Problem with spot swatch merges and convert to process

[Vernox]

Starting to see files with spot ink swatch issues.

Issue one is trying to merge two spot swatches simple changes the spot ink swatch you are trying to merge to the same name, leaving two instances of the spot ink in the swatch panel.

Example: try to merge PMS 7499 with PMS 7479 leaves two swatches of 7499

Issue two is when you attempt to delete a spot ink swatch, the swatch remains but has no colour definition (displays the blank box with a red line icon)

Issue three is trying to convert a spot ink to either a global process swatch or just a plain process swatch simply fails.

Copying the artwork to a new file seems to solve the problem but it's not an ideal solution for jobs with multiple artboards of different sizes.

Yours

Vern

[Monika Gause]

Can you please share a demo document that contains the problem swatches?

[Vernox]

It's a customer file so not really. I'll try deleting the art and saving a copy and see if the problem persists, if so I can send that. I started seeing this about a week ago, on a different project. That time this seemed to clear up after a restart, but it was only issue two. 

Yours
Vern

[Vernox]

I've gotten rid of most of the art and the customer says it's OK to post what remains. Worked out well because it seemed to narrow things down to one text box causing the issue, the one on artboard 7. The file that this happened to last week was for the same customer.

Yours
Vern

[Vernox]

New problem, or maybe the same one. I can't post the file, it discards it as the file type not matching the extension.

It's a .ai, but claims it should be a .ps

Yours

Vern

[Vernox]

• The attachment's megabone flow wrap 2024 final copy.ai content type (application/postscript) does not match its file extension and has been removed.

That's the error message.

[Vernox]

Manually adding .ps to the filename didn't help. Can I email it to you?

Yours

Vern

[Ton Frederiks]

PDF files can be attached here, .ai files unfortunately not.

[Freddy36965474ozi3]

For Problem 1:

It sounds like you're encountering an issue when merging spot swatches in Adobe Illustrator. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you merge spot swatches properly:

1.Open Swatches Panel: Go to Window > Swatches to open the Swatches panel if it's not already open.

2. Select Swatches: Click on the swatch you want to merge into another swatch. In your case, select PMS 7499.

3. Merge Swatches: Hold down the Shift key and click on the swatch you want to merge into. This should select both swatches.

4. Merge Options: With both swatches selected, click on the Swatch Options icon (three horizontal lines) at the top-right corner of the Swatches panel.

5. Merge Swatches: In the Swatch Options menu, select "Merge Swatches." This should merge the selected swatches into a single swatch while retaining the name of the swatch you clicked on last (in this case, PMS 7479).

By following these steps, you should be able to merge two spot swatches properly without leaving duplicate instances. If you continue to encounter issues, please let me know, and I'll do my best to assist you further!

For Issue 2:

If you're experiencing difficulty deleting a spot ink swatch in Adobe Illustrator and it remains with no color definition, here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

1. Select Swatch: Click on the spot ink swatch you want to delete in the Swatches panel.

2. Delete Swatch:Press the Delete key on your keyboard or click on the Trash icon at the bottom of the Swatches panel to delete the selected swatch.

3. Check Appearance: After deleting the swatch, check if it's still visible in your artwork. If it is, select any objects using that swatch and change their fill or stroke color to another swatch or color.

4. Empty Swatch: If the spot ink swatch remains in the Swatches panel with no color definition (displaying a blank box with a red line icon), it may be an empty swatch reference. To remove it completely:

- Right-click (or Control-click) on the swatch.
- Choose "Delete Swatch" from the context menu.
- Alternatively, select the swatch and click on the Trash icon at the bottom of the Swatches panel.

5. Save and Reopen Document: If the issue persists, try saving your document and closing Adobe Illustrator. Then reopen the document to see if the empty swatch has been removed.

6. Reset Preferences: If none of the above steps work, you can try resetting Adobe Illustrator's preferences to default. To do this, hold down Shift + Option + Command (Mac) or Shift + Alt + Control (Windows) while launching Illustrator. A dialog box will appear asking if you want to delete the Adobe Illustrator settings folder. Click "Yes" to confirm, and Illustrator will reset to its default settings.

By following these steps, you should be able to delete the spot ink swatch successfully. 

Issue 3:

If you're encountering difficulties converting a spot ink swatch to a global process swatch or a plain process swatch in Adobe Illustrator, here's a troubleshooting guide to help resolve the issue:

1. Select Spot Ink Swatch:Click on the spot ink swatch you want to convert in the Swatches panel.

2. Convert to Process Swatch:

a. Global Process Swatch:
- With the spot ink swatch selected, click on the New Swatch icon at the bottom of the Swatches panel.
- In the New Swatch dialog box, ensure the "Color Type" is set to Process and check the "Global" option.
- Click OK to create the new global process swatch. The spot ink swatch should now be converted to a global process swatch.

b. Plain Process Swatch:
- With the spot ink swatch selected, click on the New Swatch icon at the bottom of the Swatches panel.
- In the New Swatch dialog box, ensure the "Color Type" is set to Process and uncheck the "Global" option.
- Click OK to create the new plain process swatch. The spot ink swatch should now be converted to a plain process swatch.

3. Check Appearance: After converting the spot ink swatch, verify that any objects using that swatch have updated accordingly. If necessary, adjust the fill or stroke color of these objects to reflect the changes.

4. Review Document: Go through your document to ensure that all instances of the spot ink swatch have been successfully converted to process swatches.

5. Save and Reopen Document: If the issue persists, try saving your document and closing Adobe Illustrator. Then reopen the document to see if the conversion has been retained.

6. Update Adobe Illustrator:Ensure that you are using the latest version of Adobe Illustrator. Sometimes, software updates include bug fixes and improvements that may resolve issues with swatch conversions.

7. Reset Preferences: If the problem persists, resetting Adobe Illustrator's preferences to default may help. Refer to the previous response for instructions on how to reset preferences.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully convert a spot ink swatch to either a global process swatch or a plain process swatch in Adobe Illustrator. 

Yours 

Freddy

[Vernox]

Thanks Freddy, but sadly only issue 2 got any relief.

The Issue 1 procedure is the one I always use, but without success on this file.

For Issue 2, once I have the empty swatch after the initial attempt to remove the swatch fails, the trash can is not available with the swatch selected, and right clicking the swatch doesn't bring up a menu. However, closing and reopening the file does remove the empty swatch.

The issue 3 procedures are also the ones I used without success. And steps 5, 6 & 7 don't resolve the issue.

It does seem to be a problem with a particular text block in this file, either malformed in some way that freaks AI out or exposing a bug in AI.

Yours
Vern

[Freddy36965474ozi3]

Ok, let me check into this furthur and will let you know soon.

Freddy

[Monika Gause]

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@Freddy36965474ozi3  schrieb:

5. Merge Swatches: In the Swatch Options menu, select "Merge Swatches." This should merge the selected swatches into a single swatch while retaining the name of the swatch you clicked on last (in this case, PMS 7479).

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Illustrator keeps the swatch that you clicked first. Not the last one.

[Vernox]

Freddy, I've saved the file with the problem, so I can send it to you if you want.

Monica, good to clarify that but the order error isn't part of the puzzle.

Yours

Vern

Yours

Vern

[Monika Gause]

Just change the file extension to .PDF and upload it to the forum as has already been offered days ago.

[Monika Gause]

There are a gazillion of PSD files linked in your AI file. If those PSD files contain the spot colors, then you can't delete the swatches in Illustrator.

[Vernox]

The psd images are all grayscale. Here's the file without the psd.

Perhaps I should mention my first copy of Illustrator was Illustrator 88 and I've been using the app daily for 35 years.

Yours
Vern

[Monika Gause]

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@Vernox  schrieb:

Perhaps I should mention my first copy of Illustrator was Illustrator 88 and I've been using the app daily for 35 years.

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Congratulations, that's about how long I have been into vector graphics. Perhaps I should mention that I have no chance to deduct that from what you wrote here. 

[Vernox]

Of course, that's why I mentioned it so you don't have to consider the amatuer user solutions. Sorry I managed to make it sound snarky, it's early here and I haven't had enough coffee.

Yours
Vern

[Monika Gause]

I have tried out that file and it does the same error to me.

I have copied objects that have those swatches assigned to a new document and then trioed again and it didn't do that error. I would assume that the file is somewhat corrupt. I would select all the objects and copy them to a new file.

[Vernox]

I only wish I could remember what file did it to me last week, it would be interesting to see if it was also a block of text causing the problem there. Last night I went though all the foul versions of this file, and the error seems to have shown up about three versions back. It may have started with a round of setting margins & tabs, as that's the only text related item in the change log for those versions.

Yours
Vern