Color inconsistency when copying from Illustrator to InDesign

[ori manor]

Hi

When trying to copy an object using simple Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V from Illustrator to Indesign, I get different colors. I mean, they are very similar but only less saturated.

I saw in another thread here people talking about the color profiles, but I checked and double checked and the color profiles in both apps are the same, and all other settings.

And, I don't want to use the import option, cuz it's more of a hussle.

This is really annoying.

BTW: when copying back from Indesign to Illustrator (or even PS) the original colors are back again.

[rob day]

Looks like your AI file‘s document color mode is RGB and there might be transparency in the object. If you want the InDesign preview to be RGB set your Transparency Blend Space to RGB and turn off Overprint Preview.

Also, the application’s Color Settings do not necessarily color manage existing documents. Check Edit>Assign Profiles in both AI and ID and make sure the assigned profiles match. And if you are working on a print document, the color will eventually get converted to the destination CMYK space, so you will need to turn on Overprint preview to see the output color.

[Bill Silbert]

Try going into Illustrator preferences and if "AICB (no transparency support)" is checked, uncheck it.

[ori manor]

Thanks, I tried, but it didn't help

[Eugene Tyson]

On screen doesn't mean diddly squat.

How does it output? 

And how are your profiles applied. If you are just changing the profile that won't work - you need to assign the profile. 

[ori manor]

As you can see below, on both apps, the assigned profile is the same. But the result on screen is different

[Randy Hagan]

You may want to try inserting the Illustrator graphic into your document by using the File>Place... menu command and see if that makes a difference.

Actually, you may want to always do that. It's the preferred way to put Illustrator files into InDesign, and precludes a number of issues like the one you are currently experiencing.

You may also choose to lighten up on your Illustrator and InDesign interfaces. I find the default dark settings for their desktop exaggerates brightness, and scaling back to the lightest interfaces helps a lot with interpreting color between applications.

Hope this helps,

Randy

[rob day · Accepted solution]

The RGB colors placed when the Transparency Blend Space is RGB:

With the blend space set to CMYK:

The blend space set to RGB, but with Overprint Preview turned on:  

[ori manor]

Thank you

This indeed explains why I see RGB object dull in Indesign, but still, when I copy and paste fro AI, the object still looks like CMYK

[rob day]

Is the illustrator gradient made with process or spot colors (ie Pantone)?

[rob day]

Can you share the AI file

[ori manor]

There are only 2 colors and both are plain RGB

Here is a link to the file:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/joshe1c8yr59sp1/Color%20Problem.ai?dl=0

[rob day]

Everything is working as expected for me. Here I’ve cut and pasted, added a transparent object to invoke the document’s Transparency Blend Space, set the blend space to RGB

Switching to a CMYK blend space or turning on Overprint/Separation Preview:

[ori manor]

Don't know my friend. I did as you did, but got the same result I always get:

am I missing somthing?

[rob day]

Try Placing.

[ori manor]

Well, with placing it looks OK, but than it's not editable, and the workflow is a bit more complex.

I wanted to avoid that

[Jens Trost]

Check your InDesign preferences, see if the checkbox "Prefere PDF when Pasting" is set / as in this screenshot:

If it is set, then the colors look right, but then you get a "pasted graphic", which you can't no longer edit in InDesign. The first ("graphic frame") is editable but has the wrong colors.

I'm not sure what you need to change to make it work.

[rob day]

Not all vector objects can make the transition to InDesign. If I setup my Clipboard prefs to copy vectors, the paths get pasted but the RGB gradient doesn’t get translated:

A solid fill color will:

[ori manor]

Indeed, this is strange. 

Why does gradients behave differently?

So What I did is to copy two solid objects, one with each color of the gradient, and than rebuild the gradient in ID with the swatches. Kind of lame workflow, but it worked.

[rob day]

Does it happen if you Place the file? You’ll need to resave the AI file and check Create PDF Compatible File. I’m on OSX where the clipboard is PDF and cut and paste is more reliable.

[rob day]

I just remembered theis has come up before Illustrator RGB Gradient swatches will not copy and paste with vectors, but if the AI doc is CMYK a gradient swatch will transfer.

[Jens Trost]

It is possible to convert the gradient into a gradient grid (or mesh?) (Object -> Convert -> Gradient grid, if I translated correctly), that dissects the gradient into separate objects and then they are still editable in InDesign and have the correct color.

You can probably clean that up a bit, but that solution would be somewhat messed up and not sure I wouldn't recommend it...

[Vivacious_realist5D91]

Open the file in Illustrator, export the swatches as an ASE file, load in InDesign from swatches panel menu (load swatches). In your AI Swatch Pallet, you have the option to Save Swatch library as ASE. The ASE file can then be imported into the InDesign Swatch Pallet (Load Swatches).

[andrewt96546108]

Upon saving I had 'Include CMYK PostScript in RGB Files' checked in the EPS options. Turned this off and now my colours look how they should in InDesign.