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!

[jnliao77@CBRE]

I would not be allowed to share a file from work on the open internet. sorry. if it were private, on-the-side work of mine, sure! but not my employer.'s

[rob day]

So you can’t create a new file that replicates the problem?

[jnliao77@CBRE]

I haven't tried that yet but if I'm honest, the company works off of these existing templates and they're the ones with the issue. Since I can't share the files though, it limits what feedback I can get. Just surprised no one else has experienced anything similar as the redundant replicating swatch bug has been an issue for many of my coworkers.

[rob day]

as the redundant replicating swatch bug has been an issue for many of my coworkers.

You could file a bug report, but for Adobe to look at it you would need to provide the steps to replicate it an an example file.

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs

[cyclopsdx]

I experience this problem as well. It only appears to be on one specific set of templates supplied by the client. Unfortunately I am in the same position regarding sharing the project files as they are confidential and I am expressly forbidden to forward them on. See my attachment of my swatch palette - wherever you see 'FIXED' and 'TBD_TBC' and a number after each, they are duplicate swatches and they all have the same colour values.

[rob day]

It will not be seen as a bug until someone can provide an example file and steps to reproduce.

[jnliao77@CBRE]

I don't dispute this. The sad truth is that IF we knew how we had spawned this bug, we would have avoided it. If we later discovered how it came about, we could rebuild our templates to avoid it, but we know neither.

And now, the glitch itself happens with some regularity but I'm not sure what triggers it. It just happens. I have  file right now where I can 100% trigger the glitch with certain swatches but I still cannot figure out a pattern. Even if I were to send to Adobe this file, they would likely see it happen but not be able to tell us how to remove it if its been embedded in the template.

BUT thank you cyclopsdx. FInally someone out there who feels my pain (and by the look of your swatches panel, its even worse for you then me!)

[rob day]

Even if I were to send to Adobe this file, they would likely see it happen but not be able to tell us how to remove it if its been embedded in the template.

How do you know that?

[jnliao77@CBRE]

I don't. it's a guess. Feels like we'd be asking them to figure out how to solve an issue they're unaware of and also don't know how it started. I suspect it would take them time to solve it, not an immediate fix.

Even if they examined the file, removed the glitch and and sent a file back; such a fix may not prevent it from happening again. Like if you keep bandaging a blister so it heals... but don't stop what's causing the blister. 

Anyway, just a guess. Do any actual Adobe employees ever motion these forums and help out? any one we could tag?

[rob day]

Do any actual Adobe employees ever motion these forums and help out?

The only way to get a "bug" looked at is here:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs

[Mike Witherell]

Just wild guessing, but, what effect does turning these Preferences off or on have on the document?

1. Preferences > General > When Placing or Pasting Content > Allow Incoming Spot Color to Replace Existing Swatch of Same Name

2. Preferences > Clipboard Handling > Clipboard > Prefer PDF When Pasting as well as Copy PDF to Clipboard (maybe turn both off as a test?)

And further:

3. Did any object content that is exhibiting this behavior get copy n pasted from Illustrator originally?

4. And in the case of the user who was working with templates as originating file: Did the user begin by first Save-As to an InDesign document?

5. And in the case of the user who was working with swatches in sub-folders: Does the problem persist if the Swatch is not in a grouped subfolder?

6. What color model was the template versus the color model of the working file?

These are all just troubleshooting guesses, of course. I don't believe I have ever seen this happen in projects I have operated, so I am just asking rough ideas.

[jnliao77@CBRE]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your reply. I'll have to try #1 and #2 and let you know how it goes.

3 and 4 feel irrelevant as this template was built from scratch within InDD (I should know, I made it). I created all the swatches and styles and built them out organically. the file started out as RGB but I later made a CMYK version by converting the RGB file's profile and all swatch values. the swatch dupe glitch occurs in both versions though. I don't know if this answers #6 or not. Users are told to use RGB for web and digital stuff and CMYK for printed items.

Per #5, The swatch dupes regardless of if the swatch is in a subfolder or not... however it could be that if a swatch is ever put in a subfolder, even if moved back out, the glitch may have already applied? Much to speculate. 😞

[Mike Witherell]

This one has me scratching my head. 

[RoelofJanssen2]

Havng the same problem of swatches being added after copy paste from another ID document I just tried step 1 and 2 (changing Preferences). This did not solve the problem. I also found another Preferences entry (I am on a Dutch system so need to translate) named: 'Tracking Changes | Prevent changes in user defined colors' but switching this on did not solve the problem either. My only solution to prevent this is by ensuring that the color definitions of these swatches are identical in source and target documents. In my case the swatches being copied were used in character styles.

[rob day]

Hi @RoelofJanssen2 , here is a Javascript version of the script I posted above in 2018. I assign Command-V to the script—it converts the source color to the destination color when the names are the same:

var doc = app.documents.item(0);
//a list of document swatches
var cc = doc.swatches.everyItem().name
app.paste();
//a new list of document colors after the paste
var nc = doc.swatches.everyItem().name
//check the new list against the old list, if a color is not in the old list merge
for (var i = 0; i < nc.length; i++){
    if (!checkItem(cc, nc[i])) {
        var mergename = nc[i].substr(0, nc[i].length-2)
        try {
            doc.swatches.itemByName(mergename).merge(nc[i])
        }catch(e) {}  
    }   
};   



/**
* Checks if an item is in an array
* @ param the array to check 
* @ param the item to look for 
* @ return true if the item is in the array 
* 
*/
function checkItem(a, obj) {
    for (var i = 0; i < a.length; i++) {
        if (a[i] === obj) {
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false;
}