Paste without duplicate color swatches transferring over in InDesign

[jmcaleese]

I am looking for a solution for when you paste content from other documents, to allow the duplicate color swatches to not transfer over creating a messy swatch panel. It seems that even though I have the color in the document, it will add a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. version of the same color. I would like to just paste information without having all of the duplicate colors copying over. Is this possible?

Thanks!

[Srishti Bali]

Hi Jim,

Sorry to hear about this. I tried the same thing at my end but I was unable to replicate this issue. Would you mind sharing the exact workflow?

In addition to this, I would also suggest you to reset preferences for InDesign: Set preferences in Adobe InDesign

Regards,

Srishti

[jmcaleese]

Well, I am copying from someone else's document, so I really don't know why this is happening. It's hard to tell and it's probably from their funky file.  I tried to recreate this from a document from scratch and it doesn't happen.  I don't know if it's something they have going on in their settings or what. #Frustrating

[rob day]

Have you checked the swatch color definitions?

Here the doc on the right has a swatch named Red that is defined as CMYK 0|100|100|0

The doc on the left also has a swatch named Red, but it is defined as CMYK 0|100|60|0

If I copy the Red frame from the right doc to the left doc, a new swatch Red 2 is made because of the definition mismatch:

[jmcaleese]

I'm not able to recreate it now.  I know what you're saying with the color definitions. I always leave my values as numbers. I just don't understand how pasting from one document can create that many versions... I would have version 1- 18 at times. Mind you, I am working with people who aren't designers so when the get into this program their files are a mess anyway.

I'm going to have to look into this when it happens again with another project.

[rob day]

I would have version 1- 18 at times.

If the color modes don't match that would happen. Are these Pantone Colors?

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

jmcaleese  wrote

… I always leave my values as numbers. I just don't understand how pasting from one document can create that many versions...

Hi jmcaleese ,

in case the color definitions are no integers and the values for names are rounded you will see additional swatches if the not rounded numbers are not exactly the same. So check for the exact values, not only exact names.

Example source document with a swatch named automatically C=0 M=100 Y=100 K=0:

If the selected rectangle would be copied and pasted to the following target document where a swatch with the same automatic name, but a slightly different definition exists:

You'll get the result below:

Regards,
Uwe

[Bill Silbert]

Are the colors you're using PANTONE colors taken from the same color libraries? Are the color settings used for each document the same (Edit>Color Settings...)? If the colors are ones that you've created have you checked to see if their CMYK or RGB breakdowns are identical?

[rob day]

As Bill suggests if colors in two different docs are named the same, but have different color definitions the color gets duplicated with an appended name when you paste.

If you are using OSX this AppleScript will paste and prevent the duplication. The incoming color is defined with the destination document's color:

(* 
Rob Day 2015-2018 
When pasting an object with a conflicting color swatch changes the incoming swatch to match the document swatch
*)
tell application "Adobe InDesign CC 2018"
    --get the list of document swatches before the paste
    set currentColors to name of every swatch of active document
    paste
    tell active document
        --get a new list which would include duplicates
        set newColors to name of every swatch
        --find the duplicates and merge with the original
        repeat with i from 1 to number of items in newColors
            set c to item i of newColors
            --the duplicate has a space + 2 added to its name so get its name minus 2 characters
            if c is not in currentColors then
                set mergename to characters 1 thru ((count of characters of c) - 2) of c as string
                --merge with the original swatch
                try
                    merge swatch mergename with swatch c
                end try
            end if
        end repeat
    end tell
end tell

[crystelleb88524938]

I'm having this same issue. At the company I work at, we use templates for proposals but recently changed the value of two of our brand colors and frequently we copy/paste from old documents and the old color (with the same name but different values) come in as separate swatches. See attached file. Is there any way to bring colors in and have them automatically default to the colors in the main file without adding all of the separate swatches? I'm on a PC by the way. Thanks in advance for any help!

[Pu Koh]

I seem to recall this is a setting that you decide on when you first install indesign.

I can't find where to change this setting after the fact tho.

[Laubender]

Hi,

don't think there is a setting for this.

Whereas I'd like to know what you exactly mean by "this".

Regards,
Uwe

[cyclopsdx]

I have this exact same problem. I am copying objects with assigned colours, e.g., "Grey_Light" from a client's brand guidelines and adding them to a new artwork project I have created and each time I am doing so the numbering is increasing, i.e., "Grey_Light 1", "Grey_Light 2", "Grey_Light 3", etc. All objects and text are process colours, not spot.

Additionally, I'm finding that some black tints (30%, 60%, 90%, etc.) with the naming convention are converting to full CMYK breakdown, not just Black.

If it isn't custom named and has a CMYK colour value, it isn't a problem.