How the Color Shotgun works is it converts the selected color into a L*a*b color or Lch color then creates a range of colors and converts those to the output color.
The Color Shotgun is NOT a CMYK mixer. It creates a range of colours based on the perceived difference between the colors and does not just change the colour formula which would result in duplicated colors and a messy layout.
The colors are arranged by Hue, Lightness and Saturation (chroma) or by the grey balance. This results in a chart with a logical and predictable layout making it easy to pick the correct color.
Its main purpose is to create a printed color chart based on a starting color , so you can then match the printed colors by eye (or with a measurement tool) to a sample such as a Pantone color from a Pantone book or a customer supplied sample.
Since this is designed to be used when you do not have an exact match, a small error in the starting color is not a problem, as you will be printing dozens or 100's of swatches close to the starting color, one of these will usually be a match if the color is in Gamut.
CMYK Conversions
CMYK colors may not be converted to the same color formula on the chart, This is because the starting color is converted from CMYK to a L*a*b color then back to CMYK. and black values are not preserved, and since there are multiple ways to create the same in CMYK, the output color formula is determined by the ICC Color Profile used.
Secondly, The assumption is that the starting CMYK color is not correct and that the goal is to find a CMYK mix that produces the correct color on a digital printer that matches a sample or colour book. To that end, the actual CMYK mix used is not as important as the colour produced.
It's important to remember that when printing to a digital printer, the color in your file is not the color formula used to print to the media. If your artwork is CMYK 0,100,50,0% that formula simply tells the printer what color you want. That formula will past through multiple color profiles and correction curves, so the actual mixtures of ink used on the media will be different. It should not be a concern if your starting colour changes from CMYK 0,95,70,25% to something more random CMYK 18,100,81,9% as they both will print the same colour on a digital printer.
Grids
The colors are created in a logical grid using two methods. This logical ordering makes it much easier to find the right color. Always start with the center swatch on the middle block. You can choose how many steps in each grid and also the range (difference in color)
LCH Grid
This is used for most colors, where each block is a different hue (color) and in each block the colors are lighter on top and darker on the bottom, less saturated on the left and more saturated on the right.
Lab (Grey) Grid
For Greys and low saturated colors, each block is a different lightness, and in each block the color will vary, left is more green, right is more red, up is more yellow, down is bluer. This grid makes is easier to find neutral colors
Delta-E
Delta-E is a standard way of measuring color differences, Each preview swatch indicates the delta-E difference to the sample color so give a guide to the differences.
Color Profile
Make sure the color settings match your desired output profile, you can see the output profile by expanding the output sectio
Some key points to note:
PowerScripts can read .acb files such as PANTONE+ Solid Coated.ACB, Until November 2022, these were supplied with Illustrator; however, after 2022, you must provide your Pantone color books.
To use Pantone Colors, your options are
Where to place the .abc files
ASE files We are adding in support in a future update for ASE files.