By Sandee Cohen

Article is provided courtesy of Adobe Press

The Basics of Color

Here’s a quick primer to help you understand what happens when you define and apply colors in your InDesign layout, as well as other programs.

Type of color	How it is used	How it is created	Comments
CMYK	CMYK stands for the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks that are combined to create other colors. Also called process color, this is the primary type of color used in color printing. Most magazines and brochures are printed using the four process color inks.	Use the Color panel set to CMYK or the New Color Swatch dialog box set to CMYK or the Color Picker in the CMYK mode.	Color images are saved in the CMYK mode before they are imported into InDesign.
RGB	RGB stands for the red, green, and blue lights that are used in computer monitors to display colors. Because RGB colors are based on light waves, not inks, there will always be a slight difference between colors defined as RGB and those defined as CMYK. RGB colors can be used to define colors for documents that will be displayed onscreen. But you should not use them for print work.	Use the Color panel set to RGB or the New Color Swatch dialog box set to RGB or the Color Picker in the RGB mode.	Most scanners save images as RGB files. You must use a program such as Adobe Photoshop to convert those images to CMYK.
LAB	The LAB is another light-based color model that uses luminance (L) combined with the green to red (A) plus yellow to blue (B). As with RGB, you should not define print colors using this system.	Use the Color panel set to LAB or the New Color Swatch dialog box set to LAB or the Color Picker in the LAB mode.
Spot colors	Spot colors are specialty colors that are printed without using the four process color inks. For instance, a metallic gold in a brochure is printed using metallic gold ink, not a combination of CMYK colors. Spot colors can be mixed to display colors that could not be created using simple CMYK colors.	Use the New Color Swatch dialog box set to Spot.	Spot colors can be defined by the user or you can use the commercial spot color libraries produced by companies such as Pantone and Dicolor and Toyo. Other names for spot colors are specialty, second color, fifth or sixth color, or flat colors.
Tints	Tints are colors that have been screened so that only a percentage of their color appears on the page.	Tints can be created from named colors using the New Tint dialog box.
Mixed inks	Mixed inks are combinations of at least one spot color and another spot or process color.	Mixed inks can be created using the Swatches panel menu. One spot color must also have been previously defined.	Mixed Ink Groups are combinations of different percentages for Mixed ink colors.

Using the Color Panel

There are three different models for defining colors: CMYK, RGB, and LAB. Each model is used for different purposes. You choose the color mode and mix colors in the Color panel. (See Chapter 6, “Styling Objects,” for how to apply colors to objects and text.)

To choose the options in the Color panel:

1. If the Color panel is not visible, choose Window > Color to open the panel.

The Color panel with the options turned off shows only the spectrum or ramp for choosing colors.

If the Color panel is behind other panels, click the Color panel tab.

2. If the color sliders are not visible, click the panel tab or choose Show Options from the Color panel menu .

The Color panel menu lets you choose among the three color models.

TIP - Hold the Shift key as you drag one slider to have the others move along with it.

The CMYK color model is used primarily for print work. CMYK colors are mixed using percentages of the four inks used in process printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

To define CMYK colors:

1. Choose CMYK from the Color panel menu. This opens the panel in the CMYK mode .

The Color panel with the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) color controls.

2. Choose one of the following methods to define the amount of cyan, magenta, yellow, or black ink in the color:

a. Type a value from 0 to 100% in each of the four color fields.

b. Drag the sliders for each of the four color fields.

c. Click a color in the CMYK spectrum area.

TIP - Click the solid white or black rectangles to the right end of the spectrum to quickly get 100 percent black or white.

The Black Color Panel

If your Color panel displays a single slider for Black, it is because the Black color in the Swatches panel is your default color. Simply change it to CMYK to get the full set of CMYK color sliders.

Understanding CMYK Color

Each of the colors in CMYK corresponds to one of the inks used in typical four-color printing. Cyan is a shade of blue. Magenta is a shade of red. Yellow is...well, yellow. And black is black—I want my baby back.

If you are creating print documents, you will want to define your colors using CMYK colors. Not only is the CMYK system overwhelmingly used for print work, it is the system you are most familiar with, whether you’re aware of it or not. Yellow and cyan make green; magenta and yellow make orange, and so on.

In theory, you shouldn’t need more than three colors for printing. If you mix cyan, magenta, and yellow together, you should get a solid black color. In reality, however, those inks are not pure enough to create solid black; instead they create a dark brown.

That’s why process printing uses four colors. In addition to cyan, magenta, and yellow, a fourth key color—black, indicated by the letter K—is added to create the really black areas. That’s where the term CMYK comes from.

Out-of-Gamut Symbol

The out-of-gamut symbol appears if you choose an RGB or LAB color that cannot be printed using process inks .

The out-of-gamut symbol for RGB or LAB colors indicates that the color shown on screen will not print as seen using process color inks.

To convert out-of-gamut colors:

· Click the small square next to the out-of-gamut symbol. This converts the color to the closest process-color equivalent.

You can use the Color panel to apply colors to selected objects.

TIP - This technique, while convenient to use, creates unnamed colors or colors that are not listed in the Swatches panel. (See the sidebar “Avoiding Unnamed Colors” for why creating unnamed colors can be a problem.)

To apply colors to a fill or stroke:

· With an object or text selected, use the Color panel to define a fill color. This applies the unnamed color to the fill of the object or text.

· or

With an object or text selected, use the Color panel to define a stroke color. This applies the unnamed

color to the stroke of the object or text.

TIP - You can choose colors by clicking the ramp section of the Color panel .

With an object selected, click the color ramp in the Color panel to apply a color to an object.

TIP - You can also drag a color directly from the Color panel onto objects . This also creates unnamed colors.

Drag a color from the Color panel to apply a color to an object.

TIP - A square dot appears next to the cursor when you drag a swatch color onto objects. This indicates you are dragging a fill color onto the object.

You can add colors from the Color panel to the Swatches panel so you can easily reuse them.

To transfer colors from the Color panel:

1. Define the color in the Color panel.

2. Choose Add to Swatches from the Color panel menu. The color appears as a new color swatch in the Swatches panel.

Defining and Storing Swatches

Although it is very quick to create a color using the Color panel, you will find it more efficient to create color swatches. A swatch is a color that has been defined and is stored in the Swatches panel.

TIP - Unnamed colors are not available for all places where you use colors. For instance, only named color swatches can be used as part of text styles.

To work with the Swatches panel:

1. If the Swatches panel is not visible, choose Window > Swatches to open the panel.

The controls for the Swatches panel.

If the Swatches panel is behind other panels, click the Swatches panel tab.

2. To see the different types of swatches, click the icons at the bottom of the panel as follows:

• Show All Swatches displays both the color and the gradient swatches.

• Show Color Swatches displays only the color swatches.

• Show Gradient Swatches displays only the gradient swatches.

3. To change the display of the swatches in the panel, choose the following from the Swatches

panel menu:

• Name displays a list of the swatch names in a large typeface.

• Small Name uses a more compact typeface to display the swatch names.

• Small Swatch displays only the square of the swatch color or gradient.

• Large Swatch displays a larger square of the swatch color or gradient.

The Color “Paper”

The swatch labeled[Paper] in the Swatches panel allows you to change the background color of the pages in your document. This can be helpful if your document will be printed on colored paper, specialty paper, or even newsprint that is not completely white. You can modify the paper color to help judge how your images will look when printed.

Although you can apply colors to objects and text directly from the Color panel, this is not considered a good production workflow. Instead, use the Swatches panel to add the color currently defined in the Color panel.

TIP - If you apply colors from the Color panel, they are called unnamed colors. Unnamed colors can cause production problems later on and should be avoided.

To add a color to the Swatches panel:

1. Use the Color panel to define a color.

2. Click the New Swatch icon at the bottom of the panel. The new color, named with the color values, is automatically added to the Swatches panel.

TIP - You can also add colors to the Swatches panel using the Color Picker.

InDesign also lets you drag colors from the Color panel into the Swatches panel.

To drag colors into the Swatches panel:

1. Create the color in the Color panel.

2. Drag the color from the Color panel fill or stroke box to the bottom of or between two colors in the Swatches panel.

3. Release the mouse when a black line appears in the Swatches panel . The new color is added and automatically takes its name from the color values.

You can drag colors from the Color panel into the Swatches panel.

TIP - The cursor displays a plus sign as you drag the color into the Color panel. On the Mac the cursor is the image of a fist. On Windows the cursor is an arrow.

The Registration Color

“Registration” is a color that is set to print on all plates of a document. For instance, if your document will be printed using process colors, you might want to create a note or mark that should be seen on all four plates. Rather than make the note in a combination of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, you can apply the color Registration to the text for the note. This prints the note as a combination of all four inks.

You can define and add new colors to your document using only the Swatches panel.

To define a new color swatch:

1. Choose New Color Swatch from the Swatches panel menu. This opens the New Color Swatch dialog box.

Use the New Color Swatch dialog box to define colors to be added to the Swatches panel.

Opt/Alt-click the New Swatch icon at the bottom of the Swatches panel.

2. To name the color swatch yourself, deselect the checkbox for Name with Color Value and then type a name in the Swatch Name field.

Leave the setting checked to name the color swatch using the values that define the color. This option is not available for spot colors.

3. Choose Process or Spot from the Color Type pop-up list .

Use the Color Type menu to choose either process or spot colors.

4. Choose LAB, CMYK, or RGB from the Color Mode menu .

The Color Mode menu in the New Swatch dialog box.

Choose one of the Swatch Libraries at the bottom of the Color Mode menu .

5. If you have chosen LAB, CMYK, or RGB, use the sliders to change the values from the ones originally defined.

6. Click ok. This adds the swatch and closes the dialog box.

Click Add to add the swatch without closing the dialog box. This allows you to define additional colors.

The colors that appear in the Swatches panel are displayed with icons that give you information about the type of color, the color mode, and other attributes. Of course, once you have defined a color swatch, you can modify its color definition. This changes the appearance of all text and objects that use that color, even if they are not selected.

The icons in the Swatches panel identify the different types of colors and color modes.

TIP - The color Black is protected and cannot be modified. If you need a variation of Black, create a new color swatch.

To modify a color swatch:

1. Select the swatch and choose Swatch Options from the Swatches panel menu. This opens the Swatch Options dialog box . These are the same controls as in the New Color Swatch dialog box.

Once you define a swatch, you modify it in the Swatch Options dialog box.

Double-click the swatch in the panel.

2. Make changes to the color.

TIP - Click the Preview checkbox to see how the changes affect the colors applied to objects in the document.

3. Click ok to apply the changes.

TIP - The Swatch Options dialog box does not have an Add button. This is because you use this dialog box only to modify existing colors—not to add new ones.

Process or Spot?

Process colors are those printed using small dots of the four process inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Spot colors are printed using special inks. For example, if you look at the process-color green printed in a magazine, that color is actually a combination of cyan and yellow printed together in a series of dots. However, a spot-color green is printed by using actual green ink.

One benefit of spot colors is that you can exactly match a special color or use specialty colors such as fluorescents or metallics that could never be created using process inks. You can also use a spot color together with black as a two-color job. This is cheaper than printing four-color process colors. The benefit of process colors is that you use just four inks to create thousands of different color combinations.

Once you create color swatches, you can apply them via the Fill and Stroke controls in the Tools panel or Color panel.

To apply a swatch color:

1. Create the object or text that you want to color.

2. Select either the Fill or Stroke icons in the Color panel or Tools panel. (See Chapter 6, “Styling Objects,” for more information on the Fill or Stroke icons.)

3. In the Swatches panel, click the color you want. This applies the swatch to the object.

To delete swatches:

1. Select the color you want to delete.

TIP - To select a series of adjacent swatches, select the first swatch and then hold the Shift key and select the last swatch in the series. This highlights the first and last swatch and all the swatches in between.

TIP - Hold the Command/Ctrl key to select nonadjacent swatches.

2. Click the Delete Swatch icon or choose Delete Swatch from the Swatches menu.

Click the Delete Swatch icon to delete the selected swatches.

3. If the swatch is used within the document, the Delete Swatch dialog box appears, asking how you want to replace the deleted swatch :

a. To swap the color with one from the Swatches panel, choose Defined Swatch and then pick a swatch from the pop-up list.

b. To leave the color as an unnamed color applied to the object, choose Unnamed Swatch.

The Delete Swatch dialog box controls what happens to colors when they are deleted from a document.

TIP - The default swatches None, Paper, Black, and Registration cannot be deleted.If you have many colors in your document that you are not using, you may want to delete them to avoid confusion when the file is sent to a print shop.

To delete all unused swatches:

1. Choose Select All Unused in the Swatches panel menu .

The Swatches panel menu contains the commands for working with color swatches.

2. Click the Delete Swatch icon or use the Delete Swatch command in the Swatches panel menu.

You can also select several swatches and merge them into one color.

TIP - The Merge Swatches command makes it easy to globally replace all instances of one defined color with another.

To merge swatches:

Click to select the first color. This is the final color that you want the other colors to change to.

Hold the Cmd/Ctrl key and click to select another swatch. This is the color that you want to delete.

Hold the Shift key and click to select a range of swatches. These are the swatches you want to delete.

Choose Merge Swatches from the Swatches panel menu . This deletes all the swatches except the swatch that was first selected. That swatch is applied to all text and objects that used the deleted swatches.

The position that swatches occupy in the panel comes from the order in which they were created. You can easily change the order of the swatches.

To move swatches to new positions:

Select a swatch in the panel.

Drag the swatch to a new position. A black line indicates where the swatch will be located .

Drag a swatch to move it from one position to another.

Release the mouse button.

You may find it easier to duplicate a swatch and modify it than to start from scratch.

To duplicate a swatch:

Select the swatch and choose Duplicate Swatch from the Swatches panel menu.

Select the swatch and click the New Swatch icon.

Drag the swatch onto the New Swatch icon.

You can save a selection of swatches for use in other InDesign documents, or in Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop documents.

To save selected swatches:

Select the swatches in the Swatches panel that you want to save.

Choose Save Swatches For Exchange from the Swatches panel menu.

Use the operating system dialog box to save the swatches as an Adobe Swatch Exchange (.ase) file.

The Cost of Unused Colors

Why is it important to delete unused colors?

One reason is if you are going to send your documents to a service bureau or print shop for final output. It can be confusing to the people who are going to open your file if they see many colors in a document that’s supposed to be printed in black and white.

At the very least, they’re going to wonder if they’ve received the right instructions. At the worst, they’ll delay printing the file until they talk to someone to make sure.

Also, it may seem like a little thing, but every color adds to the size of the file. Even in these days of huge hard drives, it’s always better to keep your files as lean as possible.

You can import the swatches from one InDesign document into another. You can also import the swatches from an Adobe Swatch Exchange file.

To import swatches from other documents:

Choose Load Swatches from the Swatches panel menu. The operating system dialog box appears.

Navigate to find the document or Adobe Swatch Exchange file you want to import swatches from.

Click Open. The swatches are imported into the current document.

Unnamed colors are colors that are applied to objects directly from the Color panel or the Color Picker instead of through the Swatches panel. It is a good idea not to have unnamed colors floating around your document. Fortunately, you can easily convert unnamed colors into named colors.

To name unnamed colors:

Choose Add Unnamed Colors from the Swatches panel menu. All unnamed colors are added to the panel named with their percentage values.

You can create colors that are available as the default colors for all new documents.

To create default colors:

Close all documents but leave InDesign running.

Use any of the methods in this section, “Defining and Storing Swatches,” to define and store a color in the Swatches panel. The color will appear in the Swatches panel of all new InDesign documents.

Avoiding Unnamed Colors

Why do I warn you against creating unnamed colors? Why may your service bureau warn you not to create unnamed colors?

Your job will most certainly print, even with unnamed colors. The problem comes when someone checks to make sure all your colors are defined correctly.

Because the unnamed colors don’t appear in the Swatches panel, there is no way for someone to easily find or make a universal change to the colors in your document. So the checker will have to search, page by page, to see if there are any unnamed colors.

So although there is nothing actually wrong with unnamed colors, it is better to always use the Swatches panel to apply colors. That way you’ll have more control over the colors in your document.

Using Swatch Libraries

Rather than defining your own color mixtures, you can use the swatch libraries for professional color systems from companies such as Pantone or Trumatch. These color libraries usually have printed samples that you can refer to in order to see how the color will appear when printed.

To add colors from swatch libraries:

Open the New Swatch dialog box or the Swatch Options dialog box.
Choose one of the swatch libraries listed in the Color Mode list . This displays the colors in the library .
The swatch libraries in the Color Mode list.
An example of the window that displays a swatch library, such as the Pantone Solid Coated colors.
Scroll through the library to select the color you want to add to your document.
or
Instead of scrolling through a long list, type the name or number associated with the color in the Swatch Library field.
You can use the swatch libraries to open color panels from other InDesign documents and Adobe Illustrator documents.
To import swatches from other documents:
Choose Other Library from the Color Mode list .
Navigate to select the InDesign or Illustrator document. The colors appear in the window.

The Swatch Libraries

InDesign ships with a collection of third-party swatch libraries that contain the color definitions used by professional color systems. Here is a description of each of the types of libraries.

ANPA Color is commonly used for newspaper production. The colors can be found in the ANPA Color Newspaper Color Ink Book.

DIC Color Guide contains spot colors used mainly in Japan. These colors can be matched using the color guides from Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Inc.

Focoltone holds the process colors that can be matched using materials that are available from Focoltone International, Ltd. These colors are very popular in both France and the United Kingdom.

HKS is a system of process and spot colors used in Europe.

Pantone is the major color-matching system company used in North America. All Pantone colors can be matched to materials available from Pantone, Inc.

System (Macintosh) includes the colors of the Macintosh operating system.

System (Windows) includes the colors of the Windows operating system.

Toyo consists of spot colors used primarily in Japan. Color matching materials are available from the Toyo Ink Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Trumatch provides a library of process colors. These colors have been specially designed for digital prepress as well as desktop color printers and copier machines. Color matching materials are available from Trumatch, Inc.

Web consists of the 216 colors that are shared by both the Macintosh and Windows system colors. These are sometimes called the Web-safe colors.

Creating Mixed Inks

Mixed inks is the term InDesign uses for a color that combines a spot color with other spot colors or process colors. (QuarkXPress calls this type of color a multi-ink.) Mixed inks give you more flexibility in creating colors, especially for two-color jobs.

To create a single Mixed Ink swatch:
Choose New Mixed Ink Swatch from the Swatches panel menu. This opens the New Mixed Ink Swatch dialog box .
The New Mixed Ink Swatch dialog box allows you to combine a spot color with other colors.

TIP - The command to create mixed inks is not available unless you have first defined a spot color in the Swatches panel.

Enter a name for the mixed ink swatch.
Click the ink controls to select the colors in the mixed ink swatch. You must choose two inks, and one of them must be a spot color ink .
Use the ink controls to define the colors in the mixed ink swatch.
Use the sliders or fields to set the amount of each ink in the swatch.
Click the ok button to create the mixed ink swatch.
or
Click the Add button to create the mixed ink swatch and then use the dialog box to define a new mixed ink swatch.

Using Mixed Ink Swatches

Mixed ink swatches have a variety of uses. Perhaps the most common use is to define a mixed ink as a single spot color plus a percentage of process black. This allows you to create a slightly darker version of a spot color. I find this extremely helpful when working on two-color jobs where I need to darken my spot color.

You can also use mixed ink swatches to combine two spot colors. For instance, you can combine a spot yellow with a spot blue to create a green mixed ink swatch. However, be careful when you try to mix spot colors. The color in the preview box is only a very rough representation of the actual color on press.

Finally, you can use mixed inks to combine varnishes with process colors. This is a sophisticated technique and you should consult with your print shop.

You might want to create a collection of mixed inks that combine colors in an increasing series of mixtures. InDesign calls this a Mixed Ink Group and makes it easy to automatically create the mixtures of colors.

TIP - A Mixed Ink Group makes it easy to create a variety of mixed inks that can be quickly applied as you work.

To create a Mixed Ink Group:

Choose New Mixed Ink Group from the Swatches panel menu. The New Mixed Ink Group dialog box appears .
The New Mixed Ink Group dialog box allows you to automatically create a series of mixed inks.
Enter a name for the group in the Name field.
Click the Inks controls to select the colors in the mixed ink swatch. You must choose at least two inks and one of them must be a spot color ink.
Use the Initial field to define the amount of color that the first instance of an ink has .
Use the Inks controls to set the mixed ink colors, the initial amounts, the repetitions, and the increments by which they change.
Use the Repeat field to set how many new mixed inks will be created with the color.

TIP - Set the Repeat to zero to keep that color constant throughout the mixed ink group.

Use the Increment field to set the color increases for each new mixed ink.

Click the Preview Swatches button to see the result of the settings in the Swatches panel .
Click ok to create the Mixed Ink Group. The group appears in the Swatches panel.
Once you have created a mixed ink group, you can make changes to the entire group or the individual swatches in the group.
To modify all the swatches in a mixed ink group:
Select the mixed ink group in the Swatches panel and choose Swatch Options from the Swatches panel menu.
or
Double click the name of the mixed ink group in the Swatches panel. The Mixed Ink Group Options dialog box appears .
Use the Mixed Ink Group Options dialog box to make changes to the inks used in a mixed ink group.
Use the Name field to change the name of the group.
Use the ink controls to delete inks from the mixed ink group.

TIP - While you can delete inks from the group, you cannot add inks. So a two-ink group can’t be changed to a three-ink group.

Use the Inks list to swap one ink for another . The list shows both the process and spot colors in the document.

Use the Inks list to change the colors used in a mixed ink group.
If desired, check Convert Mixed Ink Swatches to Process. This changes all the colors in the mixed ink swatches to their process color equivalents.
TIP - The option to convert the colors to process is permanent and cannot be changed except as part of InDesign’s undo chain.

Click ok. The changes are applied to the inks used in the mixed ink swatches that you originally created.

TIP - Watch out! Once you have deleted inks from the mixed ink group, you can’t go back and add them to the mixed ink group. You’ll have to regenerate the entire mixed ink group.

Creating Tints

Tints are screened, or lighter, versions of colors. Spot color tints create screens of the base color. Process color tints reduce the amounts of the process inks that define the color.
To create a tint swatch:
Select the base color, that is, the swatch color that you want to tint.
Use the Tint field in the Swatches panel to create a screen of the swatch color .
Use the Tint field to create a screened version of a swatch color.
Click the New Swatch icon to store the tint percentage as a swatch in the Swatches panel.

TIP - The tint swatch appears in the Swatches panel with the same name as the base color but with the tint percentage listed .

A tint swatch is listed with the same name as the base color and the tint percentage.

TIP - The tint field percentage continues to tint other swatches in the panel until you reset the field to 100%.

As you select a color swatch as a base color, the Color panel displays a slider and a ramp of the color.

To tint a swatch using the Color panel:

Select the swatch color that you want to tint.
In the Color panel, use the slider or click in the ramp to create a percentage of the base color .
The Color panel displays a slider and tint ramp when a base color is chosen.
Click the New Swatch icon to create a tint swatch of the percentage you defined.
You can also create a tint swatch using the Swatches panel menu.

To store a tint swatch of a color:

In the Swatches panel, select the base color, that is, the color you want to tint.
Choose New Tint Swatch from the Swatches panel menu. The New Tint Swatch dialog box appears .
The New Tint Swatch dialog box lets you set the percentage of a tint.
Adjust the tint slider to a percentage.
Click ok. The tint swatch appears in the Swatches panel with the same name as the base color but with the tint percentage listed.
or
Click Add to add the tint to the Swatches panel and then create additional tints.
Once you store a tint swatch, you can modify the tint percentage. This updates all the objects that use that tint swatch.

To modify tint swatches:

Double click the name of the tint swatch in the Swatches panel. This opens the Swatch Options dialog box for tints. The Swatch Options for a tint swatch let you change the tint percentage or modify the base color of the tint.

TIP - This dialog box is slightly different from the ordinary Swatch Options dialog box, which does not have a tint slider.

To change the tint value, adjust the Tint slider at the bottom of the dialog box.

TIP - You can also modify the sliders for the base color when you open the Swatch Options dialog box to modify a tint.

Click ok to apply the changes.

TIP - Anytime you modify the swatch used as a base color, all tints of that color update automatically.

Using the Color Picker

If you have used Photoshop, you are probably familiar with Photoshop’s Color Picker, which is accessed through the foreground or background color icons in the Tools panel. InDesign also has a Color Picker, which is opened through the Tools panel.

To define a color using the Color Picker:

Double-click either the Fill icon or the Stroke icon in the Tools panel . This opens the Color Picker.
The Fill and Stroke icons in the Tools panel or Color panel let you open the Color Picker.
Use the RGB, LAB, or CMYK fields (, , and )to define the color.
The Color Picker in the RGB mode lets you define and store RGB colors.
The Color Picker in the LAB mode lets you define and store LAB colors.
The Color Picker in theCMYK mode lets you define and store CMYK colors.
Click ok to apply the color to the current fill or stroke.
TIP - When you click the RGB or LAB controls, the Color Space area at the left of the dialog displays one of those color controls. When you click the CMYK controls, however, the Color Space area does not display the CMYK color controls.

To define a color swatch using the Color Picker:

Double-click either the Fill icon or the Stroke icon in the Tools panel to open the Color Picker.
Use the RGB, LAB, or CMYK fields to define the color.
Click the Add [RGB, LAB, or CMYK] Swatch button to add the color to the Swatches panel.
Click ok to close the Color Picker.
Creating Gradient Swatches
Gradients are blends that change from one color into another. InDesign creates gradients as swatches that can then be applied to objects. (See Chapter 6, “Styling Objects,” for information on applying gradients.)

To define a gradient:

Choose New Gradient Swatch from the Swatches panel menu. The New Gradient Swatch dialog box appears .
Use the New Gradient Swatch dialog box to define a gradient of blended colors.
Enter a name for the gradient in the Swatch Name field.
Choose Linear or Radial in the Type field .
A linear gradient changes colors along a line. A radial gradient changes colors in a circular pattern.
Click a color stop on the gradient ramp to define a color in the gradient .
Use the color stops and midpoint controls along the gradient ramp to modify a gradient.
Choose the type of color for the selected stop from the Stop Color list :
Swatches shows you the list of colors in the Swatches panel.
LAB, CMYK, or RGB displays the sliders that let you define the color using the LAB, CMYK, or RGB values.
Use the Stop Color menu to choose the format for the colors used for the color stops.
Click the other gradient stop to define a color for it.
Adjust the midpoint control to change the position where the two colors blend equally.
Click ok to add the gradient to the Swatches panel .
Gradients are stored in the Swatches panel.
or
Click the Add button to add the current gradient to the Swatches panel and continue defining additional gradients.
TIP - If you don’t see the gradient listed in the Swatches panel, click either the Show All Swatches or Show Gradient Swatches icon at the bottom of the Swatches panel.

All gradients must have at least two colors. However, you can easily add more colors to a gradient by using the color stops.

To add gradient color stops:

Open the New Gradient Swatch or the Gradient Options dialog box.
Click the area below the gradient ramp. This adds a color stop to the ramp area .
Click under the gradient ramp to add a color stop to the gradient.
Make whatever changes you want to the color stop.
If necessary, move the color stop to a new position.
Click ok to apply the changes to the gradient swatch.

To delete a gradient color stop:

Drag the color stop away from the ramp area and release the mouse . The gradient reblends according to the colors that remain.
Drag a color stop off the gradient ramp to delete that color from the gradient.

To modify a gradient swatch:

Select the gradient swatch and choose Swatch Options from the Swatches panel menu. This opens the Gradient Options dialog box.

Double-click the gradient in the panel.

TIP - Use the Preview checkbox to see how the changes affect the gradients in the document.

Adjust the midpoint, color stops, or gradient type.

Click ok to apply the changes.

Just as you can create colors on the fly, you can also create gradients without using the Swatches panel. These gradients are created only within the Gradient panel and are not stored in the Swatches panel.

To work with the Gradient panel:

Choose Window > Gradient to open the Gradient panel .
Use the Gradient panel to create on-the-fly gradients.
Choose Show Options from the Gradient panel menu to see all the controls.

To create gradients from the Gradient panel:

Use the Type pop-up list to choose between Linear and Radial.

Select a color stop and adjust the sliders in the Color panel to define the color at that position.

Hold the Opt/Alt key and click the name of a swatch in the Swatches panel.

Select another color stop and use the sliders in the Color panel to define the color at that position.

Set the angle of the gradient in the Angle field.

Click the Reverse icon to reverse the positions of the color stops.

Once you have a defined a gradient in the Gradient panel, you can store it as a swatch.

To store an unnamed gradient:

Create the gradient in the Gradient panel.

Click the New Swatch icon in the Swatches panel.

Drag the preview of the gradient from the Gradient panel into the Swatches panel.

Double-click the name of the gradient in the Swatches panel to rename it.

Process and Spot Colors in Gradients

A gradient that’s defined using process colors is separated onto CMYK plates.

A gradient that contains two tints of the same spot color will be separated onto the single spot color plate. If you want the gradient to fade to white, create a gradient between the spot color and a 0% tint of the spot color.

You can create a gradient between two spot colors. However, to avoid moiré patterns in the gradient, you must assign different screen angles to those spot colors in the Inks dialog box.

For instance, if you had a gradient of spot red to spot yellow, you would want to make sure each color had a screen angle that was 45 degrees different from the other. Ask your print shop for details on setting the screen angles for spot colors.

A gradient that contains both spot and process colors will be separated onto both the spot and process color plates.

Using the Eyedropper

The Eyedropper tool lets you sample colors from graphics that are placed in your document. (See Chapter 8, “Imported Graphics,” for more information on placing graphics.)

To sample and store colors from placed graphics:

Click the Eyedropper tool in the Tools panel .
The Eyedropper tool lets you sample colors from placed images.
Move the Eyedropper cursor over the color of a placed graphic .
Click with the Eyedropper tool over an area of an image that you want to sample.
Click to sample the color.

TIP - If you have already used the Eyedropper to sample a color, hold the Opt/Alt key to sample a new color.

Click the New Swatch icon in the Swatches panel. The sampled color is stored as a color swatch.

TIP - The Eyedropper samples the color in the same color mode as the placed graphic. So RGB images yield RGB colors, and CMYK images yield CMYK colors.

TIP - The Eyedropper can also sample and apply fills, strokes, and transparency attributes of objects and text formatting. (See Chapter 6, “Styling Objects,” and Chapter 14, “Automating Your Work.”)

Overprinting Colors

Overprinting is a technique that allows you to set the color of one object to mix with any colors underneath. For instance, without overprinting, a yellow object placed over a blue background knocks out the blue and prints as yellow. But with overprinting turned on, the yellow object mixes with the blue background to create green.

To set a fill or stroke to overprint:
Select the object.

If the Attributes panel is not visible, choose Window > Attributes to open the panel .
Use the Attributes panel to set the colors of an object to overprint.

or

If the Attributes panel is behind other panels, click the Attributes panel tab.
Check Overprint Fill to set the object’s fill color to overprint.
Check Overprint Stroke to set the object’s stroke color to overprint.
Check Overprint Gap to set the color of the gap applied to stroke effects to overprint.

TIP - Check Nonprinting in the Attributes panel to set an object not to print. This is helpful if you want to add comments for production use that aren’t meant to be seen in the finished piece.

In some desktop publishing programs, the only way to see the effects of setting an object to overprint is to wait until the object is separated and printed. InDesign lets you see a simulation of overprinting onscreen.

To turn on the overprint preview:

Choose View > Overprint Preview. InDesign shows the effects of those colors set to overprint .

Turn on the Overprint Preview command to see the effects of overprinting onscreen.

800 East 96th Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46240

GD227 Production Graphics

NAV

Working in Color in Adobe InDesign