You can define the L*a*b* values or the CMYK values of a spot color by typing
the numerical values, by selecting a visual match from a pattern of color swatches, or by
measuring the color of a physical object using a measurement device.
The Spot color
matching print option automatically matches spot colors with their
best CMYK equivalents or L*a*b* values, so spot colors can be simulated using the
CMYK colorants. However, you may want to adjust the default CMYK equivalents or
L*a*b* values to achieve a better match for your specific printing conditions. You
can modify spot color definitions using Spot Pro.
Both system and custom spot colors may be edited. The system spot color names may not
be renamed or deleted.
-
From within Spot
Pro, locate the spot color you wish to edit and click the Edit
icon (
) .
You can rename a
custom spot color or a custom spot color group.
-
Do one (or a combination) of the
following:
-
To edit the L*a*b* values directly, click in the L*, a*, or
b* field and type a new value. Use the Tab key to move from one field to
the next. A preview of the converted color is displayed next to
Original.
Note: You can click the arrow next to L*a*b* to switch the editing mode to
CIE LCH to edit the LCH values directly. In the LCH mode, you may modify
lightness, hue or chroma for the selected spot color.
-
Click
Measure to measure the L*a*b* values and
follow the on-screen instructions.
Select a
measurement instrument from the available list.
-
To edit the
CMYK percentage values directly, click in the C, M, Y, or K field and
type a new value. Use the Tab key to move from one field to the next. A
preview of the converted color is displayed next to Original.
The separation values are computed based on the selected output profile
for the given media or substrate. This may be particularly useful to
remove contaminants or visual artifacts, such as spotting, or a cloudy
appearance caused by black or cyan dots. For CMYK+ profiles, the
respective ink separation is available for editing. For example, CMYK
and Orange and Violet separation values may be edited when a CMYKOV
output profile is selected.
-
To edit the
spot color visually, the currently selected color is reflected in the
center patch of the center hexagon in the lower area of the Spot Pro color editor pane.
The active controls for changing the color are the poly-hexagonal shapes.
The target color is highlighted. The hexagons to the left and right
represent the next variation of saturation or brightness. The color
variations arrows (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow) show the
direction of the color hue shift from the center patch. Clicking on an
arrow moves the targeted color in the direction of the arrow.
To control the magnitude of variation in the neighboring
patches, move the slider closer to Fine (for
smaller variation) or Coarse (for larger
variation). The Fine or
Course slider provides the increment of edit
that will occur per click. The default setting is in the middle.
Note: When you select certain
colors, an exclamation point icon may appear in the upper-right corner
of the Spot Pro color editor pane. This icon
indicates that one or more colorants have reached their maximum
values.
-
To print a test page, click the
arrow next to Variations and select Print.
You may choose the patch layout for the variations, and select the media or
substrate source.
Matching spot colors accurately on a monitor is very difficult. Always print
a test page to get the proper color match.
-
Do one of the following:
- Click Done to finish editing and to exit the Spot Pro color editor
pane.
- Click Cancel to abort editing, exit the Spot Pro color editor
pane, and return to the Spot Pro color preview pane.
- Click Save to save your edits
and switch to a different spot color, without leaving the Spot Pro color editor
pane.
- Click the Reset icon (
) to revert to the original value of the spot color when created, which is
shown in the Original.
