Default Settings

You can set the default settings here: Preferences > Default Settings. Select the option Enable Custom Spot Color Defaults to customize the default settings.

Enable Custom Spot Color Defaults selected.

You can deselect the option any time. Your customized settings are saved and you can switch back to Enable Custom Spot Color Defaults later.

Custom default settings for new spot colors

You can predefine the Target Mode and Target Gradation that will be assigned to new spot colors. Custom defaults will save you valuable time, as you customize the defaults once and that's it. You can feel sure that new spot colors will have the settings you want them to have.

The Target Mode will be assigned to all new spot colors.
The Target Gradation will be assigned to new spot colors that have only solid colors defined.

As spot color characteristics depend on the printing technology and media type, you can predefine the Target Mode and Target Gradation for each combination of printing technology and media category.

Example: Default settings for new spot colors that will be added to a characterization of a Digital Printing process.

It is recommended to define a general fallback for all media types (All Media) that do not have specific default settings defined.

The most specific default settings will overrule less specific defaults. Example: For Film—Front Print, "Curve A" will be used as gradation curve. Even though White Matte belongs to the Film—Front Print group, there are more specific default settings (using "Curve B") defined for White Matte. So "Curve B" will be used for White Matte. However, White Semimatte, which also belongs to the Film—Front Print group, will use "Curve A". As there are no specific default settings for White Semimatte, the defaults for Film—Front Print will be used.