Spot Process Separation Studio T
Tommasa Gaetz
I need a little help with converting a design to a vector with all separate color layers. I have managed to get away with it for a while but I want to learn the real way. Most designs work fine if you do the "High Fidelity" or one of the colors traces (3,6,16) and then select each color and separate it in color layers. This doesn't work however on very detailed designs where there is gradient textures and shadows. If I do it the way I've been doing it there would literally be 1000 layers because each color is slightly different. So how exactly would you go about doing an image like this?
I have a cloud subscription so the latest one. And I need all separate colour layers so the t-shirt place can print it. I'm assuming they are screen printing it which is why every colour needs to be separate.
Yes they need all separated colours, I have done work with them before. I can usually manage without because most places nowadays can print from a JPG file or a vector file like when I do High Fidelity, but they need it all separate. I'm just wondering how people do it.
"All" is relative. There are thousands of unique colors in the image. The T-Shirt company is not going to print "thousands" of colors. Ask them how many colors they can print. If cost is a factor the more colors the more expensive.
Thanks for that video. I actually have Separation Studio but it doesn't look like that video. I have the newest version, that looks like an older one. I don't really understand how to get it all ready for print though. I import my image but then it gives me options of Black, Yellow, Magenta, Cyan with shapes and sizes. Not sure what to do at this point.
You are completely mixing up things. No, they don't need separated colors because nobody in their right mind woulkd even attempt to print this with traditional silkscreen printing or other solid color methods. This is stuff that would be printed with inkjets directly or using indirect transfer methods. In that case AI would ever only be involved in creating a path for the die cut/ underprint outline and you'd prep the image in Photoshop to best accomodate the custom print profile regarding ink density, color profiles, overprint and what have you.
If they want to print a reduced color version based on vectors with a limited set of colors, regardless, then that's a completely different story and you need to talk to them which (spot) colors they intend to use and how many within the alloted budget and time, as obviously a standard CMYK spearation isn't going to do much here. If they don't support such a workflow, find another facility.
And on a general note: Talk to them! Getting stuff printed is at least 50% about communication and only the other 50% are about the technicalities. Randomly posting questions in forums when you even don't know exactly what they need and what their printing process is wastes everyone's time, no offense.
Artwork for screen printing does need to be color separated. But that usually means opaque spot color separations, not translucent process color separations. And again, for best results, those color separations should be solid line art (not course halftone or tint screens).
There is no "conversion" of raster images to vector paths. It's not a "conversion." It's just a tracing. It's not called auto-tracing for nothing. There is only re-drawing the design, whether done intelligently or by an automated algorithm that has absolutely no idea of what it is drawing.
Thinking of auto-tracing as a means by which to magically get the advantages of vector-based artwork out of raster-based artwork is like thinking tracing a watercolor painting with oil paint will give you the advantages of oil paint. They are two different mediums, with their own strengths and weaknesses. That's why they both exist.
It's the same with raster- versus vector-based electronic art. Raster-based artwork is by its nature appropriate for high "texture" detail. Vector-based artwork is by its nature all about sharp, accurate edges and smooth fills.
When delivering highly textured "distressed" artwork for screen printing, it is best done by building in a raster imaging program capable of displaying multi-channel artwork as spot colors. (Photoshop, PhotoPaint, etc.)
1. With your image open in Photoshop, go to Image > Adjustments > Posterize. Use the slider to limit colors. If you go to 4 colors, you'll see why it might just be better to use the 4 inks in process color to reproduce more colors. You can set it for however many color levels, but you might try 6 because, well, it looks better and there's a setting in Image Trace for 6 colors.
2. Another way to limit the colors would be to take the original image in Photoshop and go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). Use the Legacy one to set it to Gif and reduce the number of colors. You can play around with the settings to see which yields the results closest to what you want, but here are a couple of tips: Diffusion will use dots to make transitions between colors (which may or may not be what you want), and you can alter the Color Table to make a Custom setting. In the Color Table, you can select and delete similar colors and/or select a color and double-click it to change it.
Color separation software is an indispensable tool in the arsenal of screen printers, allowing them to transform full-color images into distinct color channels for individual printing. This process is pivotal in achieving precision and excellence in prints.
Halftones are another factor to take into consideration- a 35lpi can give your print a completely different look then a 55lpi print will. Your halftones can range from 35lpi to 65 lpi. I recommend using a RIP (raster image processor) to print halftones. In the pop up print dialog box select separations instead of letting the printer or Photoshop manage colors.
Color separation software can cut down the time spent preparing the artwork in any shop. That is to say, and the separation studio helps those who are not much proficient in software designing. Even the most advanced graphic designers can decrease the time they spend separating artwork. Therefore, if you are willing to invest in color separation software, this is the right blog for you. If you have any questions or feedback about the screen printing software, you are free to ask anytime via the comment box.
The Separation Studio employs the simulated process or the spot process. It will convert any digital file into spot color separations. Moreover, it is capable of generating a white under base for dark garments. There are other tools available to tweak and make adjustments without Photoshop or Corel Draw. Besides, you can reduce a full-color digital design down to only a few colors.
The SimpleSeps software features a comprehensive solution in one package like halftone rip, color management, color reduction, color separation, halftone preview, automated white base, and more in one system. Besides, you can install the Simple Seps on more than one network and work virtually from any place.
Ultraseps claims to provide the most features in one package than any other color separation software. It features easy-to-use features that anybody can use with little experience. Moreover, they boast that their new version, V2 is their best product yet. It features the new simulated process model called Sim process #3. Also, it produces a simulated process color using dual RGB channels.
The Quikseps is one of the most cost-effective color separation software in the industry. Its features include simulated process, auto color enhance, grayscale steps, halftones preview, exact CMYK process, spot color steps, auto color reducer, and many more.
The YRBGK color separation software is a plug-in for Photoshop and offers nearly all the features you need. It converts RGB images to multi-channeled images for screen printing. Furthermore, the developers also provide several other tools and software for screen printing.
The Xerio Sep is one of the easiest, fastest, reliable, and best color separation software for screen printing found by GRAFCOAST. It is designed to optimize the screen printing process and has an independent set of spot color separation. The complete chromatic range is excellent for optimizing images for inkjet printing. Above all, it enables the conversion of multichannel images and CMYK into a fixed ink set.
The EZ-screen can reduce your film/screen count to only 3 or 4 colors, instant preview feature, full-featured trapping systems, halftoning, and save films with master/slave settings. Moreover, you can keep default options to be used for new files, all colors, and backgrounds instantaneously as you change them.
The T-seps software is great at color separation and has many additional features like image effects, distressed look, un-sample low-quality images, etc. The tool/program converts colored images to black and white, improves poor JPG images, and creates halftone images.
Separation Studio is a software program designed specifically for screen printers. It is used to separate full-color designs into individual color layers for printing on a variety of substrates, including t-shirts, bags, hats, and more. With Separation Studio, users can easily separate an image into separate layers, each containing a specific color. The software uses a variety of algorithms to create high-quality color separations, and users can adjust settings to fine-tune the separations to their exact specifications. The software supports a wide range of file formats, including JPEG, PNG, PSD, TIFF, and more. It also offers a variety of color management tools, allowing users to control color accuracy and consistency across different printing jobs. You may also like GVERSE GeoGraphix Free Download
In addition to its separation capabilities, Separation Studio also offers a variety of other features designed to streamline the screen printing process. For example, it includes a powerful ink calculator that helps users determine the optimal ink amounts for each layer of a design, reducing waste and improving print quality. It also includes a step-by-step printing guide that walks users through the printing process, from pre-press to final print.
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