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Roger Breton
Roger Breton
Legend
May 19, 2022
Answered

Color picker behavior is suspect?

  • May 19, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 408 views

I am having trouble with Illustrator Color picker behavior and Placed CMYK content from Photoshop?

Regardless of how I bring in CMYK content from Photoshop, pasted from the Clipboard or through the Import menu, Illustrator's Color picker seems unable to get the CMYK percentages values right?

 

Suppose I create a CMYK document in Photoshop, filled with only 100% Cyan, upon importing In Illustrator, the 100% Cyan becomes 74.1% Cyan and 23.15% Magenta. 

 

YET! When I save the Illustrator CMYK document with the placed CMYK content, and Import it in InDesign, under Separations Preview, I get the original 100% Cyan! Same thing in Photoshop, when opening the *.AI document in CMYK, I also get the original 100% Cyan.

 

I searched the Illustrator Color Picker documentation to no avail. I suspect Illustrator Color picked is "hard-coded" to RGB when the user clicks on *any* placed content, be it CMYK or RGB.

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Roger Breton

Well, Ton, I think you're on the right track... Embedded vs Linked results in different color readouts using the eyedropper...

2 replies

michelew83603738
Community Expert
michelew83603738Community Expert
Community Expert
May 19, 2022

Are you embedding or linking these images?

Roger Breton
Roger BretonAuthor
Legend
May 19, 2022

Well, I'll be damned? Tried importing "Linked" a CMYK image saved with "No ICC profile" embedded from Photoshop and the Color picker readouts was "correct"? e.g. 100% Cyan remained 100% Cyan?


I also (re)tried importing the same CMYK image saved, this time, with "Some ICC profile" embedded from Photoshop and, even though I got a warning upon importing *and* choosing to 'Preserve', the Color picker gave the correct values? 

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 19, 2022

I don't get the right CMYK values when placed as links, whatever color profile was (or was not) embedded in Photoshop.

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 19, 2022

Embed the image to get the right values.

When linked, Illustrator gets the values from the RGB preview. 

When embedded, Illustrator has access to the CMYK values.

    Roger Breton
    Roger BretonAuthorCorrect answer
    Legend
    May 19, 2022

    Well, Ton, I think you're on the right track... Embedded vs Linked results in different color readouts using the eyedropper...

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