just pulled the trigger on Ultraseps

[Sbrem]

I got Mitch's book too; a lot of stuff I already knew, and few cool new tricks, plus another person's perspective is always helpful. I liked it, though a lot of the insets are a bit fine for my older eyes...

Steve

[whitewater]

i did buy the ultraseps about 4-5 years ago...i can not figure out how to use it.

[3Deep]

i did buy the ultraseps about 4-5 years ago...i can not figure out how to use it.

Has it been out that long already....time flys

[blue moon]

i did buy the ultraseps about 4-5 years ago...i can not figure out how to use it.

ultraseps seems to be easier than QS (if I remember correctly). With US all you have to do is push one button and it's done. So you might have the older version. In case you have the new one, RTFM!

pierre

[Sbrem]

i did buy the ultraseps about 4-5 years ago...i can not figure out how to use it.

Did you watch the 4 hour video that comes with it? And if you don't want to, ask away. To start with the basics; open the file, be sure it's in RGB, and there should be only 1 layer in your Layers pallet, and you need to name it "Layer 0" (without the quotes). Also, be sure it's on a transparent background. Then run the seps on the Actions pallet. Need help, just ask, we'll answer. Not to mention that you can write to Steve Roginski, the creator, and he is very good at getting back to you. But really, watch the video... And lastly, do you have UltraSeps, or QuickSeps? Either way, it should be pretty easy to follow.

Steve

[Flying Colors]

We use Ultra Seps and before used Quick Seps. Like Pierre said not one of the seps our artist does happens in one click. There is always some tweaking involved; which I think is to be expected since everyone prints so differently.

Attached are two jobs we ran this week that were sepped with Ultra Seps.

Mark

[whitewater]

Quickseps is what we have... Im self taught with these art programs so sometimes i get lost or do not understand whats going on..LOL

I will give it another go..

[Shanarchy]

I got quickseps pro a while back. In fact I forgot I even had it until I saw this post. It's not even installed on this computer. So, I probably should at least do that.

I probably fall into the same category as Rob/whitewater, self taught. I primarily use illustrator for everything.

For those that are using this, do you primarily use photoshop? Or a mixture of both?

I really need to step my graphics dept game up.

[screenxpress]

I'm pretty sure (almost positive)  QS and US only work as PS plugins

[Shanarchy]

I'm pretty sure (almost positive)  QS and US only work as PS plugins

Yeah, it is. I was wondering if the people using QS (a photoshop plug-in) did the majority of their work in photoshop. Or if they primarily used illustrator, as myself, and used photoshop just for random tasks.

[Dottonedan]

We had for years Quik Seps Pro and upgraded to UltraSeps when it first came out. We use it in some capacity almost daily. In my opinion it is well worth the money. It's definitely a time saver even if it doesn't get you all the way there.

Same here.  I've had Ultraseps a couple years now and find it does a good job most of the time.  Definitely a time saver. 

I will admit though I just recently purchased Mitch Different's pdf on manually separating and plan to go through it to try and find some of the tricks of trying to do it myself better than using the wand and Color Range.

THIS, (learning to do it yourself) manually, is better than any of the sep programs. I know shops ( semi to very experienced shops), that have bought each one of the sep programs from Quickseps, Ultra Seps, on up to SSR and set them all on the shelves to collect dust after trying them for 3 months. TO me, thats a shame but they apparently are of size to be able to afford that. After all, if paying $300-$1200.00 for one of these can really do what it's claimed, it would be worth it after doing your own seps for 12 jobs at $100.00 each from a sep source woudn't it. These shops I've seen, try to do their own for a while, then send out to me for a while, then back and fourth between sep programs, trying it themselves and back out to me. After a year or three, they (their art dept) are doing their own seps well enough with no sep program.


For owners needing to do it themselves, typically (rarely), do they get (very good) at it since they just don't have the time. They may have the understanding to be really good at it tho. Just not the time.  Take Pierre and also Danny from US REC. He's had the sep programs to assist, then sent out to me and a few others, then as he went, I'm sure he picked up a little from each program and each separation job we've provided. Now look at what he does today after a few years.Fantastic prints. Sure, the art is excellent eye candy type art but thats only a good portion of a good tee. For Danny, He's got his brother that is just as passionate so he's gotta little room to focus on what he can do to increase his sep abilities. It takes some time and dedication, but you all can do it.


In addition, if you get Mitch's book, it will assist you to work with and understand whats happening to the seps in sep programs. In the end, someone doing this, may come up with an even better sep program. There are plenty of great minds out there that can't sep yet, but if learned, they can open doors.


I don't use the exact same method as Mitch, or agree with (every little area) of what Mitch does, but the book is 90-95% all beef. The thought process is very similar, but not exactly how I do things. Like my process, his does work for him and has proven to work for others so how can you go wrong? Who am I or any one person to say that "it's the wrong way" or that THIS sep program is no good or that sep program doesn't use "this latest method" or that Channels are not accurate or Corel, Illy, PhotoPaint or Photoshop is not as good as X program or process. This method of selling is like someone selling a "How to print correctly" book. Correctly?  I don't know anyone that prints "correctly". One way makes 30% profit...and another can make 30% profit.  What of the two are "the right way"? Statements like that are sales pitches that (to me), are intended to miss lead and take advantage of those who are new to all this and simply just not experienced enough to see it.


Still tho, if even those types of company's and sep products do 3/4th of what they say it does (excluding the hype), then it is also another sep product worth buying, equally as much as any other. Again, I say, that each shop should have at least one of these. You might then, not be satisfied and try another, and another and another but eventually, if you are the type to dig in, you probably can end up doing your own seps eventually and skip entering an art file into a sep program at all. At this point, you then realize that your own manual method produces (that same quality or more often better) at the same or less time invested into all of the tweaking.


Maybe you might have invested $3000.00 in sep programs along the way, but over 1-5 years of sep jobs, you will get your ROI.

[Sbrem]

I agree with Dan that learning to do it yourself can be better than the seps programs, but do you have the time? Some of us were separating before digital, and have a lot of experience to guide us, not to mention the countless hours of tinkering with digital to gain all of that knowledge. So though I also suggest learning how to do it, I also recommend getting a seps program that cuts down the work. Then you can go to press at least, and see what your getting, and learn to tweak the channels from there. Pre digital, we would tweak the job on press screwing around with various pressures and angles, sometimes even adding Rhodamine Red to the Magenta to cool it down. I much prefer digital, and being able to have that control and editing capabilities...

Steve

[Dottonedan]

I agree with Dan that learning to do it yourself can be better than the seps programs, but do you have the time? Some of us were separating before digital, and have a lot of experience to guide us, not to mention the countless hours of tinkering with digital to gain all of that knowledge. So though I also suggest learning how to do it, I also recommend getting a seps program that cuts down the work. Then you can go to press at least, and see what your getting, and learn to tweak the channels from there. Pre digital, we would tweak the job on press screwing around with various pressures and angles, sometimes even adding Rhodamine Red to the Magenta to cool it down. I much prefer digital, and being able to have that control and editing capabilities...

Steve

Yes,  Thats another great things about being an owner and doing the seps yourself, or the sepper working at the shop. They can see first hand on press what they have done in the file and how it looks on press...and can adjust accordingly much more efficiently than sending the sep job out, seeing something on press that doesn't jive right...and sending an email (and photo if lucky) of the print then back to the printer with a response.  Having the ability to learn how this is done for a shop owner or art staff is priceless.

[GraphicDisorder]

Just purchased, let you guys know what we think of it.

[Homer]

P, is this what you used on the sample print you posted up yesterday?