Printing seps from PS

[3Deep]

How many of you print your seps right from Photoshop?, I print my cymk/simprocess from there, but really thinking about doing all my seps straight from Illy using DCS2 because I think I would have more control over the seps in Illy than PS.  Anyone got some tips to share with me and what do you think...

Darryl

[Sbrem]

Hey Darryl, that's my everyday process. So, you set up your channels in photoshop with each channel assigned a spot color, usually from the PMS palette. Let's say you have an American Flag, red, white and blue RGB or CMYK image. Click on a red stripe with the magic wand tool, (tool options above, do not check Contiguous) and it will select all of the red stripes; on your Channels palette, at the bottom, second icon from the left is "Save as a channel", click it, now your red stripes are an individual channel. It will probably be a negative (black background with white stripes) so invert that channel (Control I, I think, it's Command I on a Mac) so the stripes are black and the background white. Now, double click that new channel and get the Channel Options box; check spot color (3rd one down) then double click on the color chip; this takes you to the color picker, then click the custom color button, which should take you to a PMS pallette, type 185 and the PMS 185 chip jumps up and is selected (it doesn't have to be 185, any red is fine) click OK. Note that in the Channel Options box, the title is now the PMS color you picked, click OK. That channel is done, now do the same for the blue, and the white. After you've made your 3 new channels, Save As DCS 2.0 (which will give it an .eps extension, that's fine as long you are aware of that). Now, open a new, blank page in Illy, and "Place" the new DCS file you made. When it comes in, it will add your three spot colors you made in Photoshop into your Illustrator color palette. You are also placing the original RGB channels as well, but don't fret about that, it shouldn't matter. Now, when you go to the print dialog in Illy, set your printer, it's page size, then click on Output, select separations. In the color list below, you will see your spot, be sure they are checked so that they print, and you will also have the CMYK colors checked, but UNCHECK those. They show up because Illustrator converts the RGB channels to CMYK, just be sure they are unchecked, and they won't print and you won't waste film by mistake. Also, if you have tones in your art, don't forget to set the linecount, angle and dot shape to the right of the checkmarks next to the colors you are printing. Tag, you're it...

Steve

[ebscreen]

We print everything from Illy. It's made for layout/output, so that's what we do.

[Dottonedan]

Steve, that's a good post. Great detail and step by step process.

I fall back on what I've always believed. The only reason I would use DCS2 method is if I had a rip that for whatever reason that would not let me print staring from the program I created the art in.

People use DCS2 placed in Illustrator or Corel usual only because that is what they are comfortable in.
I don't get why. I may not know enough about all of the hang ups of different rips.

What is it from ver toe programs that is enticing to go through the extended process of taking it into and outside program and printing from that?

From my perspective, their is no feature in a vector program that I can't do as well if not better in photoshop. Then consider that process (once done in photoshop) of getting it in to and printing from any other program.

I know experience had much to do with the ease, but really, I do almost 100% of everything in photoshop, even vector art of any kind.
If (you can) print film from photoshop, then why take it out?

Now, I'm not preaching to be like me and only use photoshop, but I fail to see the need (the requirement)
To drop it in yet another program.

I'm not even against it if it has some merit. I just might not be seeing something.what can you do in vector that you can't in photoshop? What kind of control?

[3Deep]

Thanks Steve for the tut, @ Dan my normal thing is if I did the art in Photoshop then I will print it out from there same as Illy, I just wanted to know if anyone got better seps by placing PS files in Illy to sep for film.  I might have ask my question wrong so I ask this way...what program do you prefer to print your art for film out put.

d

[abchung]

I usually transfer everything to Photoshop then seperate into channels using the "select->color range" method.That way I have control in expanding or contracting my selection. Also I won't miss any section of the design.

I don't know how to use Illustrator that well because I started with Corel.

[Sbrem]

I was going to write that it's one way of doing it, but not the only way. Color Range is also a great tool, and I use it a lot as well, but it doesn't always give me what I want, and since there are other options available. We still like to do our type in Illustrator, so importing the DCS file just fits the groove. So Dan, my question for you is, does the vector text in PS print with a hard edge as compared to raster text at say, 300 ppi which might have a slightly discernible rough edge? (I know by the time it gets on the weave of the shirt this ends up being purely academic, but it's good knowledge to have) I have used most of the other methods, but I'm comfortable knowing I can just do it and get the films out (quiet you DTS guys

Steve

[inkman996]

I have to deal with PS files so rarely that it simply does not make sense for to to go through the hassle of figuring out how to make my RIP work with PS. Just put the files in Corel and print easy as pie.

[Squeegie]

I will output the files from whatever program they were created in...unless it is a file that I need to bring in to PS for some effect that I don't know how to sep correctly in Corel.

I never understood taking the seps from a program and putting them into another just to print.  Now, if you have elements laid out in another program and you want to place a piece of art into it I can understand.

I have never seen any jagged edges on text elements from within PS that were visible to the naked eye once printed on the garment.  Is there a difference in the edge definition on the films?  Sometimes, but as I already stated, not really an issue once it is on the shirt.

[Sbrem]

For me, when I started doing it, PS 3.0 or so, text from a vector program was far superior. Also, we could save the PS files at a ppi that was 2X the lpi, so a 50 lpi halftone could be saved as a small, 100 ppi file, brought into Illustrator and you would get your sharp text there and no degrading of the image. A while later, as computers' processing power stepped up, you could do the whole thing in PS at 300 ppi and up, I just never adapted from the old method, which I just whip through. I'll check out doing the whole thing in PS sometime when I'm not too damn busy...(holy doodoo, it's crazy here)

Steve

[tpitman]

With the removal of halftone specs since CS5, I've set up a template in Illustrator with the registration marks that match the one on my screen registration board. Drop the first .ps file into place, then duplicate the art board for however many seps there are, then click on each subsequent one, select "place" and the "replace" checkbox at the bottom and drop the next one into the same spot.
Then I output a postscript file if I'm going through Ghostscript.

[Sbrem]

I was just thinking about this and suddenly remembered that from CS5 up, the halftone setting function is gone, so I think maybe one has to export them. Since I don't print from PS, I forgot all about it. And I see Mr. Pitman added this as well. I do have a RIP, so that's not an issue. Damn Adobe, I hate them but love their products...

Steve