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Participant
May 13, 2016
Question

I Can't Edit/delete Spot color swatch

  • May 13, 2016
  • 4 replies
  • 31460 views

i set a spot color in swatches, now i can't edit or delete this swatch !

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Participant
May 14, 2019

OMG this last thing Preflight Profiles saved my day! Thanks a lot!

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 13, 2016

For help in finding the object that is using the Swatch, open Separations Preview from Window > Output. Change View to Separations. Hide all except the offending Pantone ink. Then see what remains visible in your document.

rob day
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 13, 2016

You can also use a preflight rule, which will return a list of page items and even find hidden instances. Like this where the placed spot color is transparent and not visible:

rob day
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 13, 2016

You can also set the swatch itself to process, which produces a better conversion than Ink Manager when the color is being spec'd as a tint. You still won't be able delete the color, but it will export or print as a process color.

Re: Ink Manager Bug/Problem?

Community Expert
May 13, 2016

If the swatch is part of an image, most likely a spot colour, like an illustrator or photoshop file, you won't be able to delete it from InDesign.

You will need to find the image and open it in the appropriate programme and convert that colour to cmyk.

OR in InDesign you can go to the Swatches Panel sub menu (top right) and go to ink manager and select "convert all spots to cmyk" - if your document isn't supposed to have spot colours.

And if none of this works, and you have a file that's slightly broken, which does happen, http://indesignsecrets.com/color-swatches-that-wont-delete.php

eliyah
Known Participant
December 6, 2017

Thanks, I had an Illustrator linked with the same pantones, so it didn't let deleting them