Participant

Answered

Illustrator Changing CMYK Values

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
May 28, 2020
13 replies
26674 views

So I'm setting up artwork for t-shirt separations. I have to use absolute CMYK values to print the separartions accurately, i.e. 100% Black, 50% Yellow, 25% Cyan to match the halftones and color combinations I need to make out spot ink colors.

The issue I'm having is converting an object to my CMYK tones. It is a complex object, made with several layers and a gradient mesh. I set one color to 100% Cyan, and it changes to 69% Cyan and 14% Yellow the next time I check it. From 100%Magenta and 100% Black, it goes to 57, 75, 68, 82.

I am using the "Recolor Artwork" tool.

I have changed my Document Set Up to CMYK and have tried copying it into a completely new document already set to CMYK. Typing in the values or selecting them from the swatches has no effect.

Correct answer SundayGladiator

Wish I could upload here the 'THANK YOU!' gif of Steve Carell from The Office.

This finally worked. The key for me was to create a Spot Color of the CMYK values I needed.

The kludgyness and layers of AI's color profiles, workspaces, headspaces, et al was giving me a spatial headache.

S

S38937906kex3

Participating Frequently

the original cmyk i wanted to use was #19184A but when exported as pdf, it became #1B1849.

There is a difference in color; the picture in the upper one is a screenshot of a file open in Adobe Acrobat, and below is an Illustrator file.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

@S38937906kex3 schrieb:

the original cmyk i wanted to use was #19184A but when exported as pdf, it became #1B1849.

Your case is different from this thread.

HEX color is not suitable for CMYK

P

pc12345678

Participant

This works for me -- thank you!

D

defaultgyqoc6r3sih9

Participant

I didn't find a solution to the same problem in this thread (which might be because I didn't see it), but I found another forum that explained that it's all about the setting of the original document. It seems pretty simple, though it doesn't help fix the problem in the document you're woking in becasue it can't be fixed. But a way round it is to open a new a new document with CMYK set at the very start and then paste the content from the problematic document into the new CMYK document. Then re-spec the colours as CMYK (again), for example 60C. This time when you check, the colour will stll be 60C insteaed having changed to a combination of CMYK. This might be an issue when you're using a document as the basis of other docuemnst, i.e. 'save as' (as I do alot) as you simply take the settings of the original with you and you can't change them once set. https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/16512/how-to-prepare-a-design-for-cmyk

Monika Gause

Community Expert

@defaultgyqoc6r3sih9 schrieb:

though it doesn't help fix the problem in the document you're woking in becasue it can't be fixed.

So what makes you think that color in a document cannot be fixed?

Not talking about a corrupted document here, but color that cannot be fixed.

M

murrayb16928514

Participant

Just thought I'd share my issues on a similar subject too, when setting up a simple block object / icon with a shade of colour / grey, for example, C0 M0 Y0 K93, I would then re open the colour pallette to check the colour of the selected object and it would erratically change to something (cant remember the exact values) but the CMYK would all be different numbers. (Document is definitely set up in CMYK not RGB) I found that if i then change the object to something like C0 M0 Y0 K100, then back to C0 M0 Y0 K93, it would then hold its true value of the 93K. Very strange, must be a glitch in Illustrator! Thought I would share for anyone else experiencing same issues.

E

Eric1674

Participant

I'm having this issue and can't get a solution. I've been using illustrator since 88...

Monika Gause

Community Expert

I'm having this issue and can't get a solution. I've been using illustrator since 88...

By @Eric1674

Please describe your issue. This is a long thread and there might be several issues described in it. Also: which version and which system are you using.

P

Patrick254550003j57

Participant

Was having same problem... however, when editing colors in this area, they worked and stopped converting.

S

SundayGladiatorCorrect answer

Legend

Wish I could upload here the 'THANK YOU!' gif of Steve Carell from The Office.

This finally worked. The key for me was to create a Spot Color of the CMYK values I needed.

The kludgyness and layers of AI's color profiles, workspaces, headspaces, et al was giving me a spatial headache.

L

Lori229839202zfw

Participant

File > Document Colour Mode > CMYK

M

mowglivj

Inspiring

posting "clever" things without even reading what the problem is is NOT helpful

L

Lori229839202zfw

Participant

I did read the problem which I am having myself on a document exported from a RGB application and in prep for colour separations I check the cmyk values and tweak them but they were changing. Then I remembered that I had to File > Document Colour Mode > and change it from RGB to CMYK. I am sorry you took offense but it works and I thought I would share.

M

mowglivj

Inspiring

Anyone found a solution to this?

It is beyond annoying and potentially a work wrecker as the CMYK changes are not obvious on-screen, making it very likely that the wrong colours go to print.

How "professional" software is allowed to see the light of day with this kind of issues is beyond me.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

How "professional" software is allowed to see the light of day with this kind of issues is beyond me.

By @mowglivj

We still don't know what exactly the thread opener did to get into this mess.

If color values are chaning for you, please tell us what is happening step by step and how your color management is set up. Most likely your issue is caused by not properly setup and handling of color management.

J

JasonCamp

Participant

I am having the same problem with my cmyk color changing. I am not a seasoned professional. I use adobi just to get printing on glass. I need the simple easy fix for this. This is the first time this has happened and as a result it is holding up production. What is the fix for this. I don't get into a lot of details with Adobi, I just need it to work. What is the fix.

Thanks.

J

jamest60415100

Participant

Hey Scott are you still having this problem? I am wondering if you found a solution?

J

Julie5E14

Known Participant

Same. I'm having the same issues myself. I have CYMK and RBG swatches saved but they always change when I reopen Illustrator. Very frustrating and it's making me start to question the point of these swatches if they aren't securing the proper codes. I don't have this issue in Photoshop.

Met1

Legend

"I have CYMK and RBG swatches saved"

In the same document?

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

scottsbluffs,

What happens if you choose Emulate Adobe Illustrator 6.0 in the Color Settings>Settings dropdown, instead of North American General Purpose 2?

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Choosing "Emulate Illustrator 6" isn't a solution.

If the values keep changing after opening the file, then it's caused by bad settings in color management. But in those settings (as in screenshot above) I can't see why that conversion should happen. The Secure CMYK workflow is already turned on and profiles get ignored.

It might be an error with the file or maybe Illustrator is not working correctly.

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