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1tice2001
Known Participant
April 15, 2009
Answered

RE: How to identify a Pantone color

  • April 15, 2009
  • 4 replies
  • 51060 views

I have a client who sent me an Illustrator file with a message that told me it's some kind of Pantone color, but he didn't know which. Is there a way in Illustrator (CS4) to sample the color and have Illustrator search out the color library and then find and reveal the exact Pantone color?


Probably a no brainer, but for some reason I can't figure it out.

Thanks,

Tice

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Mylenium

    I don't think so. If the swatches have not been properly embedded and the colors converted, there is no way to exactly determine what Pantone color they were. The only way to somewhat guess the color is to use the Color Guide in CS3/ CS4. When you sample the color and then load a color book, it will match the colors in the palette to the ones in the book. Still, I rarely do print stuff, so someone may have an better idea. I also guess, since you get a warning, it could be merely a mismatch of your color profile and print settings, not something with the color itself.

    Mylenium

    4 replies

    A
    Anonymous
    April 15, 2009

    I picked up this method from a Wade Zimmerman post in April 08.

    (Of course this only gives you the closest possible match if there is not an exact one).

    In Illustrator CS3 select the objects you want to get the nearest spot color match.

    Then go to Edit > Edit Color > Recolor Art. In the center bottom right of the color
    sliders there is a swatch icon you can select any swatch library you have in the
    swatches folder including color books for say Pantone.

    That will do it. You can save it as a group or can have it recolor the art or both.

    Mylenium
    Mylenium
    Legend
    April 15, 2009

    Tom Usrey wrote:

    In Illustrator CS3 select the objects you want to get the nearest spot color match.

    Then go to Edit > Edit Color > Recolor Art

    Yepp, what I said (in less simple and elegant words) ;-)

    Mylenium

    H
    Harron_K_Appleman
    Inspiring
    April 15, 2009

    (Nobody reads post #1.)

    Steve Fairbairn
    Steve Fairbairn
    Inspiring
    April 15, 2009

    If there is no trace of a Pantone colour in your Illy file - no swatches or anything - your best bet is probably to have a Pantone Solid to Process guide at hand. If the colour is at full strength somewhere in your file, you should be able to find the nearest match in your guide. Use Select Same Fill (or Stroke) to select everything that has the same colour. Make a swatch of the CMYK colour, double-click on the swatch and convert it to a spot colour. Give it exactly the same Pantone name as in the guide and make sure that the CMYK readout corresponds exactly to the values in the guide. Check again that you have fished up everything that should be in the Pantone colour - if there's something that hasn't been converted to spot, use Select Same ... again and colour it by clicking on the Pantone swatch. This method is easier than having to scroll through swatch libraries in your computer.

    A
    Anonymous
    April 15, 2009

    Hello

    You may write values of picked color then open Photoshop then click on color square in tool palette to define color from Illustrator. Then click onto color libraries select PANTONE Solid coated (It may be selected) and Photoshop will pick the closest matching PANTONE to your picked color. But sometimes PS pick is not the best, comparing to printed values vs Pantone book. I'm highly recommending to confirm this pantone pick with the customer. I hope this help somehow.

    eRychu

      Mylenium
      MyleniumCorrect answer
      Legend
      April 15, 2009

      I don't think so. If the swatches have not been properly embedded and the colors converted, there is no way to exactly determine what Pantone color they were. The only way to somewhat guess the color is to use the Color Guide in CS3/ CS4. When you sample the color and then load a color book, it will match the colors in the palette to the ones in the book. Still, I rarely do print stuff, so someone may have an better idea. I also guess, since you get a warning, it could be merely a mismatch of your color profile and print settings, not something with the color itself.

      Mylenium

      1
      1tice2001Author
      Known Participant
      April 19, 2009

      Actually, since your reply was the closest to what I had eventually accepted as the truth, I'm choosing you to inform you of my discovery. There is indeed a way to identify Pantone colors in a document. Thanks to a Lynda.com video I came upon the answer the other day.

      Choose Document Info and click the flyout wheel to select spot color objects.

      This, at least, applies to CS4. Earlier versions may be different.

      M
      Mordy Golding
      Known Participant
      April 19, 2009

      For a video tutorial on how to do this, you might try reading this: http://rwillustrator.blogspot.com/2007/08/getting-pantone-support-with-kuler.html

      Mordy

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