document, which makes sense. The recent update is a huge step backwards which is all the more frustrating 😩

Could someone from @Figma_Support weigh in what’s the story?

Also, the “old” styles can’t have modes, so… is a half-implemented feature IMO. If they really want to use"dark/light" themes as use case for variables, well, it doesn’t work since also gradients, styles, shadows etc should be based on themes.

Amazing!! Thank you for letting us know!

As far as I can tell, this isn’t fixed.