Illustrator 2024/2025 shows Pantone swatches RGB instead of LAB color mode

[sincere_intuition15B9]

When utilizing Pantone swatches (from my created CC Library or directly from Pantone Connect) they appear as RGB color mode in the swatch palette of my document rather than LAB. My Illustrator document color profile is set to CMYK. I do not have this problem in Indesign. Indesign preserves the LAB color mode on these same swatches. Can I fix this and how?

[Anubhav M]

Hello @reginam69670027,

Thanks for reaching out. Would you mind trying to recreate the swatch or create a new one for testing and then trying to use it in your document to see if it helps?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Anubhav

[sincere_intuition15B9]

What I'd like to see is the Pantone swatch from the CC Library showing in the document swatch palette as LAB, this would match what I see when this same CC Library swatch is used in Indesign. On the left, the Pantone swatch applied is from the CC Library. This Pantone swatch is verified as having LAB color mode, I see this in Indesign. However, in the Illustrator document swatch palette it converts to RGB color mode. On the right, I have applied a new Pantone swatch directly from Pantone Connect. It does appear as LAB in the document swatch palette, but when added to the CC Library it converts to CMYK color mode in Illustrator and Indesign. 

[Ton Frederiks]

Don't add a swatch to a CC library, it is not color managed and spot/global colors behave unpredictable.

If you want to keep the properties of a color, fill an object with it and add the object to the library.

Spot colors, Global colors, Pattern swatches, Gradients and Brushes are not very well 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/spot colors together into a CC library to simulate a library. Text objects must be grouped before adding them as graphics.

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.

[sincere_intuition15B9]

Thank you. I will test this out but generally this might not be a good solution for a large design team that needs consistent, uncomplicated resources.

[Ton Frederiks]

Sure, it is a workaround. Color seems to be a stepchild in CC libraries, swatches added are not color managed, spot colors can become magenta, and have many more problems. 

Some examples here: https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/31943515-global...