Moving Colors between Applications

Every once in a while we catch ourselves sounding like old-timers, rocking back and forth on the front porch saying things like, "Back when we started out, we couldn't import colors from a page-layout application into an illustration program. We had to write down the colors in one program and manually type the values in another. You young'uns have it much easier than we did." Then we pull the blanket up around our shoulders and nod off for the rest of the day.

One of the most dramatic aspects of working with color today is how easy it is to exchange colors between documents in a single program as well as across applications. In fact, we can even exchange colors across platforms!

Importing Swatches

When you place files from Photoshop or Illustrator into InDesign, or when you copy and paste or drag -and drop Illustrator objects into InDesign, some colors come with the files. But which ones? The answer is that it depends on how you do your importing.

If you save a Photoshop file with duotones as a PSD, PDF, or EPS file, or with spot channels as a PSD, PDF, or DCS 2.0 file, and then place that file into InDesign, the spot colors defined in the file are automatically imported, and added to the InDesign Swatches palette. (We discuss creating spot colors in Photoshop later in the chapter.)

Likewise, if you save an Illustrator file as an AI, PDF, or EPS file, any spot colors applied to objects (not all of those in the Illustrator Swatches palette) are imported, and appear in the InDesign Swatches palette.

A way to bring even more colors is when you copy and paste Illustrator objects (or drag and drop them) into InDesign. Then global process, non-global process, and spot colors are all added to the Swatches palette. We discuss this in "Transporting Paths Out of Illustrator" in Chapter 5, "Getting to the Point of Vector Graphics."

Swapping Swatches

What if you just want to move swatches from one CS2 application to another without importing a graphic? Swapping swatches is easier done than said: Simply select the swatches you want to add to another document or a different application, and choose Save Swatches For Exchange from the Swatches palette menu. This allows you to name and save an Adobe Swatch Exchange (.ase) file.

Once you've created a swatch exchange file, you can add those swatches to other documents or applications. In Photoshop and InDesign, choose Load Swatches from the Swatches palette menu and find the swatch exchange file. The swatches will be added to the Swatches palette.

In Illustrator and GoLive, the technique is a little different. At the bottom of the list of color libraries there is a command for Other Library. Choose this command, and then find the swatch exchange document. Illustrator and GoLive then open the swatches as a separate swatch palette that you can use and save like any other color library palette.

Not all types of swatches can be exchanged between documents. Table 10-3 lists the types of swatches in each applications and what happens if you try to exchange those swatches into the other Creative Suite applications.

Table 10-3. How Adobe Swatch Exchange files convert swatches between applications

Type of swatch	Converts into Photoshop as	Converts into Illustrator as	Converts into InDesign as	Converts into GoLive as
Photoshop colors	N/A	Illustrator global colors	InDesign process colors	GoLive colors
Illustrator non-global colors	Photoshop colors	N/A	InDesign global colors	GoLive colors
Illustrator global colors	Photoshop colors	N/A	InDesign global colors	GoLive colors
Illustrator spot colors	Photoshop colors	N/A	InDesign spot colors	GoLive colors
Illustrator tints	Not converted	N/A	Not converted	Not converted
Illustrator patterns	Not converted	N/A	Not converted	Not converted
Illustrator gradients	Not converted	N/A	Not converted	Not converted
InDesign process colors	Photoshop colors	Illustrator global colors	N/A	GoLive colors
InDesign spot colors	Photoshop colors	Illustrator spot colors	N/A	GoLive colors
InDesign tints	Not converted	Not converted	N/A	Not converted
InDesign gradients	Not converted	Not converted	N/A	Not converted
InDesign mixed inks	Not converted	Not converted	N/A	Not converted
GoLive colors	Photoshop colors	Illustrator global colors	InDesign process colors	N/A