Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer - 7/13/2010

Question
I work on screenprint graphics and assign spot colors to each color position. I'm using CS4 (Mac OSX Version 10.6.3) but I've known this issue at least since CS3.
I frequently, but not always, come across the following problem when I'm copying and pasting vector artwork from one file that uses spot colors into another file that uses different spot colors.
If I have an artwork in AI (I always create spot colors for each color) and I copy and paste the entire art into a second piece of artwork, sometimes the first art takes on the spot colors of the second art (all the spot colors don't remain intact for the first art, or they don't come through). The first art sort of adopts some of the colors of the second art that it is pasted into, thereby discoloring the first art. I feel like there must be some setting, i thought having the box checked for Preserve Spot Colors would help but it didn't. I only have this problem some of the time when I'm copying and pasting between files.
If I delete all the spot colors from the swatches pallette before pasting, the spot colors of the pasted vector come through fine. But I'd prefer to keep all the spot colors since that is the best way to re-color if i need to later.
I also thought there might be a limit or max number of spots allowed which was causing the problem but it happens even when only 10 or 15 spot colors exist in the file I'm pasting into.
Again this problem only occurs sometimes.
Thanks in advance!

Answer
Hi Stephanie,

Be sure you have added your colors as swatches in the panel. Then, export out and import your spot color swatches as .ase files.

Then bring over your artwork. Also if you are creating custom named spot colors, do not have duplicate names or they will replace. I find most of the time it is because people have either not created an actual swatch for the spot color or have duplicate names that replace when pasted.

Thanks

Kevin