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printing drop shadows & spot colors

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DebbieAndingCook51

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Jul 2, 2002, 11:38:25 AM7/2/02
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I cannot get drop shadows to print in an eps file that I have used spot colors in. It cannot be a process file, it has to be spot. I had the same problem in ill 9 and I never figured it out and was hoping 10 would be better.

John Kallios

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Jul 2, 2002, 12:24:26 PM7/2/02
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Drop shadows created in Illustrator will separate to process every time regardless if you built the shadow from a spot color.

Work around is to use opacity mask to convert the drop shadow into a spot drop shadow

Example. Drop shadow size is 4x3
create a solid box 4X3 of the spot pms color (eg.286)
arrange the solid to be directly in back of the shadow.
Select both the shadow and solid and create an opacity mask with INVERT MASK check box turned ON. You now have a drop shadow that will preview and separate as a spot color.

(Warning, if you do not turn on the invert mask, you will have a reverse of your drop shadow)

See attached link for more info but this is the best way I have come across

John Kallios "Drop Shadow using PMS color" 7/1/02 1:06pm </cgi-bin/webx?50@@.ef95345/18>

Thurgood

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Jul 2, 2002, 1:35:45 PM7/2/02
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John that is really excellent and problably is a way to solve a few other spot color problems. Thanks for you great technique.

Wade

DebbieAndingCook51

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Jul 2, 2002, 2:29:33 PM7/2/02
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I want my drop shadow to be black, but my illustrator art has spot colors on top of the shadow. When I print it, the art prints and separates, but the shadow is not there at all.

John Kallios

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Jul 2, 2002, 3:00:32 PM7/2/02
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Wade

Yes the technique will also work for changing grayscale images into pms spot. Changing gaussian blurs or gradient meshes to pms spot and more.

Debbie

If you just want your drop shadow to print in black ink you rasterize the shadow in grayscale with a transparent background.

The issue of the shadow not printing can be numerous if you want you can email me a copy of the file and I can reply with a solution. (or reply with what the heck happened and I do not have a clue.)

jo...@orionprinting.com

joew

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Jul 16, 2002, 3:49:30 PM7/16/02
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Hi Debbie,

In the case of .eps file using Spot Colors I do this kind of work ALL day. No, black does not always print as process. A spot is a spot regardless of color. The most common mistake made when dealing with PhotoShop .eps (DCS2) files that contain spot colors or spot color channels created in PhotoShop is that the user forgets to strip out the original CMYK or RGB channels making the file a MULTICHANNEL.eps file . When you do this all your spot color channels will load into illustrator as spot colors regardless of the color or technique it is used for.

One thing to look out for is that any channel that is labeled over 21 characters long in PS and that includes spaces will not out put from Illustrator.

Good luck.

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