Datasheet

655
Book IX
Chapter 1
Prepping Graphics
for Print
Creating Spot Color Separations
7. Click OK to close the dialog box.
Your spot channel appears in the Channels
panel and is filled in the image, as well. I cre-
ated a spot channel for my crest graphic and
for the type (Pantone 7417C), as shown in
Figure 1-5.
In the printing process, spot colors are over-
printed on top of the four-color image, as
shown in Figure 1-6. That means that the spot
color is applied at the end of the printing
process and is printed over the other inks.
This can sometimes cause lighter spot colors
to darken somewhat.
If you need your spot color graphic to knock
out the underlying image, create it in an illustration or page layout pro-
gram. A knockout is a hole left in the four-color image, which is filled
with the spot ink. The spot ink
doesn’t print over the other inks.
8. Save the image in the native
Photoshop, Photoshop PDF, or
Photoshop DCS 2.0 (Desktop Color
Separations) format.
If the image is being separated
directly out of Photoshop, leave it
as a PSD or PDF file. If you want to
import it into a different program,
such as InDesign, or QuarkXPress,
you must save it as a DCS file. If
your image is a duotone, tritone, or
quadtone image, you also have to
go through a few more hoops. You
must first convert it to multichannel
mode by choosing Image➪Mode.
In the DCS 2.0 Format dialog box,
make sure that the Include Halftone
Screen and Include Transfer options
aren’t selected.
Import the image into your destina-
tion application and set your screen
angles.
Figure 1-5: The Channels panel
displays the spot channel.
Corbis Digital Stock
Figure 1-6: Spot colors are often used for
color critical logos that print on top of your
image.