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Configuring color mapping rules

Available with Production Mapping license.

Production PDF extends the ArcGIS PDF export format to include print production features. These features include Spot colors, overprinting, tints, and color replacement and conversion.

This workflow guides you through a process of configuring color mapping rules. It is appropriate for designers who must configure products. This workflow demonstrates the following Production PDF functionality:

  • Add map and new input colors to the Color Mapping Rules dialog box—Use this dialog box to configure your map colors for export.
  • Map input to output colors—Prepare map colors for printed output. This includes adding print production effects like overprinting.
  • Save color mapping rules to an .xml file—Save your configuration so you can share and reuse your rules.

Adding map colors to the Color Mapping Rules dialog box

You use the Color Mapping Rules dialog box to map input to output colors, convert between color spaces, add color effects, and preview colors. You must add colors to this dialog box before using any of its functionality. There are two ways to add colors to the Color Mapping Rules dialog box:

  • Add existing colors in the map display.
  • Add a new input color.

Adding existing colors in the map display

This section demonstrates how to add existing colors from the map display to the Color Mapping dialog box.

  1. Start ArcMap.
  2. If necessary, load data in the map.
  3. On the main menu, click File > Export Map.

    The Export Map dialog box appears.

  4. Click the Save as type drop-down arrow and choose Production PDF.
  5. Click the Production tab.
  6. Click Map Colors.

    The Color Mapping Rules dialog box appears.

  7. Click Evaluate map.

    The Current Map Analysis dialog box appears. A list of unique colors that are not currently in the color mapping table but are used in the current map document displays in the Current Map Analysis dialog box.

  8. Click Select All.
  9. Click Add.

    The Current Map Analysis dialog box closes. The list of unique colors displays in the Color Mapping Rules dialog box.

Adding a new input color

A new input color refers to a color you choose from the Input Color Selector dialog box. This is another method of adding a color to the Color Mapping Rules dialog box. In this section, you'll add a new RGB input color from the Input Color Selector dialog box to the Color Mapping Rules dialog box.

  1. Right–click inside the table in the Color Mapping Rules dialog box and click Add Input Color.

    A new row appears in the table in the Color Mapping Rules dialog box.

  2. Double–click the Input cell in the new row.

    The Input Color Selector dialog box appears.

  3. Slide the R, G, and B controls to set new values for this input RGB color.

  4. Click OK.

    The Color Mapping Rules dialog box appears.

Configuring color mapping rules

Color mapping rules map input to output colors during export to PDF. This allows you to transform on-screen RGB colors to output device CMYK or Spot colors. Mapping to output colors is useful for the following reasons:

  • The four–color printing process uses CMYK colors.
  • You can overprint CMYK and Spot colors.
  • You can apply tints to Spot colors.

Tint values are expressed in percentages between 0 (zero) and 100. Any other value entered outside this range is not accepted, a warning message will appear, and the value will be overwritten by the previous valid value. If you close the Color Mapping Rules dialog box, invalid values are not persisted and autocorrected.

In this section, you'll map the input colors you created in a previous section to output CMYK colors.

  1. Double-click an output cell in the table of colors in the Color Mapping Rules dialog box.

    The Output Color Selector dialog box appears.

  2. Click the RGB drop-down arrow and choose CMYK.

    You could also choose RGB or Spot for output color.

    The three RGB color components change to four CMYK color components. CMYK color components display as a percentage of color saturation.

  3. Click OK.

    The Color Mapping Rules dialog box appears.

  4. Check the Overprint check box.

  5. Double-click a different output cell in the table of colors in the Color Mapping Rules dialog box.

    The Output Color Selector dialog box appears.

  6. Click the RGB drop-down arrow and choose CMYK.

    The three RGB color components change to four CMYK color components. CMYK color components display as a percentage of color saturation.

  7. Move the K channel's slider to 50%.

    For an RGB color of 0, 0, 0 (black), setting the K channel to 50% creates a CMYK color of 0, 0, 0, 50 (gray).

  8. Click OK.

    The Color Mapping Rules dialog box appears.

  9. Double-click another output cell in the table of colors in the Color Mapping Rules dialog box.

    The Output Color Selector dialog box appears.

  10. Click the RGB drop-down arrow and choose Spot.

  11. Type a name for your spot color in the text box next to Spot.
  12. Click OK.

    The Color Mapping Rules dialog box appears.

  13. Double–click the Tint % cell and change the value from 100 to 50.
  14. Repeat steps 1–13 as necessary.
  15. Click OK.

    The Export Map dialog box appears.

Saving Production PDF settings

You can save your color mapping rules to an .xml file. This allows you to share and reuse color mapping rules.

  1. Click Save Settings on the Export Map dialog box.

    The Save As dialog box appears.

  2. Navigate to a folder in which you want to save your color mapping rules.
  3. Type a file name in the File name text box.
  4. Click Save.

    The Export Map dialog box appears.

    You can preview your current map document, configure separation settings, or export the map to PDF from the Export Map dialog box.

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