Can you do captions for swatch values?

[soulglowdeej]

Hi,

As the title suggests, I'm wondering if you can some how add captions that automatically give colour values for selected swatches (I'd like all profiles ideally (RGB, CMYK, HSB, Hex, spot names)). 

As you'll know, captions have many options but it's pulling the info from meta data on an image, not a swatch from within InDesign or a library file...so could this be done for a selected swatch somehow?

(My use case scenario is for creating brand guidelines and not having to type in every colour value; I'm just thinking there must be an automatic way of doing this and I'm missing it.)

Thanks 🙂

[soulglowdeej]

After posting i found this short thread which is asking a very simialr thing: https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/swatch-name-live-captions/td-p/9063641

So it looks like you can't use captions, but maybe it can be scripted....which I do not have the brain to do...anyone know any scripts out there which do this?

Thanks

[brianp311]

Maybe SwatchWatch can help you: 

https://www.rorohiko.com/wordpress/swatchwatcher-case-study/

[soulglowdeej]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for this 🙂 It shows that it can be done and gives me a good base to try and work from!

Great, thanks 🙂

[rob day · Accepted solution]

If the branding master colors are Pantone or Lab colors, this thread might help:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/branding-color-guide/td-p/10818696

[soulglowdeej]

Thanks Rob. That's an interesting discussion...definitely one for the print professionals amongst us.

Thanks 🙂

[Eugene Tyson]

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/color-palette-as-caption-or-text/m-p/9045874

[soulglowdeej]

Thanks Eugene. It looks like that link isn't there anymore, but it does show that i'm not missing something simple within InDesign; other people have the same question too 🙂

Thanks again 🙂

[Eugene Tyson]

Sorry - I thought I checked the link. 

I'm not 100% sure if this is what you need - https://www.rorohiko.com/wordpress/swatchwatcher-case-study/ or even it's free 100%.

It might work - you might be able to append the code to include the other colour breakdowns. 

[soulglowdeej]

No worries at all! Thanks for trying to help 🙂 
Brian's linked to the swatchwatcher above...it is free (woohoo!), and works (double woohoo!), so I'm going to have a fiddle when I have time and see if i can make it work for what i need.

Thanks again Eugene 🙂

[rob day]

selected swatches (I'd like all profiles ideally (RGB, CMYK, HSB, Hex, spot names))

Looks like swatchwatcher labels the colors with their color mode values—it doesn’t give the conversions you are looking for.

For RGB, CMYK, HSB, and Hex colors the conversion numbers are dependent on the document’s color settings (assigned profiles, intent, black point compensation), which could be anything. The linked script in the thread I posted does that, but the document color settings are defined in the script and labels.

[soulglowdeej]

Hi Rob,

ah-ha! I completely missed that this had a script and generates pretty much everything I'd need; I glanced over it and thought it was more a discussion and reference table. Very, very nice work! 

(I particularly like the in/out of gamut range addition; that's a seriously handy nugget of info for designers.)

Thanks so much again for replying Rob, and following up to point out I need to slow down and actually read what you shared! It's not the exact thing I was after but is a huge help, and what I'll use going forward.

Big Thanks 😊 *respect fist bump*

[rob day]

Also, in case you missed it, the script only outputs swatch info for Lab colors—process or spot. So the Pantone Solid ink libraries, or other solid ink libraries (i.e., Toyo) would work as the master source color. You could also use Lab instrument readings of any paint chip or object as the source.