Convert ACO to ASE
Convert Photoshop ACO swatches into ASE libraries for Adobe and compatible design applications.
How to convert aco to ase file
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A Photoshop palette may need conversion when another Adobe application or design tool accepts ASE but not ACO. Converting it creates a swatch library that can be imported into applications such as Illustrator, InDesign, and other ASE-compatible software.
What the ACO format is
ACO, or Adobe Color Swatch, is a Photoshop palette format. It stores color values and, in version 2 files, descriptive swatch names. Photoshop users exchange ACO files as preset libraries for brand colors, interface palettes, illustration colors, and print work.
ACO files can contain several color models, including RGB, CMYK, Lab, and grayscale. An ACO file is a swatch resource, not an image, document, ICC profile, or complete color-management configuration.
What the ASE format is
ASE, or Adobe Swatch Exchange, is a swatch-library format supported by Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and many third-party graphics applications. It stores swatch names, color values, color models, and—in applications that support them—swatch groups and spot-color status.
ASE is generally more suitable than ACO for sharing palettes between Adobe applications. It does not contain fonts, images, ICC profiles, or document-wide color settings.
How to convert an ACO file to ASE
Adobe Photoshop is the most dependable option because it reads ACO records and writes ASE files directly.
- Open Photoshop and show the panel with Window → Swatches.
- Open the Swatches panel menu and choose Import Swatches or Load Swatches, depending on the Photoshop release.
- Select the source
.acofile. Photoshop adds its colors to the current swatch collection. - If necessary, create a custom swatch group and move the imported colors into it. This makes it possible to export only the required colors instead of the entire collection.
- Open the panel menu and choose Export Swatches, Export Selected Swatches, or the older Save Swatches for Exchange command. Save the file with an
.aseextension. - In the destination application, use its swatch-library import command. In Illustrator, for example, use Swatches panel → Open Swatch Library → Other Library, then select the ASE file.
Menu labels differ between Photoshop releases. If the export command is unavailable, select or create a user swatch group and open that group's context menu; newer releases may expose the ASE export command there.
Online conversion options
Generic online converters usually support images and office documents, not Photoshop ACO parsing and ASE generation. No general-purpose online service should be assumed to preserve swatch names, groups, Lab values, CMYK values, or spot-color data correctly.
Use an online converter only if its current format list explicitly shows ACO as the input and ASE as the output, and then verify the resulting library in the destination application. For proprietary brand palettes, Photoshop avoids uploading the color data; a browser-based service is not a suitable substitute when privacy or exact preservation matters.
Compatibility and color limitations
Compare representative RGB, CMYK, Lab, and grayscale swatches after export. If the source or destination application cannot represent a color model, it may convert the color to another model or its working space, changing numeric values and possibly print results.
ACO version 1 files may lack the descriptive names available in version 2 files. During conversion, applications can also discard unsupported fields, duplicate-name distinctions, group structure, or spot-color metadata. ASE does not embed the ICC profile required to guarantee identical on-screen or printed color, so retain the source profile and document color settings with the palette.
ACO vs ASE: format comparison
How the ACO and ASE formats compare on the properties that matter most for this conversion.
| Property | .ACO Adobe Color Swatch | .ASE ASCII Scene Export |
|---|---|---|
| Open standard | No | No |
| Compression | Uncompressed | Uncompressed |
| Typical file size | Very small | Medium |
| Opens in a web browser | No | No |
| Further editing | Limited | Easy |
| Metadata support | Basic | Basic |
| Plain-text readable | No | Yes |
| Best used for | Graphics and illustrations | Data exchange |
| Introduced | 1990 | — |
| Developer | Adobe Inc. | Autodesk, Inc. / Discreet (associated with 3D Studio MAX ecosystem) |
Suggested software and links: aco to ase converters
Frequently asked questions
Will my ACO swatch colors stay the same when converted to ASE?
The swatch color values are generally preserved, but colors can change slightly when the source color space is interpreted differently or cannot be represented exactly in ASE. The result depends on the color profile and color model stored in the ACO file.
Are ACO swatch names preserved in an ASE file?
Named ACO swatches can retain their names in ASE, but unnamed swatches may remain unnamed and duplicate names may be handled differently by the destination application. Color-book or other source-specific information may not carry over.
Does converting ACO to ASE preserve swatch groups or folders?
The colors remain editable as swatches, but ACO and ASE organize libraries differently, so groups, ordering, and library-specific metadata may be flattened or rearranged. The conversion does not create editable artwork or image layers.
Why are some ACO swatches missing or changed after converting to ASE?
Swatches can be omitted or changed when they use an unsupported color model, spot-color setting, or color-book definition. The destination may substitute a compatible process color, which can alter the displayed or printed result.