How do I create colors in Adobe® InDesign®?

Choose your colors from a Herff Jones Colors poster or a Pantone swatch book. Do not choose a color by viewing it on a computer monitor.

Process Color

• Click on the Swatches panel pop-up menu.
• Select New Color Swatch.
• In the New Color Swatch dialog box:
  • Color Type: Choose Process from the pop-up menu.
  • Color Mode: Choose CMYK from the pop-up menu.
  • Name with Color Value - make sure it is checked.
    • The color will be named with the correct percentages of the inks used.
  • Choose ink percentages for the C, M, Y, K fields.

• Click OK.
• The color is added to the Swatches palette.

Spot Color

• Click on the Swatches palette pop-up menu.
• Select New Color Swatch.
• In the New Color Swatch dialog box.
• Color Type: Choose Spot from the pop-up menu.
• Color Mode: Choose Pantone Solid Coated from the pop-up menu.
• Pantone field: Type the Pantone number from the Pantone swatch book.

• Click OK.
• The color is added to the Swatches palette with the correct Pantone number.

For instructions on applying color to your InDesign pages, click How do I apply color to my pages in Adobe® InDesign®?.