Datasheet

653
Book IX
Chapter 1
Prepping Graphics
for Print
Creating Spot Color Separations
Table 1-3 (continued)
Option What It Does Recommendation
Interpolation Anti-aliases low-resolution
images by resampling.
Available only for PostScript
Level 2 or laser printers.
Leave it deselected.
Include
Vector Data
See the “Saving and Printing
Vector Data in a Raster File”
section, in this chapter.
Leave this option selected
if you have type or vector
paths.
Screen Creates a custom halftone
screen by changing the size,
angle, and shape of the half-
tone dots.
Leave this set to Use
Printer’s Default Screen.
Let the service bureau or
offset printer change it, if
necessary.
Transfer Redistributes brightness levels
in your image.
I wouldn’t mess with this
setting unless you’re a pre-
press professional.
Send 16-Bit
Data
Sends 16-bit information to the
printer.
Select this option only if
your image is 16-bit.
Creating Spot Color Separations
Photoshop allows you to add separate channels for spot colors (see Book VI,
Chapter 1, for more on channels), which can then be color separated. Spot,
or custom, colors are premixed inks manufactured by various ink companies,
the most popular in the U.S. being Pantone. A spot color is often used for a
logo, type, or small illustration. Spot colors are also used when you need to
apply metallic inks or varnishes to your print job. Spot colors can be used
rather than, or in addition to, the four process CMYK colors.
If you’re delving into the world of spot colors, I highly recommend that you
choose your color from a printed Pantone swatch book, available from www.
pantone.com. Because your screen is an RGB device and you’re setting up
your file for a CMYK output device, the colors you see on-screen don’t match
the colors that are ultimately on paper — at best, they’re a ballpark match.
For accuracy, you must select the colors from the printed swatch book. For
more on working with color, see Book II, Chapter 3.