Photoshop Artwork Help Needed!

[Printhouse]

I will preface this post with the fact that I normally do not use PS but instead illustrator and Corel.  I have a customer that has most artwork done in PS with CMYK.  It is usually not a big deal since EVERYTHING I have done to this point has all been spot colors.  I can take those files into Illustrator and Live Trace them then apply my spot pantone solid colors as needed.  I actually usually use Corel to output the separations.  This has got me by and I have done hundreds of spot color designs like this.  But today they want something quite a bit fancier!  I am going to attach the image here and try and get some feedback.  At this point they just want me to quote the job from 34 up to 144 shirts, Print only.  I was wondering if some of the PS users could give some suggestions or am I better off to outsource the separation work to a pro?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I knew this time would come eventually!

[Fresh Baked Printing]

Using the Color Range feature in PS may work http://www.freshbakedprinting.com/resources/psseps.pdf

I can separate spot colors in PS with my eyes closed but gradients can be a challenge for me at least.

It may be a job for a separation pro. Somebody else could do it faster and better and save you money in the end.

[Printhouse]

That is what I am thinking.  I have no problem with that at all! I am hoping one of the pros will chime in!

[Denis Kolar]

To me it looks like solid light blue, with the screened dark blue on a top of it and screened black last.
Or you might screen light blue too in opposite direction of the dark gradient.
Or, I'm thinking too much about Flexo printing.

Newbie here, please correct if I'm wrong (it is a very good possibility that I am).

[blue moon]

that is probably in layers and possibly even embedded vector file, can you post the psd and I'll take a look?
If it is vector, it will take 15 min to separate. straight up raster, you might want to send it to Dan.

It is not difficult, it's just that nailing those gradients so you have a smooth transition rather than a jump takes a little bit of experience.

pierre

[inkman996]

That is still a pretty simple image easily printed with spot colors. It sounds to me like you should be able to get the file unflattened if that is the case it should not be hard to sep or trace yourself, if flattened then it will take a bit more work ofcourse.

[shellyky]

call me a cheater, but i swear by this for anything with a halftone on it.
http://www.softwareforscreenprinters.com/separation-studio

[Artelf2xs]

personally, I'd just recreate that in Illustrator... you get much better butt registration on the solid areas...
The image in the back is just a shape filled with a gradient.

[Lizard]

Use the color range in photoshop but do not use the eyedropper.  Instead use the colors in the dropdown.  Cyan, then save.  Then use blue, then save.  Then duplicate the black from cmyk.  Are you using white or is it printing on a white shirt?  That gets a little tricky but not that hard.  Now turn on the channels and double click on each and set the colors.  Set black at 100% and all other colors at 10%.  Adjust your curves until the image looks like you want it.  The print order will also affect how the print looks so move the colors around.  Now you have to make sure you have your dot gain set accurately so the image on the screen matches what you will get on the press.  If it is not set just curve everything back (lighter) just a little.  You should be done in about 10 minutes.