Efficiently using colors with Adobe Color in InDesign CC

Whether you're creating a design for a winter event, a poster, or another creative project, an effective use of colors can make all the difference. Using Adobe Color in InDesign CC 2014.1 opens up opportunities for you to discover and create color palettes that enhance your design. In this guide, you will learn how to use the features to create appealing color compositions.

Main takeaways

• Adobe Color gives you access to color themes that you can create yourself or discover from other users.
• You can extract colors from images, customize color palettes, and use them in your projects.
• The tool is available both in InDesign and online, allowing you to access it anytime and anywhere.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Adobe Color in InDesign

Start by opening InDesign and accessing the Adobe Color feature. You can do this by clicking on "Window" and then "Color." Select "Adobe Color Themes." This will open a panel where you can manage your color compositions.

2. Create and filter themes

In the panel, you will see various options such as "Create," "Explore," and "My Themes." Here, you can create your own color themes or discover those made by other users. If you have already created themes, you can browse the library and apply filters to quickly find your colors.

3. Extract colors from images

A thrilling feature is the ability to extract colors from images. For example, you can take a photo and use it in the Adobe Capture app. After capturing an image, the app automatically creates a color palette that you can use in your project. For instance, you can use a picture of the water in the Mediterranean, which provides you with a harmonious color palette.

4. Discover color compositions

With the "Explore" feature, you can search for colors created by other users on specific themes. For example, if you're looking for a color palette related to "Winter," you can enter that term, and the tool will show you various winter color compositions. You can save these or integrate them into your current designs.

5. Create your own color compositions

If you want to create your own color compositions, use the color picker to select a desired shade. Click on the middle icon to define that shade as the selected color. You can also choose different modes such as monochromatic or triadic to make your palette more diverse.

6. Save themes

Have you created a color composition that you like? You can save it by clicking the save icon. Select Creative Cloud as the location and give your color composition a name. This allows you to refer back to it in future projects.

7. Short-term color use

If you plan to use a color palette only for the current document, you can simply add the colors by clicking the right icon to the color fields. This way, this color palette will be available within your document.

8. Online access to Adobe Color

For additional flexibility, you can also use the online version of Adobe Color. Go to color.adobe.com in your browser and experience the same features available in InDesign. Here you can create, discover, and adjust your work without a Creative Cloud subscription.

9. Customize and combine colors

Use the online platform to combine and modify colors as desired. With simple commands, you can copy hex codes or RGB codes and use them in your projects.

Summary – Use Colors Efficiently with Adobe Color in InDesign CC

In this guide, you learned the steps to effectively use Adobe Color and create and manage creative color palettes. You can enrich your designs not only by creating your own color combinations but also by discovering and utilizing the work of other designers for inspiration.