A useful way of defining specific colors is to create a named color. A named color allows a single point of definition and update for a color that is used extensively through a template or stylesheet. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer provides a method for creating a new color, which is then available from every location in which a color can be selected. The color can be specified using any of the supported color spaces, as a raster color or a gradient (see below).

Create named colors in an PTC ALD template and associate the template with your .style stylesheet. Use PTC ALD source code edits to call the named color, referring to it by name, wherever you wish to use that color.

PTC Arbortext Layout Developer provides support for a number of color spaces that are more specific to print. By default, PTC Arbortext Layout Developer uses the CMYK color space to define colors for all objects in a template, but it is also possible to use HSB and RGB values.

PTC Arbortext Layout Developer also provides support for a number of color books from the CSS specification and Pantone. These color books provide predefined definitions of colors that should be displayed or printed the same on any output device. The Pantone color books supported by PTC Arbortext Layout Developer are:

Colors from the Pantone and CSS color books are used by name and should be used as a named color.

PTC Arbortext Layout Developer color spaces will require PTC ALD source code edits in your .style stylesheet, or native PTC ALD templates.

PTC Arbortext Layout Developer provides support for graduated colors. They can be created and used in the same way any other color.

PTC Arbortext Layout Developer's graduated colors are built from a number of base colors and stops. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer creates a blend from one color to the next. A gradient can have several stops, each with their own color. The stops are positioned along a linear range. You may also control the resolution of the gradient and the way the gradient should expand or tile within the area that uses it. The gradient can also be rotated.

To use a gradient, create it as a named color in an PTC ALD template associated with your .style stylesheet. Use PTC ALD source code edits to call the named color, referring to it by name, wherever you wish to use that color.

You might wish to use a raster as a color if you have large text that should be printed using an image. For example, if you would like text to appear as though created from an image of clouds, you can use the cloud image as a color and apply that to the text.

It is possible to specify that a color is derived from a raster that is loaded, or linked, to a template. As with gradients, raster colors can be used wherever a color can be used. A raster color also has controls for its appearance and alignment within the area that uses it.

Create a raster color as a named color in an PTC ALD template associated with your .style stylesheet. Use PTC ALD source code edits to call the color, referring to it by name, wherever you wish to use that color.

When using a color in PTC Arbortext Layout Developer it is possible to specify its tint and brightness. This is similar to specifying color saturation and brightness in the HSB color space. Using tints and brightness is an excellent way of providing color coherence within a design, without requiring many colors to be defined.

To access tint and brightness, provide the necessary values as a ratio when calling the color. For example, for a 50% tint at 100% brightness of red, use 100/50 red. For a 25% tint at 50% brightness of blue, use 50/25 blue.

PTC ALD source code edits are required to access these features.

When creating PDF in PTC Arbortext Layout Developer, it is possible to specify the color mode. You can select from:

PTC Arbortext Layout Developer is able to generate color separations when printing to PostScript and PDF. If you wish to print one or more named colors separately to the others, or to print the CMYK plates with additional plates for named colors, you can do this by creating a print control stream in PTC Arbortext Layout Developer. You will need a native PTC ALD template to handle this, probably with the support of GSO or an PTC ALD partner.