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ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS2
User Guide
• The final color values of a process color are its values in CMYK, so if you specify a process color using RGB, those
color values will be converted to CMYK when you print color separations. These conversions differ based on your
color management settings and document profile.
• Don’tspecifyaprocess colorbased on howitlooks on your monitorunlessyou have setupacolormanagement
system properly and you understand its limitations for previewing color.
To create a process-color swatch
1 Select a color using the Color Picker or Color palette, or select an object with the color you want.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the New Swatches button in the Swatches palette.
• Drag the color from the toolbox or Color palette to the Swatches palette. Or, if you selected an object, drag the
object to the Swatches palette.
• Select NewSwatchfromthe Swatches palettemenu. If youwantthe swatch to be aglobalcolor,selectGlobal. Set
additional swatch options (see “Swatch options” on page 192), and click OK.
See also
“About swatches” on page 188
“About process colors” on page 190
About spot colors
A spot color is a special premixed ink that is used instead of, or in addition to, CMYK process inks, and that requires
its own printing plate on a printing press. Use spot color when few colors are specified and color accuracy is critical.
Spot color inks can accurately reproduce colors that are outside the gamut of process colors. However, the exact
appearance of theprinted spot colorisdeterminedbythe combinationofthe inkasmixed by thecommercialprinter
andthe paperit’sprinted on,not by colorvaluesyou specifyorbycolor management.Whenyou specifyspotcolor
values, you’re describing the simulated appearance of the color for your monitor and composite printer only (subject
to the gamut limitations of those devices).
Keep the following guidelines in mind when specifying a spot color:
• For best results in printed documents, specify a spot color from a color-matching system supported by your
commercial printer. Several color-matching system libraries are included with Illustrator. To display a library,
choose Window > Swatch Libraries.
• Minimize the number of spot colors you use. Each spot color you create will generate an additional spot color
printing plate for a printing press, increasing your printing costs. If you think you might require more than four
colors, consider printing your document using process colors.
• If an object contains spot colors and overlaps another object containing transparency, undesirable results may
occur when exporting to EPS format, when converting spot colors to process colors using the Print dialog box,
or when creating color separations in an application other than Illustrator. To prevent problems, convert the spot
colors to process colors.
• You can use a spot color printing plate to apply a varnish over areas of a process color job. In this case, your print
job would use a total of five inks—four process inks and one spot varnish.
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