Keep Swatch names when pasting into Indesign from Illustrator

[trishaw19134217]

Hi all,

I have a few Illustrator files that have vector logos in them. They are a library for me - i go in, copy the logo, and paste the logo into Indesign. Think many different logos all on the same artboard, grouped so I can grab oen quick. I know you're supposed to "place individually" Illustrator files to Indesign, but I like having the Vectors in Indesign so I can invert the colors if needed.

My problem is I want to have a limited number of swatch colors in the Illustrator logo files because Indesign always complains when you have >25 spot colors.  So in my logo Illustrator file, I combine all the red logos to a single red swatch for example called "logo red". However, when I copy from Illustrator and paste a red logo into indesign, the red logo swatch is converted to a process name in indesign. If I use a spot color swatch, the name "logo red" is a spot color swatch in indesign. Good for the name of the swatch but bad for adding a spot color.

If I have the "logo red" swatch in Illustrator as a process color, I can copy the SVG to indesign without adding a spot color, but then the "logo red" name gets converted to CMYK values and i lose my swatch name.

Is there any way to copy a process color from Illustrator to Indesign and keep the custom name?

Please let me know if this doesnt make sense, thanks!

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

This is very odd and I'd love to know what the outcome of your documents are for 

Web? Print? Publish Online? What is it your trying to do exactly?

Because your workflow is so odd and not the usual way to do things.

This could be a limitation of SVGs

They don't support any other colour model other than sRGB.

So your pantone swatches are useless anyway.

Save your file as a .ai file first

Then try your copy paste.

Word of warning - you should never really copy and paste from Illustrator and InDesign.

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This is a very odd workflow.

You should make your logos in Illustrator the way you need them.

You should work in Tandem with Illustrator.

Save your logos properly.

Having 25 spot colours is a massive problem for printing in a professional setting.

That's why there is a limit.

If you don't need Spot Colours then why bother with them? 

And SVG is web format. 

I suggest strongly to reworking your workflow.

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So you want to keep the same name in Illustrator when you copy it from Illustrator to InDesign.

I'd use the Ink Manager.

For example - have Logo Red as a spot in InDesign.

When you paste from Illustrator it will keep that name.

The Ink Manager is your friend

Go to Window>Swatches

And the submenu of the panel find the Ink Manager at the bottom

Here you'll find your Logo Red swatch

Click the Icon on the left to make it CMYK

Or click the option for All Spots to Process

You can have hundreds of swatches as long as they are mapped to CMYK

[trishaw19134217]

Thanks for your help. 

Appreciate it!

[Willi Adelberger]

Use CC Libraries and save swatches there.

If you use InDesign for Print Workflows do not use SVG (they are good for epubs), use PDF/X-4 and AI.

If you want to import swatches, make them global in Illustrator.

[rob day]

My problem is I want to have a limited number of swatch colors in the Illustrator logo files because Indesign always complains when you have >25 spot colors.

Hi @trishaw19134217 , I agree with Eugene, it should be just a matter of setting All Spots To Process in the document’s Ink Manager.

This document has the entire Pantone Spot color Library as swatches (3000+ colors), and the color limit warning would only come up if I attempt to output all as Color: Separations. With Ink Manager set to All Spots To Process I don’t get the alert because there are only 4 plates.

[Eugene Tyson]

You implemented a far more comprehensive example than I did! 🙂