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About

This PowerScript allows you to generate reference color charts from Illustrator Color books or from imported color books and CGATS data

Create Tab

  • Document Color*8 The color space for the color chart document * Create Spot Colors When ticked Lab colours will be added to the Document as SPOT colours * Create Process color patch next to spot“ When ticked a spot colour swatch will have a process colour converting half of the swatch, This allows you to see how your print process displays the process color vs the spot colour. Useful for checking spot color replacements on RIP's
  • Mark out of Gamut Process Colors When a process colour (Lab/RGB) is converted to CMYK the difference in colour (DeltaE) is computed. When this exceeds the limit set in the Color Options tab, a small white square is placed in the corner of the swatch (creating a notch) to indicate the process color in the document is out of gamut.
  • Load Swatches Pressing the button will use the current document's colors in the color book list. You can also select to just load the selected swatches.
  • First pages only (use for testing layout) When ticked only generates the first page - use to speed up the process of testing the layout
  • ColourBook Choose the colour book
    • The .abc files found in the found in the application Swatches Folder (On the Mac this is in the application folder under /Presets.localized/{Language}/Swatches/ folder, on the PC in the application folder under /Presets/{Language}/Swatches/
    • You can also use the to import CGATS or Adobe Color Book (*.acb) files
  • Labels This is a table of the labels which will be included under each swatch, Note that the first Label can be a different size to the other labels
    • Label Type Column: NOTE Its important to set the decimals column to the number of decimals required for each label
      • Name The Name of the colour -For colour books the Prefix and Suffix are removed. In the Layout Tab you can also specify text to remove from the name
      • Process Color Formula The process colour formula of the colour i.e RGB: 255, 60, 128
      • Spot Color Formula The defined colour of the spot BEFORE its converted to , Usually Lab or it can by RGB/CMYK/XYZ
      • Source Column Formula The colour of the source colum used - RGB/CMYK/Lch/Lab/XYZ/Spectral
      • Source Lab (Prefix 'sLabD50') for XYZ/Lab and Spectral colours, this is the Lab value before being convrted to the output space. Ignored for RGB/CMYK source colours
      • Output Lab (Prefix 'oLabD50') for all colours this is the Lab value avter being converted to the document CMYK or RGB output space. Ignored for RGB/CMYK source colours
      • Source Lch (Prefix 'sLchD50') for XYZ/Lab and Spectral colours, this is the Lch value before being convrted to the output space. Ignored for RGB/CMYK source colours
      • Output Lch (Prefix 'oLchD50') for all colours this is the Lch value after being converted to the document CMYK or RGB output space . Ignored for RGB/CMYK source colours
      • Delta LCH The individual Delta-L , Delta-C, Delta-H . Ignored for RGB/CMYK source colours
      • Delta Lab The individual Delta-L , Delta-a, Delta-b . Ignored for RGB/CMYK source colours
      • DeltaE 1976 DeltaE based on the Source Lab vs the Output Lab
      • DeltaE 1994 DeltaE based on the Source Lab vs the Output Lab
      • DeltaE CMC DeltaE based on the Source Lab vs the Output Lab
      • DeltaE 2000 DeltaE based on the Source Lab vs the Output Lab
      • Spectral > XYZ The Spectral data converted to XYZ based on the Observer and Illuminant
      • Spectral > Lab The Spectral data converted to Lab based on the Observer and Illuminant
      • Spectral Plot Displays a graph showing the spectral data under the color swatch
    • Decimals - Sets the number of decimal places to display for each label line

Example

Color Options Tab

  • Color Engine
    • PowerCMS Use the built-in custom PowerScripts CMS
    • AdobeCMS Use the Adobe CMS
  • Black Point Compensation
    • Illustrator Settings Use Illustrators default settings as set in Illustrators color preferences
    • On BPC On
    • Off BPC Off
  • deltaE Limit The DeltaE limit for display the out of gamut warning, If the DeltaE exceeds this value swatches will be marked with a white square notched out from one corner of the swatch
  • Compare Select the DeltaE formula to use form calculating the out of gamut DeltaE
  • deltaE Box Size the size in mm to notch out of the color swatch

Layout Tab

  • Direction Set how the colors should be laid out, down the column then across the row or vice versa
  • Swatch Width width in mm of the color swatch
  • Swatch Height height in mm of the color swatch
  • Swatch Spacing The horizontal gutter/space between swatches
  • Label Vertical Spacing The space between each label line, this is like the label line-height
  • Label Text Offset A vertical offset so you can adjust the vertical position of the label text
  • Name Font Size The font size for the Name the name is the first label item displayed
  • Formula Font Size The font size for all other labels after the first label
  • Page Border The border size for the page
  • Page Spacing The distance between artboards
  • Swatch rows The number of colours in a vertical rows before moving to the next column
  • Swatch Columns The number of columns before moving to the next block of swatch rows
  • Rows per Page The number of blocks of swatch rows to be displayed before create a new page/artboard
  • Swatch Row Gutter The space between swatch rows
  • Header height
  • Header Text Offset An offset to vertically adjust the position of the header text
  • Header Font Size
  • Footer Height
  • Footer Text Offset An offset to vertically adjust the position of the footer text
  • Footer Font Size
  • Remove Name Text This text will be removed from the NAME label, useful for removing 'PANTONE' from every color name to make the labels shorter.

Importing CGATS Data and Using Spectral Data


When you import CGATS files you have the option of using spectral data

  • Source Select the source column from the CGATS file
  • Illuminant Select the Illuminant to apply to the spectral data
  • Observer Choose the standard observer.
  • Graph
    • Light Grey line - The Illuminant
    • Black Line - The spectral data of the color
    • XYZ/Lab - Below the chart the XYZ and Lab values computed from the illuminant and observer.

Release Notes

  • 2.0.4
    • Requires PowerScripts 3.4.2
    • Updates for CC2018 compatibility
    • Fixed label dropdowns not working the first time