Swatch Mill Documentation

Everything you need to install and use the Swatch Mill plugin for Adobe Illustrator.

System Requirements

— Adobe Illustrator CC 2020 (v24.0) or later
— macOS 10.14 Mojave or later, or Windows 10 (64-bit) or later
— Active Creative Cloud subscription (any plan that includes Illustrator)

Installation

Swatch Mill is distributed as a signed .zxp package. You'll receive a download link in your purchase confirmation email.

1 Download the SwatchMill.zxp file from your purchase confirmation.
2 Install Adobe Extension Manager CC if you don't already have it, or use the Anastasiy Extension Manager (a free alternative).
3 Open the Extension Manager, click Install, and select the downloaded .zxp file.
4 Restart Adobe Illustrator. The Swatch Mill panel will appear under Window → Extensions → Swatch Mill.

Getting Started

Open Swatch Mill from Window → Extensions → Swatch Mill. The panel docks like any other Illustrator panel — you can place it wherever suits your workflow.

On first launch, the panel shows an empty state with a single Scan Document button. No configuration is required — just open a document and scan.

Scanning a Document

With your Illustrator document open, click Scan Document in the Swatch Mill panel. The plugin traverses every object across all layers — fills, strokes, gradients, and pattern colors — and compiles a deduplicated list of unique colors.

Tip: To scan only a selection, select the objects you want and click Scan Selection. This is useful for extracting colors from a specific artboard or group.

Scan results appear as a color grid in the panel, with each swatch showing its color value (HEX, RGB, or CMYK depending on your document color mode).

Reviewing Results

After a scan, you can:

— Rename swatches — double-click any swatch name to edit it.
— Merge similar colors — select two or more swatches and click Merge to combine near-duplicates into one.
— Delete unwanted colors — select and delete swatches you don't want in your final library.
— Sort — sort by hue, lightness, or usage frequency.

Exporting Swatches

Once you're happy with your palette, choose an export target:

Add to Illustrator

Pushes all swatches directly into the active document's Swatches panel. Ready to use immediately.

Export as ASE

Saves an Adobe Swatch Exchange file compatible with Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and other Adobe apps.

Export as CSV

Exports a spreadsheet with swatch names, HEX codes, and CMYK/RGB values — useful for brand documentation or developer handoff.

Troubleshooting

The panel doesn't appear in Window → Extensions

Make sure Illustrator was fully restarted after installation. If the panel still doesn't appear, verify that the ZXP was installed correctly by reopening the Extension Manager.

Scan returns 0 colors

This can happen if all objects in the document have no fill or stroke. Check that your document contains colored objects before scanning.

Colors look different after export

Ensure your document color mode (RGB vs CMYK) matches your intended output. Color conversions between modes can shift values — Swatch Mill preserves the values as-is in the document's native mode.

Still stuck? Email support.

Changelog

v1.0.0 — Initial Release

+ Full-document and selection-based color scanning
+ Duplicate detection and merge tool
+ Export to Illustrator Swatches panel
+ ASE export
+ CSV export
+ RGB, CMYK, and spot color support