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Specifying color management policies


    Each predefined color management configuration sets up a color management policy for each color model and displays warning messages to let you override the default policy behavior on a case-by-case basis. If desired, you can change the default policy behavior to reflect a color management workflow that you use more often. For more information on policies, see Using color management policies.

To customize color management policies:

  1. In the Color Settings dialog box, under Color Management Policies, choose one of the following to set the default color management policy for each color model:
    • Off if you do not want to color-manage imported or opened color data.
    • Preserve Embedded Profiles if you anticipate working with a mix of color-managed and non-color-managed documents, or with documents that use different profiles within the same color model.
    • Convert to Working Space if you want to color-manage all documents using the current working spaces.

    For detailed descriptions of the default behaviors associated with each policy option, see the table following this procedure.

    Policy option

    Default color management behavior

    Off

    • No profiles are saved with new documents.
    • If opened document's profile does not match current working space, profile is discarded and not saved with document.
    • If opened document's profile matches current working space, profile is preserved and saved with document.
    • For color data imported into same color model, numeric values of colors are preserved.
    • For color data imported into different color model, colors are converted to destination document's color space.

    Preserve Embedded Profiles

    • Working space profile is saved with new documents.
    • If opened document's profile does not match current working space, profile is preserved and saved with document.
    • If opened document does not contain a profile, working space is used for editing but not saved with document.
    • For color data imported within same color model between either a non-color-managed source or destination, or from a CMYK document into a CMYK document, numeric color values are preserved.
    • For all other import cases, colors are converted to destination document's color space.

    Convert to Working Space

    • Working space profile is saved with new documents.
    • If opened document's profile does not match current working space, document is converted to working space; working space is saved with document.
    • If opened document does not contain a profile, working space is used for editing but not saved with document.
    • For color data imported within same color model between either a non-color-managed source or destination, numeric color values are preserved.
    • For all other import cases, colors are converted to destination document's color space.
  2. Select either, both, or neither of the following:
    • Ask When Opening to display a message whenever the embedded color profile in a newly opened document does not match the current working space. You will be given the option to override the policy's default behavior.
    • Ask When Pasting to display a message whenever color profile mismatches occur as colors are imported into a document (via pasting, drag-and-drop, placing, and so on). You will be given the option to override the policy's default behavior.

    It is strongly recommended that you keep both options selected. Deselecting the options causes Illustrator to implement default policy behavior without notification.