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Manage swatches



You can edit, duplicate, and delete swatches in the Swatches panel.

Edit the default colors in the Swatches panel

You can change the swatches that appear by default in new documents.

  1. Close all open documents.
  2. Edit the swatches you want to change in the Swatches panel.

Duplicate a swatch

Duplicating swatches can be useful when you want to create a warmer or cooler variation of an existing color. Note that duplicating a spot color will result in an additional spot color printing plate.

 Do one of the following:

  • Select a swatch, and choose Duplicate Swatch in the Swatches panel menu.

  • Select a swatch, and click the New Swatch button  at the bottom of the panel.

  • Drag a swatch to the New Swatch button at the bottom of the panel.

Edit a swatch

You can change individual attributes of a swatch by using the Swatch Options dialog box. Additional options are available when editing mixed ink swatches and mixed ink groups.

  1. In the Swatches panel, select a swatch, and do one of the following:

    • Double-click the swatch.

    • Choose Swatch Options in the Swatches panel menu.

  2. Adjust settings as desired, and click OK.

Control swatch names

By default, the name of a process color swatch is derived from the values of the color’s components. For example, if you create a red process color using 10% cyan, 75% magenta, 100% yellow, and 0% black, its swatch will be named C=10 M=75 Y=100 K=0 by default. This makes it easier to identify the composition of process colors.

By default, the name of a process color swatch automatically updates when you change its CMYK values; you can switch this option off or on for individual swatches as needed. As with any swatch you define, you can change the name of a process color swatch at any time.

  1. Double-click a process color in the Swatches panel.
  2. Do one of the following, and click OK:

    • To let InDesign rename the swatch when you adjust its CMYK percentages, make sure that the Name With Color Value option is selected.

    • To rename a swatch when you adjust its CMYK values, make sure that the Name With Color Value option is deselected.

Note: The new swatch is automatically renamed New Color Swatch (this has a number following it if more than one New Color Swatch exists) when this option is deselected. You can change this name manually.

Delete individual swatches

When you delete a swatch that has been applied to an object in the document, InDesign prompts you for a replacement swatch. You can designate an existing or unnamed swatch. If you delete a swatch used as the basis of a tint or mixed ink, you will be prompted to choose a replacement.

  1. Select one or more swatches.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Choose Delete Swatch in the Swatches panel menu.

    • Click the Delete icon at the bottom of the Swatches panel.

      Note: You cannot delete spot colors that are used by placed graphics in the document. To delete these colors, you must first delete the graphic. However, in rare cases the spot color cannot be removed even though the graphic has been removed. In such instances, use File > Export to create an InDesign Interchange (INX) file. Then re-open that file in InDesign.
  3. InDesign asks you how to replace the swatch you’re deleting. Do one of the following, and click OK:

    • To replace all instances of the swatch with another swatch, click Defined Swatch, and choose a swatch in the menu.

    • To replace all instances of the swatch with an equivalent unnamed color, click Unnamed Swatch.

Delete all unused swatches

  1. Choose Select All Unused in the Swatches panel menu. Only swatches that are not currently used in the active file will be selected.
  2. Click the Delete icon.

Merge swatches

When you import swatches or copy items from other documents, you may end up with duplicate swatches that may be applied to different objects. Use the Merge Swatches command to combine duplicate swatches.

  1. In the Swatches panel, select two or more duplicate swatches.
  2. Choose Merge Swatches in the Swatches panel menu.

Save swatches for use in other documents

To use your color swatches in other files or to share them with other designers, you can save swatches in an Adobe Swatch Exchange (.ase) file. InDesign, as well as Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, can import swatches from a Colorbook file.

  1. In the Swatches panel, select the swatches you want to save.
  2. Choose Save Swatches in the Swatches panel menu.
  3. Specify a name and location for the file, and click Save.

Share swatches between applications

You can share the solid swatches you create in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign by saving a swatch library for exchange. The colors appear exactly the same across applications as long as your color settings are synchronized.

  1. In the Swatches panel, create the process and spot color swatches you want to share, and remove any swatches you don’t want to share.
    Note: You cannot share the following types of swatches between applications: patterns, gradients, mixed inks and tints, and the Registration swatch from Illustrator or InDesign; and book color references, HSB, XYZ, duotone, monitorRGB, opacity, total ink, and webRGB swatches from Photoshop. These types of swatches are automatically excluded when you save swatches.
  2. Select Save Swatches from the Swatches panel menu, and save the swatch libraries in an easily accessible location.
  3. Load the swatch library into the Swatches panel for Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign.