Identify colors in PDF files easily for cross-application use (CS/CS2/CS3)

If it’s a spot color, there’s a really simple way to identify it. You can identify process colors, too, but it’s a bit more complicated.

To identify a spot color in a PDF:

1. Open the InDesign document that you want to add the spot color to.
2. Place the PDF file in your document.

InDesign imports automatically any spot colors used in the PDF file into your Swatches palette. Although you can’t delete or edit imported spot colors in InDesign, you can apply them to other objects in your document.

You can also identify process colors in a PDF file. For accurate results, however, you should make sure that both Photoshop and the PDF file are using the same destination profile.

To identify a process color’s CMYK values in Photoshop:

1. Open the PDF file in Photoshop.
2. Select the Eyedropper tool, and click on the target color.
3. Show the Colors palette, and choose CMYK Sliders from the pop-up menu.
4. Note the ink percentages for each color.
5. Create a new color in InDesign using the same CMYK values.