Add Color, Not Cost to Your Design

Do you have a project coming up and want to design with more spot colors while being cost conscious? Have you heard of a “color build”? It is the process of building a new color by mixing or overlapping two or more other colors. (See our “Print” article for more detail.)

Let us walk you through the process of creating your own unique color builds using Adobe InDesign as an example.

• First make sure that the two spot colors you would like to use are in the Swatches Palette. If not, you will have to add them. (See our Fall 2009 article, “Six Easy Steps to Add Spot Colors to Your Palette,” archived online.)
• Go to the Swatches Palette fl y-out menu and select “New Mixed Ink Swatch.”
• When the new dialogue box opens, select the boxes to the left of the two spot colors you would like to use to create the new mixed ink swatch.
• Adjust the percentages of each spot color to create the desired color.
• Give a customized name to your new ink swatch. For instance, “30% Yellow, 20% Blue” or “Green for Project A.”
• Press the Add button to the right of the dialogue box. The new swatch will appear in your swatch palette.

Repeat the steps above for additional mixed ink swatches. Remember, if the swatch is one you will be using frequently, add it to your swatches palette with no projects open so that it will appear for every new project.

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