Open the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches).
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Format and style text
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Text styles
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- About kerning and tracking
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Text styles
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Language and proofing
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Arabic and Hebrew
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Chinese, Japanese, and Korean
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Glyphs, characters, and expressions
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- Save and manage find and replace queries
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Indexes and references
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Add graphics and media
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Add and edit graphics
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- Manage frames and objects
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Transform and arrange objects
- Move, scale, rotate, shear, and flip objects
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- Object transformation settings and options
- About anchored objects
- Transform anchored objects
- Create and position anchored objects
- Manage and update anchored objects
- Group and lock objects
- Create hidden and nonprinting objects
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- Manage object styles
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Add and edit graphics
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Add tables and data
- Create tables
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Interactive elements and forms
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Create lines and shapes
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Apply color
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Define and manage color assets
- Apply color to text, objects, and backgrounds
- Mix and define custom colors
- Organize and reuse color swatches
- Add and manage colors from CC libraries
- Sample colors from placed graphics
- Apply colors to grayscale images
- Find and replace colors
- Swatch types
- Create and define new swatches
- Modify and delete swatches
- Import and share swatch libraries
- Create and edit tints
- Create mixed ink swatches and groups
- Edit and convert mixed ink swatches
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Advanced color techniques
- Apply opacity and transparency effects
- Transparency effects options and settings
- Change transparency display settings
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- Create and name gradient swatches
- Modify and adjust gradients
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- Fix transparency flattener preview
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Define and manage color assets
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Collaborate and review
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Share and collaborate
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Edit with InCopy
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- Set user identification
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- Save managed layout changes
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Save, export, and publish
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Export to EPUB
- Export to EPUB
- EPUB export options in InDesign
- Accessibility features while exporting to EPUB
- Accessibility enhancements for indexes
- Adjust text resizing for accessibility
- Add ARIA role while exporting to EPUB
- Add ARIA labels to objects
- EPUB export support and limitations
- Create accessible glossaries
- Export to HTML and web
- Publish work online
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Print
- Page setup and printer marks
- Ink and color management
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Color output and separations
- About color separations
- Prepare documents for color separation
- Create color separations
- Save and print color separations
- Print gradients as separations
- About ink trapping
- Trap a document or a book
- Trap preset options
- Set the trap width for colors next to black
- Print a composite
- Use color management when printing
- Color output options
- Print objects on all color plates
- About overprinting
- Overprint strokes and fills
- Overprint paragraph and footnote rules
- Simulate spot ink overprinting
- Change the black overprint setting
- Preview color separations and ink coverage
- Preflight
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Automation and scripting
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App integrations
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Troubleshoot
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Launch and crash issues
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File and output issues
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Settings, interface, and feature issues
- Feature keyboard shortcuts don’t work
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- Pages panel scroll bar missing or UI elements disappear
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- Cloud collaboration and web issues
Modify and delete swatches
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to edit and remove swatches to keep colors consistent and the Swatches panel organized in Adobe InDesign.
Edit swatches to update colors across the document. Delete unused swatches to reduce clutter. Ensure no objects are selected when replacing deleted swatches.
Edit an existing swatch
Double-click the swatch you want to modify.
Adjust the color mode, values, or name.
To auto-name based on CMYK values, select Name with Color Value. Clear it to enter a custom name.
Select OK.
Note
This applies only when the Color Type is set to Process. If it's set to Spot, enter the name manually in the Swatch Name field.
Delete individual swatches
Open the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches).
Select one or more swatches.
Select the Delete icon. You cannot delete the None, Paper, Black, or Registration swatches. Remove placed graphics before deleting their spot colors.
Delete unused swatches
Open the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches).
Select the panel menu icon, then choose Select All Unused.
Select the Delete icon.
Duplicate swatches for color variations
Open the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches).
Select one or more swatches.
Select the panel menu icon, then choose Duplicate Swatch.
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