In this article, you will learn
- which prerequisites are required for this Fixup, and
- how to apply this Fixup.
1. Introduction
The Fixup Map CMYK Values to a Spot Color is available in the Workflow. The purpose of this Fixup is to convert objects with a CMYK value into a Spot Color.
2. General
The Fixup Map CMYK Values to a Spot Color can be used to convert defined CMYK values including all tone values into a Spot Color. The name for the Spot Color can be freely selected.
You can find this Fixup on the tab Data Preparation of an Article, Order or Production Job by:
- entering the name of the Fixup in the area Filter,
- activating the option Color in the area Category,
- activating the option Convert in the area Action,
- activating the option CMYK, Spot Color, Dieline, Images and Vectors in the area Property.
3. Description
This Fixup searches for CMYK values entered in the dialog within defined tolerances and converts them into a Spot Color. However, please note that this will convert all CMYK values for each object, including text, images, and vectors!
Use this Fixup to convert a barcode or QR code created with 100 % K (0/0/0/100) in the print file into a Spot Color. This allows you to precisely control color values used to print the code.
3.1. Prerequisites and Functionality
For the Fixup to perform as intended, the following requirement must be met:
- The file contains vectors or texts with CMYK values.
Figure 1: The dialog of the Fixup Map CMYK Values to a Spot Color
Select from the following options:
- Initial color [1] – enter the CMYK values that should be converted to a Spot Color. For Variable Content [5] select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Spot Color name should be retrieved.
- Tolerance [2] – enter the desired tolerance for the respective color value. Entering a tolerance not only determines the exact color value but also takes into account the entered tolerance.
Example: If the color value 10/20/40/0 is searched and a tolerance of 1% is entered, the color values 9/19/39/0 and 11/21/41/1 are also included. Since inaccuracies in the conversion of colors can always occur, a small tolerance is useful. For Variable Content [6], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the respective tolerance should be retrieved. - Spot Color Name [3] – enter the desired name for the Spot Color.
- Include intermediate color values [4] – by activating this option all tonal value gradations of the searched color value are included in the conversion and tonal values are created for the Spot Color.
Color doesn't Change!
Please note that the color value for the object does not change, even if you have used a system-wide spot color definition as the name.
Example: If you transfer a black Dieline in a print file to a system-wide Spot Color, e.g., Dieline, which is created with 0/100/0/0, the object of the new "Dieline" remains black.
3.2. Before/After
To experiment with this function, refer to the sample file "Sample_Map_CMYK_to_Spot.pdf". A QR code with the color values 0/0/0/100 was created in the file.
After applying the Fixup, the file "Sample_Map_CMYK_to_Spot_End.pd" is created, in which the QR code is created with the Spot Color "QR-Code".
Figure 3: Left: Original file; Right: Edited file in which the QR code has been created with the Spot Color QR Code
Article update: Workflow 1.20.0 –03/2025