How Do I Import Colors Into InDesign?

Importing colors, also known as swatches, into Adobe InDesign is primarily done through the Swatches panel menu. This allows you to bring predefined color palettes from other sources into your current document.

Steps to Import Colors (Swatches)

Here's a general guide on how to import swatches into an open InDesign document:

1. Open Your InDesign Document: Start by opening the InDesign file where you want to import the colors.
2. Open the Swatches Panel: If the Swatches panel isn't visible, go to the main menu:
   • Window > Color > Swatches
3. Access the Panel Menu: Click on the menu icon in the top-right corner of the Swatches panel.
4. Select "Load Swatches": From the dropdown menu, choose the Load Swatches... option.
5. Browse and Select File: A file browser window will appear. Navigate to the location of the file containing the colors you want to import. Common file types include:
   • Adobe Swatch Exchange (.ase) files (exported from Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign)
   • Other InDesign documents (.indd) or InDesign Markup files (.idml)
6. Open the File: Select the file and click Open.

The swatches from the selected file will be added to your Swatches panel for the currently open document.

Important Note: Swatches Are Document-Specific

Based on the information from the reference, it's crucial to understand how imported swatches behave. "However when you create a new document the new swatches that you've just imported will vanish..." This happens because, by default, swatches you import using the method above are saved with the specific document you imported them into. If you then go to File > New > Document (as demonstrated in the reference), the new document will have its own default set of swatches, and the colors you imported previously will not automatically appear.

How to Make Colors Available in New Documents

If you want your imported colors to be available every time you create a new InDesign document, you have a few options:

• Set as Default Swatches: Close all InDesign documents. Then, open the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches). Import your swatches using the Load Swatches... method described above. Swatches loaded when no documents are open become the default for new documents.
• Create a Document Template: Create a new InDesign document, import all the swatches you want, and set up any other preferred styles (paragraph styles, object styles, etc.). Save this document as an InDesign Template (.indt) file via File > Save As... and choose InDesign Template from the Save as type or Format dropdown. When you create a New document and select this template, it will include all your saved swatches.
• Use Creative Cloud Libraries: Save your colors to a Creative Cloud Library. This makes them easily accessible across different Adobe applications and documents by accessing the Libraries panel (Window > Libraries).

By understanding that direct import adds swatches to the current document and using one of the methods above, you can ensure your frequently used color palettes are readily available for all your design projects.