How can you find CMYK objects in your design?

[Gilligan]

I'm converting everything over to spot colors... I think I got it all... then go to output and it shows that it wants to output CMYK in separations.

Clearly I have missed a CMYK object.

But the more complex an image has gotten the more ridiculous it is to try and find that little object.

I know I could usually just print away and uncheck the CMYK output but if I had a better way then it would be easier to make SURE I didn't miss something large.

Anyone got any tricks to do this?  I'm thinking I might need to write a script or something but I'm an idiot when it comes to the language of illustrator.

[Denis Kolar]

Print separations to a PDF file and check it.

[tpitman]

Using Adobe products, I've found "empty" text boxes that had CYMK text in them, for one example. Occasionally I'll find duplicates under a part of the artwork that were CMYK colors.

In Illustrator, what I do is make sure all objects and layers are unlocked, pick a spot color, choose "select same fill color", then "hide" everything that was selected, and repeat for every spot color. When I've hidden all the spot colors, I do a "select all" keystroke to find anything that was hidden or invisible, check to see if it was a necessary part of the art, then delete them, then "unhide" the spot colors previously selected.

[Frog]

I assume that Adobe Illy ihas something similar, but in Corel, in your print dialog, when you select Print as Separations, it should show all colors used. If you check only one of the CYMK colors, and then go to a Print Preview, it should display the guilty object(s)

[Gilligan]

Print separations to a PDF file and check it.

Problem is that some items are VERY small or essentially "invisible".

You can actually do a "Separation Preview" and go through all the seps that way, bypassing the need to print to PDF.

I assume that Adobe Illy ihas something similar, but in Corel, in your print dialog, when you select Print as Separations, it should show all colors used. If you check only one of the CYMK colors, and then go to a Print Preview, it should display the guilty object(s)

Yep, see above.

[Gilligan]

Using Adobe products, I've found "empty" text boxes that had CYMK text in them, for one example. Occasionally I'll find duplicates under a part of the artwork that were CMYK colors.

In Illustrator, what I do is make sure all objects and layers are unlocked, pick a spot color, choose "select same fill color", then "hide" everything that was selected, and repeat for every spot color. When I've hidden all the spot colors, I do a "select all" keystroke to find anything that was hidden or invisible, check to see if it was a necessary part of the art, then delete them, then "unhide" the spot colors previously selected.

Until I have the boredom/desire to write a script, this is PERFECT!

I do some similar tricks while digitizing so I can adapt this quite easily to my workflow.

Anyone know if you can click a swatch with a modifier key to select all objects that color?  Like you can when you hold down ALT? and click a layer?

[blue moon]

use the separations preview in illustrator to check you have everything. By clicking the eyeball it removes the color. This way if you have two different blacks and turn of the spot black, all the spot black will become invisible and what's left has to be different color. I just go and peck on the leftovers and change them to correct colors until there is nothing left on the screen.
It will make more sense when you try it!

pierre

[Gilligan]

use the separations preview in illustrator to check you have everything. By clicking the eyeball it removes the color. This way if you have two different blacks and turn of the spot black, all the spot black will become invisible and what's left has to be different color. I just go and peck on the leftovers and change them to correct colors until there is nothing left on the screen.
It will make more sense when you try it!

pierre

That's what I do... but the problem comes when things are just too small to be seen.

In this last situation what ended up being the culprit was a jpg layer that was turned OFF and yet still caused the issue.  Last ditch effort we deleted that layer and TADA!

[rmonks]

In corel x5 and back i would open color styles grab the whole design drag it over and drop it inthe color styles box and it will show all the colors in the design there you can change or delete colors still dont know how to do this in X6, Fluid is working on a tutorial for X6 i believe. 

[Denis Kolar]

use the separations preview in illustrator to check you have everything. By clicking the eyeball it removes the color. This way if you have two different blacks and turn of the spot black, all the spot black will become invisible and what's left has to be different color. I just go and peck on the leftovers and change them to correct colors until there is nothing left on the screen.
It will make more sense when you try it!

pierre

That's what I do... but the problem comes when things are just too small to be seen.

In this last situation what ended up being the culprit was a jpg layer that was turned OFF and yet still caused the issue.  Last ditch effort we deleted that layer and TADA!

If it so small that you can not see it, do not worry about it.
Just turn off the separation you do not wat to print and be done with it. Problem solved

[Gilligan]

I agree... it just bugs me.

[Sbrem]

In Illy, I would select everything that is a spot color, "hide" them, and see what's left... For instance, select a spot red color, and under the Select menu, choose "Same Fill Color", which would select everything that color, then command/control 3, which will hide them, do the same with each spot color, and your cmyk object will be left standing alone.

Steve