How to Create and Manage Color Swatches in Adobe® InDesign®
SUMMARY:
- Creating and managing color swatches in Adobe InDesign is key to maintaining color consistency and quality
- Color swatches can be created from scratch or based on individual objects in a document
- Naming, merging, and saving color swatches can be done via the Swatches panel menu in Adobe InDesign
Color swatches in Adobe InDesign serve a variety of purposes, most notably maintaining consistent color schemes throughout a design file. This helps digital inkjet designers ensure they’re adhering to brand guidelines and to create error-free files that can be passed to a printer without delays or disruptions.
Creating and managing color swatches in Adobe InDesign can help inkjet designers modify large sections of color or colorful objects quickly and efficiently without having to adjust individual objects. This time-saving process can help designers meet deadlines and create high-quality inkjet projects.
Here, let’s take a step-by-step look at how to create and manage color swatches in Adobe InDesign to level up your design process.
Creating color swatches in Adobe InDesign
Creating a new color swatch
- First, select New Color Swatch from the Swatches panel menu.
- Then, for the Color Type, choose the method you’ll use to print document colors on your specified press. Once you’ve selected the print method, complete the Swatch Name field.
- In the Color Mode setting, select the color mode you want to use to define the color. You can drag the slider to change or adjust the color values, and you can input numeric values in the text boxes next to the slider to designate your ideal color.
- Click OK to add the swatch and exit the dialog box. You’ll now be able to utilize your new color swatch.
Creating a color swatch based on an existing object
This process requires fewer steps than creating a new color swatch.
- First, select the object on which you want to base your color swatch.
- Then, select the Fill box or the Stroke box in the Swatches panel.
- Finally, select New Swatch and then double-click the resulting new swatch. Once complete, the selected color or gradient will appear in the Swatches panel — the gradient will also appear in the Fill and Stroke box – and will be applied to the fill or stroke of all selected objects.
Managing color swatches in Adobe InDesign
Creating color swatches is one thing — managing a large number of color swatches is a different proposition. Naming, editing, deleting, and even merging color swatches are essential for ensuring error-free design files.
Controlling color swatch names
The default color swatch name comes from the value of a color’s components. This makes it easier to identify the composition or percentages of process colors. It’s also important to note that the name of your process color swatch will automatically update if and when you change CMYK values, although you can disable this option for individual swatches if needed.
- First, double-click a process color in the Swatches panel.
- Select the Name with Color Value option to let InDesign rename the swatch when you adjust your CMYK composition.
- Select OK to change the name.
Adding or deleting color swatches
Adobe InDesign allows you to delete both individual color swatches and all unused swatches. Keep in mind that InDesign will prompt to identify a replacement color swatch in the event you delete a swatch that has been applied to an entire document.
To delete individual swatches:
- First select the color swatches you want to remove.
- Select Delete in the Swatches panel. If prompted to choose a replacement color swatch, either select Defined Swatch and choose a swatch from the menu, or Unnamed Swatch to replace all instances of the swatch with an equivalent unnamed color.
To delete all unused color swatches:
Simply Select All Unused in the Swatches panel and click Delete.
To add all unnamed swatches to a document:
Simply select Add Unnamed Colors in the Swatches panel and rejoice as your swatches appear.
Merging and saving color swatches
Importing color swatches or copying swatches from other documents can result in duplicate swatches that are applied to different objects. Merging and saving color swatches makes it easy to use swatches in other documents and helps manage your color swatch inventory.
To merge color swatches:
- Select two or more duplicate color swatches in the Swatches panel — the first color swatch you select will be the one that gets merged.
- Then, select Merge Swatches in the Swatches panel.
Saving color swatches is just as quick and easy.
- First, select the color swatches you want to save in the Swatches panel.
- Select Save Swatches in the same panel, specify a file name and location for that swatch, and then click Save.
An understanding of how to create and manage color swatches in Adobe InDesign helps you streamline the process of designing for digital inkjet and helps ensure your project demonstrates the stunning color quality digital inkjet provides.
