_mkn_ Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Hi all, Is there a way to import and use a NCS colour palette (.ase file) to Designer and Publisher? I managed to import a RAL palette to both Designer and Publisher (as a Document Palette), but with NCS.ase file, no luck. (The NCS.ase palette works in InDesign CS4) I'm using a MAC, if that makes any difference. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff MEB Posted May 4, 2020 Staff Share Posted May 4, 2020 Hi _mkn_, Welcome to Affinity Forums Affinity applications do support .ase file format. What happens when you try to import the file? Do you mind uploading the .ase file for us to check please? Here's a link to upload it directly to us. Thanks. Quote A Guide to Learning Affinity Software Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_mkn_ Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 7 minutes ago, MEB said: Hi _mkn_, Welcome to Affinity Forums Affinity applications do support .ase file format. What happens when you try to import the file? Do you mind uploading the asa file for us to check please? Here's a link to upload it directly to us. Thanks. Thanks for your welcome! When I import the NCS.ase file to either programs, it apparently opens it somehow but shows only the first colour of the palette (NCS S 0300-N). No error code or anything. And when importing a RAL-palette, it shows all the colours in the palette. I uploaded the NCS.ase file as requested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacerto Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 (...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_mkn_ Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 1 hour ago, Lagarto said: You can import the NCS.ase palette if you create the swatches palette in an Adobe app like Illustrator or InDesign. Then Affinity apps can read the .ase palette, and it seems the Lab based color values are read correctly. However the swatches are not spot colors. I am not sure if they could be defined as a .CSV file so that they could be used as spot colors. I made a test palette with InDesign and saved it and then imported it into both apps. Same thing than before, it only showed one colour, nothing else. I don’t know if this was what you meant that I should try? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderings Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 I have zero answers or suggestions, but I do have some curiosity. I have never heard of NCS colour. What is the purpose of it? I guess I mean what is the intended final result. Print, Web, Video? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacerto Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 (...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_mkn_ Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 Thanks a lot, that worked! Now I have a working NCS-palette for my Affinity apps, which is great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_mkn_ Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 1 hour ago, wonderings said: I have zero answers or suggestions, but I do have some curiosity. I have never heard of NCS colour. What is the purpose of it? I guess I mean what is the intended final result. Print, Web, Video? Well, I am a sculptor and I use NCS colours, for example, determining colours for glazed bricks or paints in sculptures. The other commonly used colour chart is RAL. Both are also widely used in industrial use. In the case of restoration, it is imperative to use the exact same colour in the future. And I've heard that NCS should be consistent in years to come. For example, the bricks I used in this (see link) are chosen from the NCS colour chart: https://www.mikanatri.com/public?lightbox=dataItem-jg7ep18o1 Should one of the bricks break (although unlikely), it can be replaced with a brick glazed with exactly same colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_mkn_ Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 1 hour ago, Lagarto said: I think that what I did was: Downloaded the palette from the manufacturer's site:https://ncscolour.com/design-old/work-digitally-with-ncs/ncs-in-adobe-cscc/ Imported it in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign CS6. Added all swatches of the NCS palette to Illustrator document palette, and then exported it as an .ASE palette. Imported the Illustrator exported .ASE palette in Affinity Designer: all colors are imported but they are process colors, not spot colors. But then I spent some time examining Github ASE decoding projects, and after twiddling a while, managed to create a "different PANTONE" .csv file, and got the colors successfully imported: ...and as can be seen, they export correctly as spot colors: But I'm not sure if this is legal, as extracting the color values in text mode might involve reverse-engineering of an .ASE palette (???). The palette itself, however, is available free of charge from the manufacturer. One minor restriction is also that it seems that it is not possible to use Lab color values. I included both sRGB and Lab based values, and Affinity apps do not seem to "mind" existence of the Lab color values as secondary values, but they only seem to read the sRGb values (similarly as with PANTONE colors). EDIT. The same method could probably be used to create any other spot color palette (TOYO, TRUCOLOR, DIC, HKS, etc.), and I think many users have done this, but I do not think that they are available as public assets on Affnity's site or even this forum, or???). Thanks a lot, that worked! Now I have a working NCS-palette for my Affinity apps, which is great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R C-R Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 6 hours ago, wonderings said: I have zero answers or suggestions, but I do have some curiosity. I have never heard of NCS colour. What is the purpose of it? I guess I mean what is the intended final result. Print, Web, Video? More info about the Natural Color System can be found for example here or here. In essence, it is a 3 dimensional color space model that is based on human perception of colors instead of a strictly additive (in that respect like the RGB) or a strictly subtractive (in that respect somewhat like the CMYK) model. It was derived (largely empirically) from the opponent process, which supports the somewhat controversial theory that there are three fundamental color 'channels' that can, in neurological terms, adequately explain human color vision. Quote All 3 1.10.8, & all 3 V2.4.1 Mac apps; 2020 iMac 27"; 3.8GHz i7, Radeon Pro 5700, 32GB RAM; macOS 10.15.7 Affinity Photo 1.10.8; Affinity Designer 1.108; & all 3 V2 apps for iPad; 6th Generation iPad 32 GB; Apple Pencil; iPadOS 15.7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tantoinette Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 I would like to import the NCS palette to my Affinity program as well, and went to the manufacturer's site, https://ncscolour.com/design-old/work-digitally-with-ncs/ncs-in-adobe-cscc/, as recommended by _mkn_ to download the .ase file. When I directly import the .ase file into Affinity, only the first NCS color appears, as already described by _mkn_ in May 4, 2020. As I do not have any Adobe programs I cannot import it and then convert it. Is there a method for importing NCS.ase without Adobe programs? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecifircas Posted January 24, 2023 Share Posted January 24, 2023 On 5/4/2020 at 1:56 PM, MEB said: Hi _mkn_, Welcome to Affinity Forums Affinity applications do support .ase file format. What happens when you try to import the file? Do you mind uploading the .ase file for us to check please? Here's a link to upload it directly to us. Thanks. Have you found the problem with the NCS file? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff MEB Posted January 25, 2023 Staff Share Posted January 25, 2023 Hi @Ecifircas, I'm having trouble finding the original file/report - still looking though. Meanwhile do you mind uploading whatever .ase file you are having trouble with using this link please? Thank you. Quote A Guide to Learning Affinity Software Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillustrator2 Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 Having the same problem here, no access to Adobe software. Any solutions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecifircas Posted September 27, 2023 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Hey, Sorry missed that. Here is the file in attachment. NCS.ase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecifircas Posted September 27, 2023 Share Posted September 27, 2023 On 5/4/2020 at 8:53 PM, _mkn_ said: Thanks a lot, that worked! Now I have a working NCS-palette for my Affinity apps, which is great! Hey, if you managed to generate a working NCS palette for Affinity, perhaps you could share it? It would be very helpful to me and probably a few other people here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.