Why use swatches in indesign

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These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. These segments will have direction handles so you can change the direction of the segments. You can use Smart Guides to help you align segments, as you'll see in this article. To create a closed path, connect your last anchor point with the first anchor point. Remember, a straight line is an open path.

A circle is a closed path. So is a polygon. To do this, you're going to click to place the first anchor point, just as before, but now you're going to click and drag. Notice the handle in the snapshot below. Click on the Selection tool when you're finished to see your shape. Remember, just as with lines, segments are drawn from the previous to the new anchor point.

To create a closed path, connect the last point with the first. Let's say that you draw a segment on the wrong part of your artboard and you want to move it, or let's say that you need to move an anchor point.

If you move a segment, the anchor points move with it. However, if you move an anchor point, the segments connected to the anchor point change. If you move a curved segment, the curve will change, but the anchors remain the same. If you want to change a curved segment, you can do so by adjusting a direction point on the direction handle.

When you create a curve with the Pen tool, the curve segment that comes after the second anchor point will appear on the opposite side of the first curve segment. If you want the second curve segment to appear on the same side as the first, you need to convert the anchor point from a smooth point to a corner point. You use the Convert Direction Point tool to do this.

Paths can have two types of anchor points: smooth or corner. A smooth anchor point connects two curved segments and creates a smooth line. A corner anchor point connects two straight or curved segments to create a change in the path direction. To convert the point from a smooth point to a corner point, we go to the Convert Direction Point tool located in the Tools panel. It's grouped with the Pen tool. Click on the Pen tool and hold it down to see this tool.

It looks like this:. Drag a corner point if you want to create a smooth point with no handles. Click a smooth curve point to create a corner point without handles. Drag a handle of a smooth curve point and create a corner curve.

In InDesign, you can add, subtract, or delete anchor points to modify a path. You can also modify the points to conform to a shape. Let's show you what we mean, and how you can add and delete anchor points to modify paths and shapes. Now, go to Add Anchor Point in the toolbox. It's grouped with the Pen tool and looks like this:. Now, click the Direct Selection tool again, then click and drag on the path to add and modify the segment.

Show All Swatches displays all color, tint, and gradient swatches. Show Color Swatches displays only process color, spot color, mixed ink color, and tint swatches. Show Gradient Swatches displays only gradient swatches. Swatches can include spot or process colors, mixed inks process colors mixed with one or more spot colors , RGB, HSB, Lab colors, gradients, or tints.

When you place an image that contains spot colors, the colors are automatically added as swatches to the Swatches panel. You can apply these swatches to objects in your document, but you cannot redefine or delete the swatches. Before you create swatches, learn which settings are appropriate for your printer service provider.

If you chose Process as the color type and you want the name always to describe the color values, make sure that Name With Color Value is selected. If you chose Process as the color type and you want to name the color yourself, make sure that Name With Color Value is deselected, and type a Swatch Name. Drag the sliders to change the color values. You can also enter numeric values in the text boxes next to the color sliders. Click the New Swatch button and double-click the resulting new swatch.

The selected color or gradient appears in the Swatches panel and in the Fill box or Stroke box in the Toolbox, and is applied to the fill or stroke of all selected objects. While you can create colors using the Color panel or Color Picker, unnamed colors are more difficult to edit later and to use consistently.

Use the Add Unnamed Colors option to search for unnamed colors applied to objects within the document, and then add them to the Swatches panel. Duplicating swatches can be useful when you want to create a warmer or cooler variation of an existing color.

Note that duplicating a spot color results in an additional spot color printing plate. Select a swatch, and click the New Swatch button at the bottom of the panel. You can change individual attributes of a swatch by using the Swatch Options dialog box. Additional options are available when editing mixed ink swatches and mixed ink groups. This makes it easier to identify the composition of process colors.

By default, the name of a process color swatch automatically updates when you change its CMYK values; you can switch this option off or on for individual swatches as needed. As with any swatch you define, you can change the name of a process color swatch at any time. The new swatch is automatically renamed New Color Swatch this has a number following it if more than one New Color Swatch exists when this option is deselected.

You can change this name manually. You can sort swatches by name or by color values. You have the option to sort all swatches or selected swatches.

Sort by Name. Sort by Color Values. Swatches are sorted based on their color values. Then all swatches of a particular color mode are sorted based on color values. When you delete a swatch that has been applied to an object in the document, InDesign prompts you for a replacement swatch. You can designate an existing or unnamed swatch.

If you delete a swatch used as the basis of a tint or mixed ink, you are prompted to choose a replacement. You cannot delete spot colors that are used by placed graphics in the document. To delete these colors, you must first delete the graphic. However, in rare cases the spot color cannot be removed even though the graphic has been removed.

Then re-open that file in InDesign. To replace all instances of the swatch with another swatch, click Defined Swatch, and choose a swatch in the menu. When you import swatches or copy items from other documents, you may end up with duplicate swatches that may be applied to different objects. Use the Merge Swatches command to combine duplicate swatches. To use your color swatches in other files or to share them with other designers, you can save swatches in an Adobe Swatch Exchange.

You can share the solid swatches you create in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign by saving a swatch library for exchange. The colors appear exactly the same across applications as long as your color settings are synchronized. These types of swatches are automatically excluded when you save 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.

You can copy or drag a swatch or objects with a swatch applied from one document to another. Select the swatches you want to copy and drag them from the Swatches panel to the document window of another InDesign document.

Before using swatches from a color matching system, consult with your prepress service providers to determine which ones they support. InDesign installs color libraries for the color matching systems described below. You can install additional color libraries and load swatches from them in InDesign. Colors in this library are primarily used as spot colors in newspapers. Consists of 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. 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.

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 new solid colors to CMYK. Displayed in chromatic order in fan-guide format, it's easy to select colors and specify CMYK screen values. System Windows. System Mac OS. Toyo Color Finder. Includes colors based on the most common printing inks used in Japan.

Consult the color guide that illustrates printed samples of Toyo Ink. This color guide is available at print publishers and graphic arts supply stores.