User Guide Cancel

Use colors from imported graphics

  1. InDesign User Guide
  2. Get to know InDesign
    1. Introduction to InDesign
      1. What's New in InDesign
      2. System requirements
      3. Common questions
      4. Use Creative Cloud libraries
    2. Workspace
      1. Workspace basics
      2. Customize your workspace in InDesign
      3. Toolbox
      4. Set preferences
      5. Properties panel
      6. Touch workspace
      7. Default keyboard shortcuts
      8. Undo edits and manage History panel
      9. Document recovery and undo
    3. Generative AI
      1. Text to Image
      2. Generative Expand
      3. Generative AI FAQ
  3. Create and layout documents
    1. Documents and pages
      1. Create documents
      2. Work with parent pages
      3. Work with document pages
      4. Set page size, margins, and bleed
      5. Work with files and templates
      6. Convert PDFs to InDesign files in InDesign (Beta)
      7. Create book files
      8. Add basic page numbering
      9. Number pages, chapters, and sections
      10. Convert QuarkXPress and PageMaker documents
      11. Share content
      12. Understand a basic managed-file workflow
      13. Save documents
    2. Grids
      1. Grids
      2. Format grids
    3. Layout aids
      1. Rulers
      2. Align and distribute objects using rulers
      3. Measure objects using the Measure tool
  4. Add content
    1. Text
      1. Add text to frames
      2. Threading text
      3. South-East Asian Scripts
      4. Arabic and Hebrew features in InDesign
      5. Create type on a path
      6. Bullets and numbering
      7. Glyphs and special characters
      8. Text composition
      9. Text variables
      10. Generate QR codes
      11. Edit text
      12. Align text
      13. Wrap text around objects
      14. Anchored objects
      15. Linked content
      16. Format paragraphs
      17. Format characters
    2. Typography
      1. Using fonts in InDesign
      2. Kerning and tracking
      3. Scale and skew type
      4. Apply color effects to type
    3. Format text
      1. Format text
      2. Auto Style text
      3. Work with Style Packs
      4. Tabs and indents
    4. Review text
      1. Track and review changes
      2. Add editorial notes in InDesign
      3. Import PDF comments
    5. Spell check and language dictionaries
      1. Check spelling, autocorrect, and dynamic spelling
      2. Create, add, and manage dictionaries and words
      3. Change dictionary preferences
      4. Duden dictionary
    6. Add references
      1. Create a table of contents
      2. Footnotes
      3. Create an index
      4. Endnotes
      5. Captions
    7. Styles
      1. Paragraph and character styles
      2. Map, export, and manage styles
      3. Object styles
      4. Drop caps and nested styles
      5. Work with styles
      6. Leading
    8. Tables
      1. Format tables
      2. Create tables
      3. Table and Cell styles
      4. Select and edit tables
      5. Table strokes and fills
    9. Interactivity
      1. Hyperlinks
      2. Dynamic PDF documents
      3. Bookmarks
      4. Buttons
      5. Forms
      6. Animation
      7. Cross-references
      8. Structure PDFs
      9. Page transitions
      10. Movies and sounds
    10. Graphics
      1. Understand paths and shapes
      2. Draw with the Pencil tool
      3. Draw with the Pen tool
      4. Apply line (stroke) settings 
      5. Compound paths and shapes
      6. Edit paths
      7. Clipping paths
      8. Change corner appearance
      9. Frames and objects
      10. Align and distribute objects
      11. Linked and embedded graphics
      12. Integrate AEM assets
    11. Color and transparency
      1. Apply color
      2. Use colors from imported graphics
      3. Work with swatches
      4. Mix inks
      5. Tints
      6. Understand spot and process colors
      7. Blend colors
      8. Gradients
      9. Flatten transparent artwork
      10. Add transparency effects
  5. Find and replace
    1. Find and replace text
    2. Find and replace fonts
    3. Find and replace glyphs
    4. Find and replace using GREP expressions and queries
    5. Find and replace objects
    6. Find and replace colors
    7. Search options to find and replace
  6. Share
    1. Save and access cloud documents
    2. Organize, manage, and share cloud documents
    3. View and manage versions in cloud documents
    4. Common questions about InDesign cloud documents
    5. Share and collaborate        
    6. Share for Review
    7. Review a shared InDesign document
    8. Manage feedback 
  7. Publish
    1. Place, export, and publish
      1. Publish online
      2. Publish online dashboard
      3. Copy, insert graphics
      4. Export content for EPUB
      5. Adobe PDF options
      6. Export content to HTML
      7. Export to Adobe PDF
      8. Export to JPEG format
      9. Export HTML
      10. DPS and AEM Mobile overview
      11. Supported File Formats
      12. Export and import User Settings
    2. Printing
      1. Print booklets
      2. Printer's marks and bleeds
      3. Print documents
      4. Inks, separation, and screen frequency
      5. Overprinting
      6. Create PostScript and EPS files
      7. Preflight files before handoff
      8. Print thumbnails and oversized documents
      9. Prepare PDFs for service providers
      10. Prepare to print separations
  8. Extend InDesign
    1. Automation
      1. Data merge
      2. Plug-ins
      3. Capture extension in InDesign
      4. Scripting
  9. Troubleshooting
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues
    3. Crash on launch
    4. Preference folder read-only issue
    5. Troubleshoot file issues
    6. Unable to export InDesign file to PDF
    7. InDesign document recovery

Use colors from imported graphics

InDesign provides various ways for you to sample and redefine colors from the graphics you import into your document. Spot colors from placed PDF or EPS files and spot-color channels in Adobe Photoshop (PSD) and TIFF files appear as spot colors in the Swatches panel. You can apply these colors to objects in your document or convert them to process colors; however, you cannot redefine the color values or delete the imported swatches. If you delete the placed graphic, the colors remain but are converted to native InDesign colors, which can then be edited or deleted.

Use the Eyedropper tool to sample colors

You can use the Eyedropper tool  to add colors from imported graphics to your document, or to apply them to objects in your document. This is useful for coordinating layout colors with images.

For best results with color separations, you may want to make sure that color names, types (such as spot and process), and models (such as RGB and CMYK) of the colors sampled in InDesign are consistent with the color definitions in the imported graphics. If you’re not sure about the best settings to use, consult with your prepress service provider.

Work with spot-color channels in an Adobe Photoshop (PSD) file

When you place a native Photoshop file (PSD) or TIFF file in InDesign, any spot-color channels the imported file contains, appear in the Swatches panel as spot-color inks. You can select and apply these swatches to other objects in your document; to delete these swatches, however, you must first delete the placed file.

By default, if you import a file that has a spot-color channel with the same name as a spot color in your document, but with different color values, the color values in your document are retained. However, you can replace the color values in your document with the values of the color in the imported document. To do this:

  1. Open the Preferences dialog (Edit > Preferences > General).
  2. In the General section check the following option:
    Allow incoming spot color to replace existing swatch of same name
  3. Click OK.

Now, if you import a files that has a spot-color channel with the same name as a spot color in your document, you will be prompted with the following warning:

Work with colors from EPS or PDF files

When you place a PDF file, EPS graphic, or Adobe Illustrator (.AI) file, names of spot colors used in the graphic are added to the Swatches panel in your document, so that you can be aware that they can cause additional printing costs later, and also so that you can use the spot colors in your document.

If the graphic you are importing contains a spot color with the same name as a spot color in your document but different color values, the color values in the document are used.

Change an imported spot color to a process color

When you import an EPS, PSD, TIFF or PDF graphic containing a spot color (or a spot-color channel), InDesign adds the spot color name and definition to the Swatches panel. You can change an imported spot color swatch to a process color swatch. This provides flexibility for adapting colors—even those in imported graphics—to your current output requirements.

  1. In the Swatches panel, double-click the swatch you want to edit.
  2. In the Swatch Options dialog box, choose Process in the Color Type menu.
Note:

This changes the color type in the InDesign document only. To permanently change the color type of colors within a graphic, open the graphic in the program in which it was created, and then edit the color in that program.

 Adobe

Get help faster and easier

New user?

Adobe MAX 2024

Adobe MAX
The Creativity Conference

Oct 14–16 Miami Beach and online

Adobe MAX

The Creativity Conference

Oct 14–16 Miami Beach and online

Adobe MAX 2024

Adobe MAX
The Creativity Conference

Oct 14–16 Miami Beach and online

Adobe MAX

The Creativity Conference

Oct 14–16 Miami Beach and online