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Adobe Illustrator supports both RGB and CMYK color modes. To create a new CMYK document, just select CMYK from the "Color Mode" menu. To convert an existing RGB document to CMYK, first change the Document Color Mode, then convert the colors. Read on to learn how!
Switching to CMYK in Adobe Illustrator
For a new project, click Advanced on the New Document screen and select CMYK from the "Color Mode" menu. To convert an existing project to CMYK, go to File > Document Color Mode select CMYK , use the selection tool to select the entire document, and go to Edit > Edit Colors > Convert to CMYK .
For popular FAQs on CMYK in Illustrator, jump to more common questions .
Steps
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Open Adobe Illustrator. Click the Illustrator icon on your desktop, or find it in the search panel at the lower left corner of your screen (click the Windows icon to open the search bar).- If you have a Mac, click the Finder icon in the lower-left corner of your dock. From the Go menu, select applications and scroll to Adobe Illustrator. Or, if Illustrator is pinned to your dock, click the Illustrator icon.
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Open a new document. Press “Control N” on your PC or “Command N” if you have a Mac. A window will appear with an Advanced tab.Advertisement -
Click the Advanced tab. Now you can select the Color Mode. -
Click the Color Mode dropdown. Now you can select CMYK. -
Click CMYK. Typically, this will be set as the default option. Now you’re ready to confirm the setting. -
Click OK. The upper-left corner of your document should now say “CMYK preview.”- Your documents will default to CMYK, unless you change the setting later.
Changing to CMYK Format on an Existing Illustrator Document
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Open Adobe Illustrator. Click the Illustrator icon on your desktop, or find it in the Start panel at the lower left corner of your screen (click the Windows icon to open the search bar).- If you have a Mac, click the Finder icon in the lower-left corner of your dock. From the Go menu, select applications and scroll to Adobe Illustrator. Or, if Illustrator is pinned to your dock, click the Illustrator icon. Now you will navigate to the File menu in the upper-left.
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Click File then Open. A window will appear allowing you to browse for your file. Now you can select your file.- Alternatively, press “Control O” on a PC or “Command O” on a Mac.
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Click OK to select your file and open it. Navigate to File menu again to convert to CMYK. -
Click File. Hover your mouse over Document Color Mode. -
Select CMYK. Now that you're back to the existing document, find the dark arrow icon (Selection Tool) at the top-left of your tool panel. -
Click the Selection Tool. This tool will allow you to select all document objects. -
Click and drag your mouse over the entire document. All objects should be blue. -
Navigate to the Edit menu. Find the Edit Colors option. -
Hover your mouse over Edit Colors. Now you can choose Convert to CMYK. -
Choose Convert to CYMK. Your file has been converted to CMYK, which will allow you to send it to a printer.
Common Questions
How do you make CMYK the default in Illustrator?
It's not possible to make CMYK the default color mode in Adobe Illustrator. Each time you create a new document, you will need to choose CMYK from the Color Mode menu.
Should Illustrator be in CMYK or RGB?
If you're designing something that will be printed, work in CMYK mode. For screen-based projects, use RGB. [1] X Research source
How do you get CMYK values in Illustrator?
Select the object, select CMYK from the drop-down on the Color Picker, and find the values for Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Key (K) in the bottom-right corner of the Color Picker.
How do I see the CMYK sliders in Illustrator?
If you don't see CMYK colors on the color panel, use the arrows next to the "Color" tab to switch from RGB to CMYK.
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