Extract text from Adobe swatch files (ASEF)
To convert ASEF swatches to another format, you need Adobe Illustrator or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "Color Swatch File" file type, you need software like Adobe Illustrator or a similar tool.
The .ASEF file extension stands for Adobe Swatch Exchange File. It is a proprietary settings file used by Adobe Creative Cloud applications - such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe InDesign - to store and share custom color palettes. Designers use these files to ensure brand color consistency across different projects and software platforms.
While useful within the Adobe ecosystem, .ASEF files present several disadvantages for everyday users. They require a paid Adobe subscription to open natively and cannot be previewed in web browsers, standard image viewers, or basic text editors. For a developer or a client who simply needs the raw HEX or RGB color codes for a website, receiving an .ASEF file is highly restrictive and frustrating.
To make these color palettes accessible, you will need to convert the .ASEF file. We recommend extracting the data into a CSV or JSON file if you need the raw color values for coding or web development. Alternatively, converting it to a PDF or JPG provides a simple visual reference sheet. Note that when converting to non-Adobe formats, specific print-focused color metadata - such as Pantone spot color definitions or exact CMYK profiles - may be simplified to standard RGB or lost entirely.
This file format is notoriously difficult to open outside of its native environment because it relies on Adobe's specific binary encoding. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the swatch data without misinterpreting the color values. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ASEF file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert ASEF file to INI, CFG, CONF, CONFIG, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, ENV, PROPERTIES or RC, you can use Adobe Illustrator or similar software from the "Color Palette Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert ZSHRC, CONF, RCFILE, GITCONFIG, RC, PLIST, BASHRC, CONFIG, PROFILE, INI, PREFS or CFG files to ASEF, try Adobe Illustrator or another comparable tool in the "Color Palette Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our ASEF converter.