How to Change Process Inks in Adobe InDesign: 1-Min Guide

How to Change Process Inks in Adobe InDesign

Updated on:

June 5, 2026

By:

Madhav Bhandari

Use this interactive demo to learn how to change process inks in Adobe InDesign.

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Here’s a simple and quick guide on how to change process inks in Adobe InDesign:

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To change process inks in Adobe InDesign, first access the Color panel by going to 'Window' → 'Color' → 'Swatches.'
Then, in the top-right corner of the panel, click the hamburger icon and select ‘Ink Manager.
The Ink Manager panel will appear. Select ‘All Spots to Process’ to change all spot colors in the document to process (CMYK) colors, ensuring the file prints using standard CMYK inks.
Once finished, click ‘OK’ to apply the changes.

📌 Why this matters

Converting spot colors to process inks ensures your document prints correctly at any commercial printer without requiring custom ink mixing. This prevents unexpected color shifts and eliminates additional spot color fees that can significantly increase printing costs.

Beyond cost savings, standardizing to CMYK creates consistency across different print runs and vendors. When you're preparing files for large-scale distribution or working with tight budgets, this conversion transforms potentially problematic spot colors into reliable, universally printable CMYK equivalents that maintain visual integrity while streamlining production.

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