In this article, you will learn
- which prerequisites are required for this Fixup, and
- how to apply this Fixup.
1. Introduction
The Fixup Rename and adjust Spot Colors dynamically is available in the Workflow. The purpose of this Fixup is to rename Spot Colors within the file and to adjust them according to the alternative color space.
2. General
The Fixup Rename and adjust Spot Colors dynamically can be used to rename Spot Colors and, if necessary, adjust their color using an alternative color space and alternative color value. It is also possible to use Regular Expressions (RegEx) for this purpose.
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 Apply or Rename in the area Action,
- activating the option Spot Color in the area Property.
3. Description
This Fixup can be used to rename Spot Colors and adjust their color. You can assign a different alternative color space and specify the desired alternative color value – Spot Color Name|CMYK|100|0|0|0 or Spot Color Name|Lab|40.5|60.65|-94.9.
Technical Colors Become Spot Colors
A Technical Color becomes a Spot Color when you rename a Technical Color and assign a new color value. Ensure that the new parameters are not stored in the system as a Technical Color. Conversely, Spot Colors become Technical Colors when the entered parameters correspond to a system-wide Technical Color.
Example 1: Assigning the name "My Dieline" with the color values CMYK|100|0|100|0 to the Spot Color "Dieline" converts the Technical Color into a Spot Color if "My Dieline" is not stored in the system as a Technical Color.
Example 2: Assigning the name "Dieline" with the color values CMYK|0|100|0|0 to the Spot Color "My Dieline" converts the Spot Color into a Technical Color if it is stored in the system as a Technical Color.
- Change Spot Color of a Template – adjust the Spot Color of a Template already present in the Workflow without creating a system-wide Spot Color.
- Adjust Technical Color – adjust the alternative color value of a system-wide defined Technical Color if you specifically want to use the Spot Color name Dieline. This color is then displayed in the Print Item instead of Magenta or Cyan.
3.1. Prerequisites and Functionality
For the Fixup to perform as intended, the following requirement must be met:
- The file contains Spot Colors.
Figure 1: The dialog of the Fixup Rename and adjust Spot Colors dynamically
The following options can be used to dynamically rename and adjust a Spot Color:
- Templates [1] – settings selected in the dialog can be saved as a template and applied to other Articles/Print Items, as well as used within Fixup Chains and in the Operations Apply Fixups and Check Print Item and Apply Fixups.
- Spot Color - Source [2] – enter the name of the Spot Color that should be dynamically renamed and adjusted. It is also possible to use Regular Expressions (RegEx) for this purpose. The example in the illustration searches for Spot Colors that begin with die, cut, thru, fustella or stan. Upper and lower case are ignored. For Variable Content [4], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the Spot Color Name should be retrieved.
- Spot Color - Target [3] – enter the new name of the Spot Color here. If you also want to change the color space and color values, enter them in this field. Please note that the values should be separated using the pipe symbol "|" and not dashes "/". For Variable Content [5], select the desired placeholder – Database Field or User-defined Field – from which the value for the target Spot Color should be retrieved.
3.2. Before/After
To experiment with this function, refer to the sample file "Sample_Rename Spot Colors dynamically.pdf". In the file, the "DieLine" dieline uses the color values CMYK (70/90/0/0). This dieline should be adapted to the system and renamed "Dieline" with the color values CYMK (0/100/0/0).
After applying the Fixup, the file "Sample_Rename Spot Colors dynamically_End.pdf" is created. The Dieline has been renamed, and its color has been adjusted. The values from Figure 1 were applied.
Figure 2: Left: Original file; Right: Edited file in which the Dieline has been adapted
Article update: Workflow 1.20.1 – 04/2025