VIDEO TUTORIAL: Spot Color Seps in Illustrator

[RisingSunGraphics]

Back again with another tutorial, this one pertaining to spot color separations in Illustrator.  In this tutorial, I talk about how I go about taking care of strokes and clipping paths, cutting things out and setting up a base to print while using the overprint command. 

I've been using this method for years and it has allowed me to literally fly through separations as I've set up the commands as actions and assigned them to hot keys.  I developed it for myself as a way to deal with all the varying type of art that comes into the shop from people who don't necessarily know how to set their files up for screenprinting purposes.

I hope you guys dig it.  Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions and/or input, comments are always welcome.

http://risingsungraphics.com/spot-color-separations-in-illustrator/

[Sbrem]

Very similar to what I've figured out as well, but I like to use Merge after the trim...

Steve

someone here shared that, I forget who, but it works very well.

[IntegrityShirts]

I remember sharing the Merge command, that's my go to tool.  Thanks for the tutorial, Rising.  I learned a few shortcut tricks and set up a hot key or two, should save a bunch of time!

[RisingSunGraphics]

I remember sharing the Merge command, that's my go to tool.  Thanks for the tutorial, Rising.  I learned a few shortcut tricks and set up a hot key or two, should save a bunch of time!

Don't you love setting up hot keys?  I set that entire method up on a couple different hot keys and as a result, it usually only takes me a minute or two to sep something like that.  I end up spending more time prepping tech packs and sending files than I do making the actual separations...all thanks to hot keys!  Gotta love 'em!

[Rockers]

Just wondering can you have a set of different commands on one hot key, a bit like a script? Or is really just one function per hot key?

[RisingSunGraphics]

Just wondering can you have a set of different commands on one hot key, a bit like a script? Or is really just one function per hot key?

You can set a hot key to any set of actions, no matter how complicated but it is important to note that they will run from beginning to end every time you employ them via a hot key.  If you're not familiar with actions, consider them like a DVR (or VCR if you're living in the stone ages).  Once you tell it to record, it will record your actions within the program.  Once you are done doing whatever it is you wanted to do, you tell it to stop recording.  At that point, you can go into the actions palette and edit out some of the commands you may not have wanted in there.  Once you like the action itself, you can assign a hot key.

Now...if I could set a hot key for cleaning my apartment and making me dinner, I'd be stoked!

[easyscore]

Great tutorial! You made my so much easier dealing with my crazy files send me. I was trying to find the hide tool you discussed in the video with no luck. Where is it?
Thanks!!!

[Rockers]

The "hide" tool is "command 3" if I`m not mistaken and the "alt command 3" is "show all". If you don`t use hot keys you will find both in the menu bar under "object".

[easyscore]

Thanks

[RisingSunGraphics]

Great tutorial! You made my so much easier dealing with my crazy files send me. I was trying to find the hide tool you discussed in the video with no luck. Where is it?
Thanks!!!

Thanks, Easy.  I hope to make some more here soon and will post links to them here once I do but feel free to check out my site in the meantime.  There are a bunch of posts about jobs I've done in the past but I try to give a tip or two about how I went about getting them sepped out so you may find something new in those as well.

The above post is correct as to how to hide and unhide objects.  If you're ever unsure, I also post reference guides below my videos on my site so you can hit 'em in a pinch without having to watch the entire video again.