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Richard28460618lamq
Participating Frequently
March 3, 2025
Question

Trouble with 4-color black in Illustrator and InDesign

  • March 3, 2025
  • 6 replies
  • 979 views

I have an illustrator logo file that is just black and I am placing it in InDesign as an art file. I have set the ink color in Illustrator to 100% K with no C, M, or Y ink because there are fine lines and details that should not be produced with a 4-color black. The problem is that when I place the file in InDesign and produce a print-ready PDF, the file becomes a 4-color black and I can't figure out how stop it from changing to 4-color. The file gets flagged when I do a preflight check because of the fine lines with 4 colors. Does anyone have any insight on how to fix this? I never had this issue in the past so I'm assuming it's some kind of setting or new feature that changed during a recent update.

6 replies

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 23, 2025

Save the ICMYK llustrator file as AI or PDF/X-4 WITHOUT a color profile and place it in InDesign. It will hinder a conversion from CMYK to Lab to CMYK which causes the problem with any color policy setting. 

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    edwinac7220486
    Participating Frequently
    June 22, 2025

    Hello, I don't know if you're still having this problem, but I found an easy solution. I had the same baffling experience with a 100% black logo that was placing as a CMYK file in InDesign. I have never encountered this before, so it took me awhile to figure it out. Go to Edit > Assign Profile > check "Don't Color Manage This Document."  When it's placed in INDD, it places as a 100% black file. Separation preview confirms that it is 100%. Whew!

    Peter Spier
    Community Expert
    Peter SpierCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 3, 2025

    There is almost certainly a CMYK profile difference between th embedded profile and the working space in InDesign, and your color settings in InDesign appear to be set to convert incoming objects to the working profile rather than preserving numbers.

    As @Willi Adelberger says, saving in Illustrator without an embedded profile will guarantee that the numbers will be preserved and interpreted as being in the InDesign working space, but there will also be some color shifting and if your colors are critical you should be sure that your working space in Illustrator matches the working space in inDesign and that that matches the final output space.

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    Richard28460618lamqAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 3, 2025

    I have tried saving the .ai file with "Embed ICC profile" checked (US Web Coated SWOP) and with it unchecked and had the same result (i.e. the black converts to four colors in InDesign even though it is set to 100% K in Illustrator). Am I missing something?

    Peter Spier
    Community Expert
    Peter SpierCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 3, 2025

    And the transparency blend sapce is set to CMYK, not RGB, right?

    Sounds like we should see the files...

    Willi Adelberger
    Community Expert
    Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 3, 2025

    Save the Illustrator file as ai without color profile and use that. Avoid EPS in modern times. 

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    Richard28460618lamqAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 3, 2025

    The .ai file is what I have been working with. I just did the pdf and the eps to see if I had the same issue with them as I did with the .ai file (and I did).

     

    Willi Adelberger
    Community Expert
    Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 5, 2025

    Never use EPS. In the Color policy ignore profile in CMYK files.

    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 3, 2025

    Let's definitely use .AI native Illustrator filetypes here. EPS nevermore, quoth the raven.

    In Illustrator, is the color mode CMYK? 

    In Illustrator, is the 100% black Swatch being used?

    In InDesign > Preferences > General > When Placing or Pasting Content > ... what is that switch set to? Allow or don't allow?

    Mike Witherell
    R
    Richard28460618lamqAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 3, 2025

    Illustrator color mode is CMYK. 100% black swatch is being used.
    None of the boxes in the "when placing or pasting content" are checked.

     

    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 3, 2025

    Is your InDesign document setup to be CMYK? (Edit > Transparency Blend Space > CMYK)?

    What is your recipe for exporting to PDF?

    Mike Witherell
      R
      Richard28460618lamqAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      March 3, 2025

      Yes, color settings are set to Document CMYK and the document color profile is set to US Web Coated SWOP. I am exporting using a set of presets provided by our printer that I have been using for years (the color settings are set to "no color conversion" and "don't include profiles"). There are other black objects in the document that are remaining 100% K but the .ai file for the logo always converts to 4-color black in the PDF.

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      Richard28460618lamqAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      March 3, 2025

      It appears that the problem may be in illustrator, as when I export the logo to an eps or a pdf the black somehow converts to 4-color even though the color settings are set to US Web Coated SWOP. This is a new issue to me as I have created black and white artwork in illustrator in that past without encountering this issue.

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