Working with Color Themes in Adobe InDesign CC (2015 release)
To create colors that complement an image you are using in a document, you can use the InDesign Color Theme tool. The tool analyzes the image, selects representative colors, and provides five different themes for you. You can select and use swatches from a color theme, add a color theme’s swatches to the Swatches panel, and share the color themes through CC Libraries.
Creating a color theme
First, you will create and a color theme from the mosaic image featuring the word “Choose.” Then, you will select the color theme you want to use.
On the Tools panel, select the Color Theme tool (
).
Locate the mosaic image containing the word “Choose” in the lower-left corner of the page.
Click the Color Theme tool anywhere on the image.
Notice that the Color Theme panel displays with a color theme picked up from the image.
On the Color Theme panel, click the arrow next to the row of swatches. Select the Dark theme.
You can select and use any of the swatches shown here, but instead you will add the entire color theme to the Swatches panel.
)
Adding a color theme to the Swatches panel
The Dark color theme will work best for the advertisement in progress. First, you will add it to the Swatches panel. Then, you will share this color theme with others in your workgroup who are working on other pieces in the marketing campaign.
First, you will create and a color theme from the mosaic image featuring the word “Choose.” Then, you will select the color theme you want to use.
On the Color Theme panel, click the Add to Swatches button (
).
Choose Window > Color > Swatches to see the Dark theme added to the Swatches panel.
Adding a color theme to your CC Library
The InDesign Creative Cloud Libraries feature makes it easy to share assets, such as color swatches and images, with a workgroup. If multiple designers are working on a magazine or marketing campaign, this ensures that everyone on the creative team has easy access to the same content. Here, you will add the Dark color theme to your Creative Cloud library.
On the Color Theme panel, with the Dark theme still showing, click the Add to CC Library button (
).
Choose Window > CC Libraries to see the Dark theme added to your CC Libraries panel.
- Click the CC Libraries panel menu to see the collaboration options.
In the next exercise, you will apply colors from the Dark color theme to objects on the page.