Choose File > Print.
- Illustrator User Guide
- Get to know Illustrator
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Create documents
- Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
- Accelerate workflows using the Contextual Task Bar
- Toolbar
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction to artboards
- Manage artboards
- Customize the workspace
- Properties panel
- Set preferences
- Touch Workspace
- Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
- Undo edits and manage design history
- Rotate view
- Rulers, grids, and guides
- Accessibility in Illustrator
- Safe Mode
- View artwork
- Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
- Files and templates
- Tools in Illustrator
- Tools at a glance
- Select tools
- Navigate tools
- Paint tools
- Text tools
- Draw tools
- Modify tools
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Quick actions
- Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
- Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
- Troubleshooting issues FAQ
- Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Create and combine shapes on the web
- Add and edit text on the web
- Apply colors and gradients on the web
- Draw and edit paths on the web
- Work with cloud documents on the web
- Invite collaborators to edit on the web
- Illustrator on the iPad
- Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
- Workspace
- Documents
- Select and arrange objects
- Drawing
- Type
- Work with images
- Color
- Cloud documents
- Basics
- Troubleshooting
- Add and edit content
- Drawing
- Drawing basics
- Edit paths
- Draw pixel-perfect art
- Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
- Draw simple lines and shapes
- Draw rectangular and polar grids
- Draw and edit flares
- Trace images
- Simplify a path
- Symbolism tools and symbol sets
- Adjust path segments
- Design a flower in 5 easy steps
- Create and edit a perspective grid
- Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
- Use objects as symbols for repeat use
- Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
- Measurement
- 3D objects and materials
- Color
- Painting
- Select and arrange objects
- Select objects
- Layers
- Group and expand objects
- Move, align, and distribute objects
- Align, arrange, and move objects on a path
- Snap objects to glyph
- Snap objects to Japanese glyph
- Stack objects
- Lock, hide, and delete objects
- Copy and duplicate objects
- Rotate and reflect objects
- Intertwine objects
- Create realistic art mockups
- Reshape objects
- Crop images
- Transform objects
- Combine objects
- Cut, divide, and trim objects
- Puppet Warp
- Scale, shear, and distort objects
- Blend objects
- Reshape using envelopes
- Reshape objects with effects
- Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
- Work with Live Corners
- Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
- Edit clipping masks
- Live shapes
- Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
- Global editing
- Type
- Add text and work with type objects
- Reflow Viewer
- Create bulleted and numbered lists
- Manage text area
- Fonts and typography
- Convert text within images into editable text
- Add basic formatting to text
- Add advanced formatting to text
- Import and export text
- Format paragraphs
- Special characters
- Create type on a path
- Character and paragraph styles
- Tabs
- Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
- Arabic and Hebrew type
- Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
- Creative typography designs
- Scale and rotate type
- Line and character spacing
- Hyphenation and line breaks
- Spelling and language dictionaries
- Format Asian characters
- Composers for Asian scripts
- Create text designs with blend objects
- Create a text poster using Image Trace
- Create special effects
- Web graphics
- Drawing
- Import, export, and save
- Import
- Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
- Save and export
- Printing
- Prepare for printing
- Printing
- Automate tasks
- Troubleshooting
Learn how to print and manage colors in Adobe Illustrator.
When you print with color management, you can let Illustrator manage the colors, or you can let the printer manage the colors.
Manage colors when printing via application
You can follow these steps to let your application manage colors while printing:
-
-
Select Color Management on the left side of the Print dialog box.
-
For Color Handling, choose Let Illustrator Determine Colors.
-
For Printer Profile, select the profile for your output device.
The more accurately the profile describes the behavior of an output device and printing conditions (such as paper type), the more accurately the color management system can translate the numeric values of the actual colors in a document. (See About color.)
-
(Optional) Set the Rendering Intent option to specify how the application converts colors to the destination color space.
In most cases, it is best to use the default rendering intent. For more information on rendering intents, search in Help.
-
Click Setup (Windows) or Printer (Mac OS) at the bottom of the Print dialog box to access the operating system print settings.
-
Access the color management settings for the printer driver by doing one of the following:
In Windows, right-click the printer you are using, and select Properties. Then locate the color management settings for the printer driver. For most printer drivers, color management settings are labeled Color Management or ICM.
In Mac OS, select the printer you are using, and select the color management option from the pop‑up menu. For most printer drivers, this option is labeled ColorSync.
-
Turn off color management for the printer driver.
Every printer driver has different color management options. If it’s not clear how to turn off color management, consult your printer documentation.
-
Return to the Illustrator Print dialog box, and click Print.
Manage colors when printing via printer
You can follow these steps to let your printer manage colors while printing:
-
Choose File > Print.
-
Select a PostScript printer from the Printer menu. To print to a file instead of a printer, select Adobe PostScript® File or Adobe PDF.
-
Select Color Management on the left side of the Print dialog box.
-
For Color Handling, choose Let PostScript® Printer Determine Colors.
-
(Optional) Set any of the following options. In most cases, it is best to use the default settings.
Rendering Intent
Specifies how the application converts colors to the destination color space.
Preserve RGB Numbers (for RGB output) or Preserve CMYK Numbers (for CMYK output)
- Determines how Illustrator handles colors that do not have a color profile associated with them (for example, imported images without embedded profiles).
- When this option is selected, Illustrator sends the color numbers directly to the output device.
- When this option is deselected, Illustrator first converts the color numbers to the color space of the output device.
- Preserving numbers is recommended when you are following a safe CMYK workflow. Preserving numbers is not recommended for printing RGB documents.
-
Click Setup (Windows) or Printer (Mac OS) at the bottom of the Print dialog box to access the operating system print settings.
-
Access the color management settings for the printer driver by doing one of the following:
In Windows, right-click the printer you are using, and select Properties. Then locate the color management settings for the printer driver. For most printer drivers, color management settings are labeled Color Management or ICM.
In Mac OS, select the printer you are using, and select the color management option from the pop‑up menu. For most printer drivers, this option is labeled ColorSync.
-
Specify the color management settings to let your printer driver handle the color management during printing.
Every printer driver has different color management options. If it’s not clear how to set color management options, consult your printer documentation.
-
Return to the Illustrator Print dialog box, and click Print.
We've got you started on how to manage colors when printing. Take a step forward and learn how to print gradients, meshes, color blends, color separations, and more about rendering intents.
Got a question or an idea?
If you have a question to ask or an idea to share, come and participate in Adobe Illustrator Community. We'd love to hear from you.