Computers and Software > Raster and Vector Manipulation Programs, and How to Do Stuff in Them.

Photoshop Seps - Channels or Layers?

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Sbrem:

--- Quote from: Nation03 on September 25, 2020, 09:49:01 AM ---Can someone tell me the benefit of doing seps in channels instead of layers? Channels always seem to take longer for me, but I've always wondered the benefits of channels vs layers.

--- End quote ---

For me, that's how I was taught way back. We'd take an image into two files, one RGB, and the other CMYK, just to get 7 different channels to work with to get started. In layers, I make changes to the art if necessary, and then created a channel for that change (extremely easy). You can save your channels as spot PMS colors, and your black and whites can also be saved as spot colors as well by adding to their names; I use Black spot and White spot, if there 2 whites, then they are titled Underbase white, and highlight white. Once the channels are saved, we save as .psd, and import that into Illustrator to print films, the file adds it's spot color names to your color pallet in Illustrator. Then, I delete All Unused Colors from the pallet, leaving just the spot colors behind. This makes it very easy to make the color tags the proper spot color. That's why we do that here...

Steve

Steve

rusty:

--- Quote from: ebscreen on September 25, 2020, 11:43:34 AM ---some of the stuff us red-headed-stepchildren-of-the-printing-industry do in Adobe
products isn't well documented.

--- End quote ---

First of all, as a former red headed child I feel attacked, and second...yeah I was never shown how to do a lot of things properly in photoshop. I am sure a few of my bastard techniques would make the pros cringe. That and how slow I am.

Currently making my way through the Mitch Different book.

Dottonedan:
First and foremost, I’m so glad someone brought this up.


There are “separation”settings one must set up in Photoshop that Gets applied during the conversions. RGB to CMYK, A greyscale channel to a spot color (in your file). THEN, you also need to be sure these are embedded with your file. SO that you don’t open it up in another program to print film...and THAT programs color settings override what you really want.  This pertains to gain and various areas of the tonal curves on all greyscale seps (very important for 4 color process) and now channel (spot) color seps.  So wether you use Layers to do your seps or Channels, the benefit is in the conversion.


If you don’t know about color settings in Photoshop, and you are outputting from layers...then the settings that are already in your photoshop by default...and being Locked into your file. That’s not a good thing if you are printing anything with TONE.  It’s not set up for screen printings...and gain...and Total ink limit...and UCR or GCR.  Well, it is...but it’s the Adobe default.


For a lot of people, that’s not a problem since they don’t get into too much tricky stuff and are not in the business to print to perfection. This applies to the people that just get a file into Photoshop and print the original CMYK conversion using nothing but the default and wonder why the print isn’t looking good. There’s more....


When you send from layers, it’s taking the layer and converting it to an only black at output. But, BUT, there is no correct CMYK conversion going on there. You are dropping it into another program and applying THOSE color settings whatever they may be. Some people will then send that RGB or CMYK layer to a AUTO SEPARATION program that essentially applies the setting that it has build in. Again, less control. Those, should be designed dot convert with some compensation, but after testing almost everyone there is, I don’t see them converting (as well) as I do it or other pro separators. That may be more due to it applying some form of compensation (for all images across the board) and ALL printers as like an average. Guessing.

Nation03:
Kind of makes my head spin trying to decode this information lol. Is there a course or youtube video anyone can recommend? My layer separations have never really been an issue, but I don't do tonal prints all that often and when halftones are involved it's usually simple enough that I can get by. That being said I do like to improve my process and quality wherever I can so I'm open to learning new techniques.

brandon:
If you don't have an art department or too busy even for them send it out. The money spent will save you time which in my opinion is twice as important as money because it lets you make more money.

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