PDF (adobe.com)

Import swatches



You can import colors and gradients from other documents, adding either all or some of the swatches to the Swatches panel. You can load swatches from InDesign files (.indd), InDesign templates (.indt), Illustrator files (.ai or .eps), and Adobe Swatch Exchange files (.ase) created by InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop. Adobe Swatch Exchange files contain swatches saved in the Adobe Swatch Exchange format.

InDesign also includes color libraries from other color systems, such as the PANTONE Process Color System®.

Note: Spot colors used by imported EPS, PDF, TIFF, and Adobe Photoshop (PSD) files are also added to the Swatches panel.

Import selected swatches from a file

  1. Choose New Color Swatch from the Swatches panel menu.
  2. Choose Other Library from the Color Mode list, and then select the file from which you want to import swatches.
  3. Click Open.
  4. Select the swatches you want import.
  5. Click OK.

Import all swatches from a file

  1. From the Swatches panel menu, choose Load Swatches.
  2. Double-click an InDesign document.

Copy swatches between InDesign documents

You can copy or drag a swatch (or objects with a swatch applied) from one document to another. When you do so, the swatch is added to the destination document’s Swatches panel. If you want to copy the swatch’s tints and gradients as well, you need to copy the original object, not just the swatch.

 Do one of the following:

  • Copy an object into the current document using drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste.

  • Select the swatches you want to copy and drag them from the Swatches panel to the document window of another InDesign document.

    Note: If you drag a swatch that has an identical name as an existing swatch (including capitalization) but has different color values, InDesign renames the swatch “[original swatch name] 2.”

Load swatches from predefined custom color libraries

You can select from a range of color libraries—including the PANTONE Process Color System, Toyo™ Ink Electronic Color Finder™ 1050, the Focoltone® color system, the Trumatch™ color swatch system, the DIC Process Color Note, and libraries created especially for web use. Before using swatches from a color matching system, consult with your prepress service providers to determine which ones they support.

  1. Choose New Color Swatch from the Swatches panel menu.
  2. Do one of the following:

    • Choose the library file from the Color Mode list.

    • Choose Other Library from the Color Mode list, locate the library file, and then click Open.

  3. Select one or more swatches from the library, and click Add. (To exit the dialog box without adding swatches, click OK.)
  4. When you are done adding swatches, click Done.

Color libraries installed with InDesign

InDesign installs color libraries for the color matching systems described below. You can install additional color libraries and load swatches from them in InDesign.

DIC Color
Provides 1280 CMYK spot colors from the DIC Process Color Note. Colors may be matched against the DIC Color Guide, published by Dainippon Ink & Chemicals, Inc. For more information, contact Dainippon Ink & Chemicals, Inc., in Tokyo, Japan.

Focoltone
Consists of 763 CMYK colors. You can use Focoltone colors to help avoid prepress trapping and registration problems by viewing the Focoltone charts that show the overprints that make up the colors.

A swatch book with specifications for process and spot colors, overprint charts, and a chip book for marking up layouts are available from Focoltone. For more information, contact Focoltone International, Ltd., in Stafford, United Kingdom.

HKS
Use when your job specifies colors from the HKS color system, which is used in Europe.

PANTONE®
PANTONE® Colors are the worldwide standards for spot color reproduction. In 2000, a major revision was made to the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® Color guides. 147 new solid colors and seven additional metallic colors have been added to the System to now include a total of 1,114 colors. PANTONE Color guides and chip books are now printed on coated, uncoated, and matte paper stocks to ensure accurate visualization of the printed result and better on-press control.

You can print a solid PANTONE Color in CMYK. To compare a solid PANTONE Color to its closest process color match, use the PANTONE solid to process guide. The CMYK screen tint percentages are printed under each color. The guide is now printed on a brighter coated stock and includes comparisons of the 147 new solid colors to CMYK.

PANTONE process guides let you choose from over 3,000 process combinations now printed on coated and uncoated stocks. Displayed in chromatic order in fan-guide format, it's easy to select colors and specify CMYK screen values.

For more information, contact Pantone, Inc., in Carlstadt, New Jersey, U.S.A.

System (Windows)
Includes 256 colors of the Windows default 8‑bit panel, which is based on a uniform sampling of RGB colors.

System (Mac OS)
Includes 256 colors of the Mac OS default 8‑bit panel, which is based on a uniform sampling of RGB colors.

Toyo Color Finder 1050
Consists of more than 1,000 colors based on the most common printing inks used in Japan. The TOYO Color Finder 1050 Book contains printed samples of Toyo colors and is available from printers and graphic arts supply stores. For more information, contact Toyo Ink Manufacturing Co., Ltd., in Tokyo, Japan.

Trumatch
Provides predictable CMYK color matching with over 2000 achievable, computer-generated colors. Trumatch colors cover the visible spectrum of the CMYK gamut in even steps. The Trumatch Color Finder displays up to 40 tints and shades of each hue, each originally created in four-color process and each reproducible in four colors on electronic imagesetters. In addition, four-color grays using different hues are included. For more information, contact Trumatch Inc., in New York, New York, U.S.A.

Web
Includes the 216 RGB web‑safe colors most often used by web browsers to display 8‑bit images. This library helps you create artwork for the web using colors that display consistently across Windows and Macintosh systems.