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Laura26119766ldij
Laura26119766ldij
Inspiring
July 14, 2023
Answered

CC Library spot color bug

  • July 14, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 601 views

I am using Illustrator to create libraries for our brands and have encountered an issue with spot colors in the library. I created a CMYK document and added PMS spot colors to it. Then I added those to my library. However,  if you import those colors into a new CMYK document, they show as spots with CMYK values and not the book value like the original swatches I created them from. Is anyone else experiencing this? Is there a workaround or fix?

I'm on am M1 Max Mac with Ventura 13.4.1. 
Illustrator and CC are both fully up to date.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Ton Frederiks

Laura, 

Global colors, Spot colors, gradients, brushes and pattern swatches are not very well supported in CC libraries.

But as a workaround you can drag an object using a brush/pattern/gradient/global color to the CC Library 

You can also drag multiple items using different brushes/patterns/gradients/global/spot colors together into a CC library to simulate a library. Text objects must be grouped before adding them as graphics.

The easiest way to add them to a new document is to hold down the Alt key when you drag them from the library and place them in a new document. The patterns/gradients/global colors automatically get added to your swatches panel.

You can hit escape before you click to place the object(s) or delete the dragged library items because the swatches and brushes are now part of the document.

2 replies

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 14, 2023

I mentioned your problem in this Uservoice topic, you may want to add your vote:

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/31943515-global-process-colors-get-added-twice-when-added-f

In Illustrator.
Create a new CMYK file.
Create a spot color and add it to a CC library. Close the document

Create a new CMYK file.
Just Double click a Spot Swatch in the Library, click OK.
Color gets added to the swatches as Spot (although the Color Mode has become CMYK).

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Ton FrederiksCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 14, 2023

Laura, 

Global colors, Spot colors, gradients, brushes and pattern swatches are not very well supported in CC libraries.

But as a workaround you can drag an object using a brush/pattern/gradient/global color to the CC Library 

You can also drag multiple items using different brushes/patterns/gradients/global/spot colors together into a CC library to simulate a library. Text objects must be grouped before adding them as graphics.

The easiest way to add them to a new document is to hold down the Alt key when you drag them from the library and place them in a new document. The patterns/gradients/global colors automatically get added to your swatches panel.

You can hit escape before you click to place the object(s) or delete the dragged library items because the swatches and brushes are now part of the document.

    Laura26119766ldij
    Laura26119766ldijAuthor
    Inspiring
    July 18, 2023

    Unfortunately that's not really the process we want to have to deal with. I will definitely be making sure any logos in the library have the spot in them, but it would be real nice to also have a swatch palette that included spots to add from library to your document without having to add an object and then delete it. I guess if it can't be done there's nothing for it, but seems like a huge oversight to the library since Adobe is pushing users to add it to their workflows so hard.

    Ton Frederiks
    Community Expert
    Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 18, 2023

    I agree, it is not ideal, but that's where we are at the moment.

    The Uservoice topic I referred to is from 2017 and there has not happened very much since then.

    Every year at Adobe MAX there is someone on stage praising the Libraries and Brand consistency, but basic things like consistent colors are missing (simple colors are not even colormanaged) and are not fixed.

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