How to Check Color Mode in Adobe InDesign

Updated on:

April 6, 2026

By:

Madhav Bhandari

Use this interactive demo to learn how to check the color mode in your Adobe InDesign document.

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Here’s a simple and quick guide on how to check color mode in Adobe InDesign:

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To check the color mode used in your InDesign project, go to the top menu and click 'Window.'
Select 'Color' → 'Swatches' to open the Color panel.
The Color Swatches panel is now open, and you can see that the color mode for this tutorial is CMYK.

📌 Why this matters

Checking your color mode prevents costly printing disasters and ensures your designs display correctly across different outputs. You'll avoid the frustration of vibrant RGB colors appearing dull when printed, or CMYK files looking flat on digital screens.

Color mode also determines which special effects and transparency features are available to you during design. When collaborating with print vendors or web developers, confirming your color space upfront eliminates back-and-forth revisions and maintains color consistency throughout your entire workflow from concept to final delivery.

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