Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer - 3/9/2010

Question
QUESTION: I just started a new job at a packaging design firm. They use Illustrator CS3
with linked Photoshop images for all their work. I am to be the only person
who checks and prepares their files for their clients to send out to print.
There is NO contact with the client or the client's choice of printer, both
who are anywhere in the world. Here is my question. When I want to clean
the file of unused colors I go to the swatches palette and select unused. I
then delete selected swatches. But there are still colors in the swatches
palette that should not be there since they (or the objects they are applied
to) are not visible. How do I find them? Can I select a swatch in the palette
and somehow get all items with that color to be highlighted or selected so I
can delete them? Is there something I can do to identify where these colors
are? Sometimes they are spot colors (not converted to process) and
sometimes they are random CMYK formulas. I don't have anything to do with
setting up the files and the studio seems to use older files as a basis for
new files with minor changes. Is this creating the problem? The studio sends
the files to the client differently set to each client required specifications. My
job is to be certain the files are clean. I save the files as press ready PDF's
and check output preview and these "hidden colors" don't show up there.
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated in as timely a fashion
as possible since I am on "probation".

ANSWER: Hi Teen,

You can always select same fill color or stroke color via the select menu. Choose the color and see if anything is selected. Sometimes they are on another layer or outside of the artboard bounds. If you are using linked Photohsop files, perhaps these swatches are linked to them as well, so you may start by check to make sure your PSD files do not contain spot colors.

However, you only really need to worry about these colors if they show up on the printed piece, which you already check via the PDF. If they dont show up, try deleting them manually and see what happens.

Thanks

Kevin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the previous answer, it is what I thought to do, but was hoping there was a quicker, more universal shortcut.
I have another question if you have the time.
I work on various projects at a lot of different places. I am the person they bring in when they are three months behind and they needed extra help way before that. I get it, budgets are tight and no one plans to be overwhelmed by project creep or for the deadline to be moved up.
My question is this, how can I make Illustrator graphs for financial reports that are accurate legally as well as accurate visually and that I can verify the accuracy for the customer? These reports will be typeset in InDesign with the graphs set in Illustrator (budgets are tight, sometimes the version is CS2, CS3, or if I am fortunate CS4). Thank you again for your help.

Answer
Hi Teen,

I would use the graph tool in Illustrator. You can import all the data from an external source (excel or other database). It will create a vector based graph with shapes that you can manipulate after it is created.


Thanks

Kevin