diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/gradient.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/gradient.rs
index 938e7d344..d31edd859 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/gradient.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/gradient.rs
@@ -167,17 +167,37 @@ fn aspect_param(p: &Value) -> Parsed<Option<f64>> {
         .transpose()
 }
 
-/// `paint` as applied to an object with `bounds`: a gradient given an `aspect` but no vector is
-/// placed on the bounds so the aspect sticks.
-pub(crate) fn place_paint(paint: &Paint, p: &Value, bounds: Option<Rect>) -> Paint {
-    match (paint, p.get("gradient").and_then(|g| g.get("aspect"))) {
-        (Paint::Gradient(g), Some(a)) if g.geom.is_none() => {
-            apply_gradient_edit(paint, &json!({ "aspect": a }), bounds).unwrap_or_else(|_| paint.clone())
-        }
+/// `paint` without the placement it had on the art it came from (a swatch, or the default paint
+/// for new art): a placed gradient keeps its angle and fits each object it lands on.
+pub(crate) fn unplaced(paint: &Paint) -> Paint {
+    match paint {
+        Paint::Gradient(g) if g.geom.is_some() => Paint::Gradient(Box::new(GradientPaint { geom: None, ..(**g).clone() })),
         _ => paint.clone(),
     }
 }
 
+/// Is `p` applying a swatch (whose gradient placement belongs to the art it was saved from)?
+fn applies_swatch(p: &Value) -> bool {
+    p.get("swatch").is_some()
+}
+
+/// `paint` as applied to an object with `bounds`: a gradient given an `aspect` but no vector is
+/// placed on the bounds so the aspect sticks, and a gradient swatch fits the object (keeping its
+/// aspect) instead of the art it was saved from.
+pub(crate) fn place_paint(paint: &Paint, p: &Value, bounds: Option<Rect>) -> Paint {
+    let Paint::Gradient(g) = paint else { return paint.clone() };
+    let aspect = match g.geom {
+        Some(geom) if applies_swatch(p) => (geom.aspect != 1.0).then(|| json!(geom.aspect * 100.0)),
+        None => p.get("gradient").and_then(|g| g.get("aspect")).cloned(),
+        Some(_) => return paint.clone(),
+    };
+    let fitted = unplaced(paint);
+    match aspect {
+        Some(a) => apply_gradient_edit(&fitted, &json!({ "aspect": a }), bounds).unwrap_or(fitted),
+        None => fitted,
+    }
+}
+
 /// Apply the gradient edits in `p` to `paint` (pure; unit-tested).
 pub(crate) fn apply_gradient_edit(paint: &Paint, p: &Value, bounds: Option<Rect>) -> std::result::Result<Paint, String> {
     let mut gp = match paint {
@@ -308,6 +328,7 @@ pub(crate) fn place_run_paint(paint: &Paint, p: &Value, xf: Affine, bounds: Rect
     let mut out = place_paint(paint, p, Some(bounds));
     if let (Paint::Gradient(src), Paint::Gradient(g)) = (paint, &mut out)
         && src.geom.is_some()
+        && !applies_swatch(p)
         && let Some(inv) = invert(xf)
     {
         g.transform(inv);
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/paint.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/paint.rs
index e958c1de1..6d21a4543 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/paint.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/paint.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use serde_json::{Value, json};
 use vectorcraft_color::{Color, Paint};
 use vectorcraft_doc::{Appearance, NodeKind};
 
-use super::gradient::{place_paint, place_run_paint, run_paint_mut};
+use super::gradient::{place_paint, place_run_paint, run_paint_mut, unplaced};
 use super::*;
 use crate::EngineError;
 
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Fill",
             [],
             None,
-            "{color?: \"#rrggbb\"|[r,g,b]|{c,m,y,k}|{gray}, none?: true, swatch?: name, gradient?: {kind?: linear|radial|freeform, stops?: [{offset 0..1, color, opacity? 0..1 (or 0..100), midpoint? 0.13..0.87}] (at least 2; default white→black), angle?: deg, start?: [x,y], end?: [x,y] (the vector in document coordinates, both or neither; type objects keep it in text space), aspect?: % (radial; without start/end the gradient is placed on each object's bounds), swatch?: linked gradient swatch name}, ids?} sets selection fill and the default",
+            "{color?: \"#rrggbb\"|[r,g,b]|{c,m,y,k}|{gray}, none?: true, swatch?: name (a gradient swatch fits each object, keeping its aspect), gradient?: {kind?: linear|radial|freeform, stops?: [{offset 0..1, color, opacity? 0..1 (or 0..100), midpoint? 0.13..0.87}] (at least 2; default white→black), angle?: deg, start?: [x,y], end?: [x,y] (the vector in document coordinates, both or neither; type objects keep it in text space), aspect?: % (radial; without start/end the gradient is placed on each object's bounds), swatch?: linked gradient swatch name}, ids?} sets selection fill and the default (new art fits a gradient to itself)",
             has_doc,
             |s, p| set_paint(s, p, true)
         ),
@@ -75,10 +75,11 @@ pub(crate) fn paint_from(s: &Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Option<Paint>> {
 
 fn set_paint(s: &mut Session, p: &Value, fill: bool) -> Result<Value> {
     let paint = paint_from(s, p)?.ok_or_else(|| bad("paint.setFill", "give color, none, swatch or gradient"))?;
+    // New art gets the paint fitted to itself, not placed where this one is.
     if fill {
-        s.paint.fill = paint.clone();
+        s.paint.fill = unplaced(&paint);
     } else {
-        s.paint.stroke = paint.clone();
+        s.paint.stroke = unplaced(&paint);
     }
     s.fill_active = fill;
     let ids = paint_targets(s, p)?;
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests_gradient.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests_gradient.rs
index 19964c9f8..5db0f87b9 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests_gradient.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests_gradient.rs
@@ -61,8 +61,9 @@ fn gradient_params_round_trip_through_fill_and_swatches() {
     assert_eq!(got.gradient.stops, g.gradient.stops);
     let (a, b) = (got.geom.unwrap(), g.geom.unwrap());
     assert!(a.start.distance(b.start) < 1e-9 && a.end.distance(b.end) < 1e-9 && (a.aspect - b.aspect).abs() < 1e-9, "{a:?}");
-    // The default proxy keeps it too, and saving it as a swatch is lossless.
-    assert_eq!(s.paint.fill, Paint::Gradient(Box::new(got.clone())));
+    // The default for new art keeps all but the placement (new art fits it to itself), and saving
+    // it as a swatch is lossless.
+    assert_eq!(s.paint.fill, Paint::Gradient(Box::new(GradientPaint { geom: None, ..got.clone() })));
     let mut q = gradient_param(&g);
     q["name"] = json!("Three");
     s.execute("swatch.new", &q).unwrap();
@@ -346,3 +347,30 @@ fn the_selected_stop_belongs_to_its_gradient() {
     s.execute("paint.toggleActive", &json!({})).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(s.selected_stop(), None);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn swatches_and_new_art_fit_a_placed_gradient_to_themselves() {
+    let mut s = session();
+    rect(&mut s, 0.0, 0.0, 100.0, 100.0);
+    let mut g = three_stops();
+    g.gradient.kind = GradientKind::Radial;
+    let mut q = gradient_param(&g);
+    s.execute("paint.setFill", &q).unwrap();
+    q["name"] = json!("Placed");
+    s.execute("swatch.new", &q).unwrap();
+    // New art drawn elsewhere fits the gradient to itself rather than to the first rectangle.
+    let b = rect(&mut s, 500.0, 300.0, 100.0, 100.0);
+    assert_eq!(fill_gradient(&s, b).geom, None);
+    // Applying the swatch fits its gradient to each object, keeping the aspect it was saved with.
+    s.execute("paint.setFill", &json!({"color": "#ff0000"})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("paint.setFill", &json!({"swatch": "Placed"})).unwrap();
+    let geom = fill_geom(&s, b);
+    assert_eq!(geom.start, Point::new(550.0, 350.0));
+    assert!((geom.aspect - 0.5).abs() < 1e-9 && (geom.length() - 50.0).abs() < 1e-9, "{geom:?}");
+    // On type, in text space.
+    let t = text(&mut s, 100.0, 400.0);
+    s.execute("paint.setFill", &json!({"swatch": "Placed"})).unwrap();
+    let (_, doc) = node(&s, t).proxy_gradient(false).unwrap();
+    let tb = node(&s, t).geometric_bounds().unwrap();
+    assert!(doc.start.distance(tb.center()) < 1e-9 && (doc.aspect - 0.5).abs() < 1e-9, "{doc:?} on {tb:?}");
+}