CC Library Colour Swatches Breaking

[Janae2749484993du]

My team and I are having a problem with our shared CC Library repeatedly breaking our colour swatches. We have them saved as Spot colours and they are supposed to be added to the file in use once they are being used. After a short amount of time, they are changing to process colours and are no longer being added to the swatch panel. We have been trying to fix the swatches in the library but they keep breaking, even within the same day/hour. Wondering if there's a way to fix this. 

[Monika Gause]

So this works for a little while and then doesn't?

Can you please tell us step by step what's happening? also: which version of Creative Cloud and Illustrator are you using?

[Janae2749484993du]

We are using versions 27.0-27.1. This has also been happening for some time now but has gotten worse over the last week or so. For some of us it lasts longer but sometimes a swatch will need to be fixed multiple times in a day. 

We make our colour swatches as usual (CMYK and spot) and add them to our shared CC Library by check-marking the library at the bottom when creating a new swatch. After some time they change to process colours and no longer auomatically add a swatch to the file's swatch panel. We require spot colours for our print team who also share the library. 

[Ton Frederiks]

As far as I  have experienced, the only reliable way to exchange colors using CC libraries is to drag a filled object (or multiple objects) with a spot or global color to the CC library and Alt drag them into files when needed.

[Ton Frederiks]

More about this here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/319...

and: https://creativecloudassets.uservoice.com/forums/905281-report-bugs/suggestions/35562232-colors-are...

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

Are these Pantone spot colors?

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/pantone-plus.html

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

I am able to reproduce the problems, but it happens with specific steps, sometimes a simple click, other times first a rectangle selected. What makes it difficult to reproduce again is the destruction of the color that happens in the library, you need to add a fresh created swatch again to make it reproducible again.

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).

Create a new CMYK file.

Draw a rectangle.

Click the Spot color in the CC library.

No color added to Swatches, color fill  becomes Process.

After that the color in the Library has permanently changed.

Spots added from Illustrator show CMYK values in CC Library.

Spots added from InDesign show Lab values in CC Library (and become added to swatches as 100% magenta process color when double clicked in Illustrator).

Double click a Global CMYK Swatch in the Library.

Color gets added to the swatches as a 100% Magenta Spot color.

I have added a video to Uservoice:

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/assets/238147915/CC%20LIB%20COLORS%20PROBLEMS.mp4

[Ton Frederiks]

Fixed the link to the movie above.

[Janae2749484993du]

Ok We will try that out. Thank you! 

[Ton Frederiks]

The best thing to keep your spot/global colors (and other swatches) is to use objects in CC libraries.

Global colors, gradients, brushes and pattern swatches are not 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 colors together into a CC library to simulate a library.

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.

[dan_4332]

Oh wow I just posted a new comment on what appears to be this same issue.  Years have gone by and Adobe seemingly haven't even fixed this yet?   

Perhaps any production faults from their software failure should be credited  the users subscriptions, they might work faster on their premium priced product then. 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @dan_4332,

Sorry for the delayed response. Our product team has tried fixing this in the latest release of Illustrator 28.7.1. Would you mind confirming the version of Illustrator installed and a screen recording of the problem, if it still occurs, so we can check it with them?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Ton Frederiks]

Hello @Anubhav M  I am using the 28.7.1 version, but cannot see any change for the better.

I have not seen any mention of a fix in the various prerelese/beta discussions. What has exactly fixed?

The screen recording I posted to UserVoice still shows exactly what the problems are:

I have added a video to Uservoice:

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/assets/238147915/CC%20LIB%20COLORS%20PROBLEMS.mp4