Gonna need some advice on this one.

[Nation03]

One of my clients needs this design printed, and it's a little out of my comfort zone. What is the best way to go about this one? It is going on white shirts. Wasn't sure how to go about separating it. 4CP? Sim. Process? None of the above?

Any help is appreciated. I ran it through Quik Seps a few different ways but I'm still a little stumped on how to go about it.

[mimosatexas]

I guess you could call this sim process, but honestly I would just call this spot color with some halftone areas as you aren't really blending much to create secondary and tertiary colors like you do with process printing.  I would use:

• Navy: match the text and circle
• Blue: match the lines at the bottom
• Yellow: match the light
• Gray: match the sides by the light

Use the navy, blue, and gray to make your clouds with halftones and mix the blue and navy a bit to make the lighter navy on the side of the lighthouse.

If you want more accuracy you would need to use a lighter navy/reflex blue and a black to get all the shades of blue on the lighthouse base and because the text and the circle outline are actually different shades of navy, and there is some black detail below the light. This is one of those situations where I would adjust the art to print better with fewer colors vs adding colors to represent "poor" art more accurately.  From a graphic design standpoint, there is no reason why there needs to be 3 shades of navy and black and the lighter blue lines above the text and the blue in the sky all being different.  Make all the black and Navy the same shade, mix the navy and the blue to make the lighter navy on the base of the lighthouse, and use the navy, blue, and gray to make the sky.

[Nation03]

Thanks I appreciate the help. I adjusted the colors to what you said and it looks a little closer on photoshop to the original. I'm just losing a lot of the cloud detail on the bottom part of the design no matter what I do.

[Prince Art]

First question: How flexible is the client?
2nd question: Do any of these colors have to be exact Pantone matches?

In a friendly way, I'd be trying to adjust client expectations toward what makes this a simpler print. And size of order + how much the client is willing to spend affects how simple I'd try to make it.

As mimosa said:

This is one of those situations where I would adjust the art to print better with fewer colors vs adding colors to represent "poor" art more accurately.

Mimosa's other advice is probably the tack I'd take, integrating specific Pantone colors if needed. Or, if the client isn't very picky, I'd consider doing 4cp just to make separating easy. (Is that lazy? )

...a n d  you just posted while I was typing. Well, for what's worth, there's a little more input! Maybe 4cp would help with clouds. But one thing I definitely will add: be honest with the customer about what you can & can't do - controlling expectations goes a long way in keeping people happy.

[Sbrem]

Thanks I appreciate the help. I adjusted the colors to what you said and it looks a little closer on photoshop to the original. I'm just losing a lot of the cloud detail on the bottom part of the design no matter what I do.

You might copy one of the RGB channels and erase everything except the gray section...

Steve