Read the colors in your PDF
Upload your PDF or image, point at a color and get HEX, RGB and press CMYK (Coated FOGRA39). Exact vector colors from the file. Download as ASE for Illustrator. Free.
Need the exact color code from a logo, a print piece or an image? Point at the color with PDF.dk's picker and get HEX, RGB and press CMYK instantly - and for vector colors, the true value straight from the PDF. Collect your colors in a list and download them as ASE for Illustrator and InDesign.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How accurate is the CMYK value?
- For vector colors and text we read the true value straight from the PDF - it is exact. For pixels in images there is no single 'correct' CMYK; we convert the screen RGB through the Coated FOGRA39 press profile (ISO 12647-2), the European standard for coated offset. That gives realistic press values instead of the naive formula many tools use.
- Can I get the Pantone number?
- If the PDF contains real spot colors we show their names exactly as stored in the file, e.g. 'PANTONE 286 C'. We do not guess the nearest Pantone from a pixel - Pantone's library is licensed, and a guess would be misleading in print.
- What is an ASE file?
- Adobe Swatch Exchange - the swatch format used by Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. Open it from the swatches panel and your colors appear with names and CMYK values.
- Can I use a regular image?
- Yes. Upload a PNG, JPG or WebP and the picker works the same way. The 'Colors in the PDF' list only appears for PDFs, since it reads vector content.
- What happens to my file?
- The picker itself runs in your browser - the document never leaves your machine to be read. Only when you upload a PDF is it sent briefly to our Nordic servers to read the exact vector colors, and it is deleted again automatically within an hour.
How to
- Upload your PDF or image
- Point at a color and read HEX, RGB and CMYK in the loupe
- Click to add the color to your list and name it
- Download as ASE, JSON or CSS - or save as a brand palette