How do you convert an RGB into spot colors

[Prosperi-Tees]

Can someone check out a file I have and see if its possible to convert it to spot colors?

[sweetts]

post the file

[Prosperi-Tees]

I guess that would help.

[Frog]

If you work in Photoshop, you can use the Magic Wand tool or Color Range to capture the gray and red as channels.
There should be some basic tutes already out there for these fairly basic procedures. This one is pretty easy with the Wand and the Contiguous option unchecked.


Otherwise, with this particular design, a trace in CorelDRAW (or I assume Illustrator) may be another way that also sharpens it up a bit as well as allowing for easy spot color fills to the new vector objects.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I actually just finished up a trace in Corel and it worked out pretty good but I noticed my customer misspelled Psalm with Pslam so he will have to edit it. I have an old version of Photoshop (7) and was just trying to see if I could do it. I need to watch some tuts.

[Frog]

I wouldn't be surprised if your customer has these design elements as vector objects and the font as well. If he can correct the misspelling, he could also give you the font.
I do find that a lot of "digital DaVIncis out there use Photoshop on pretty simple designs on which I would use a vector program.

And yes, your PS7 can get you the two spot color channels either way I mentioned.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Awesome thanks Frog. I have been getting alot of psd files that are simple vector style art.

[Dottonedan]

Open in Photoshop, make sure your psd file is at actual size and at around 300ppi. If it's not, increase the size now. You want to make changes to a file that is at a clean Rez.

From the RGB layers, Select all, Copy, then paste into a new Channel. Adjust levels or curves. I this case, levels will be ok.  Drag the highlight (right side) range over closer to the center till you burn out that gray. Drag the shadow range over to make the darker art (red) more solid 100%.

To get the Gray, I would use the pen tool and draw paths. This makes everything sharp and clean because it's a smoother selection especially since you increased the Rez to 300. Next, make a selection from those paths and fill solid on a new channel. Make both channels spot channels to print.

[Frog]

Dan, I certainly defer to you on this, I learned only the basics of spot color seps via the Color Range and wand. I'd love to see a step by step as I am lost already at your first step of RGB layers. Isn't that channels? And when I do select all, and try to save it as a new channel, I get a black box for the whole canvas.

And Gerry, I bet that PSLAM is exactly what they want for wrestling!

[screenxpress]

I would just use Corel, which Gerry uses, and do a trace.  Then use the Oberon Color Replacer Macro to set to 2 Spot Colors after ungrouping. 

For the text though, I really would try to find (out) the font and redo that just for sharpness.

[Fluid]

Corel trace worked pretty good on this one. Just some slight node editing on the wrestlers.  (5 min edit)

Not 100% exact yet most likely would fly.  Especially since the original was pretty pixelated.



Vector PDF attached

[Prosperi-Tees]

Thanks Fluid.
Also thanks Dan.

There is alot I need to learn and hope to be half of what you guys are capable of one day.

[Sbrem]

Wasn't this image in Dan't tut?

Steve

[Prosperi-Tees]

Wasn't this image in Dan't tut?

Steve

Yes I was his inspiration! 

[Frog]

Wasn't this image in Dan't tut?

Steve

This thread illustrated a need which Dan decided to fill. (I just hear the tute is too damn long lol!)