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STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL
IN COLOR SEPARATION | CMYK &SPOT COLOR SEPARATION | By: Rodelio D. Balagot



	CMYK & SPOT COLOR FILE



	Figure 1: Converting to CMYK



	Selecting Overprint preview



	Figure 2: Print dialog box



	Figure 3: Marks and Bleed tab



	Figure 4: Output Tab



	Figure 5: Output Tab A. Indicates that the color will print. B. Indicates a spot color.



	Figure 6: Color Management Tab

Illustrator CMYK & Spot Color Separation

About Separations: An overview

To produce high-quality separations, it helps to be familiar with the basics of printing, including line screens, resolution, process colors, and spot colors.

If you are using a print service provider to produce separations, you’ll want to work closely with its experts before beginning each job and during the process.

To reproduce color and continuous-tone images, printers usually separate artwork into four plates—one plate for each of the cyan (C), yellow (Y), magenta (M), and black (K) portions of the image. When inked with the appropriate color and printed in register with one another, these colors combine to reproduce the original artwork. The process of dividing the image into two or more colors is called color separating, and the films from which the plates are created are called the separations.

First Step: Preparing artwork for color separation

Before you print color separations from Illustrator, it’s a good idea to perform the following prepress tasks:

First: Copy the Image " Vector Artwork" file onto your computer.

Launch Adobe Illustrator application.

Then, Open the illustrator file/ [take note file is still in RGB color format]

How: File > Open [Shortcut: Ctr+O] search from the place you saved
Action: Illustrator Vector artwork file will open in the screen

The document is in RGB mode, choose File > Document Color Mode > Select CMYK to convert it to CMYK Mode.

(See Figure 1)

Second Step: Overprint Preview before color sep

You can preview color separations and overprinting using the Separations Preview panel.
Previewing separations on your monitor lets you preview spot color objects in your document, and check the following:

When your image appears,
Choose Window > Separations Preview.
Select Overprint Preview.
To return to normal view, deselect Overprint Preview.

Note: Objects on hidden layers are not included in an on screen preview

Third Step: Print color separations

To print color separations from Adobe Illustrator CS3, choose File > Print.
When the Print dialog box appears, (See Figure 2) select a PostScript printer from the list of available printers.

PostScript printers have built-in software that reads and interprets PostScript language into commands for the printer.

How to print color separations on a non-PostScript printer?

If you want to print color separations from Adobe Illustrator CS3 on a non-PostScript printer, you should use RIP Software for Inkjet Printers (RIP - Raster Image Processor).

What is a PPD file and how to select a PPD (PostScript Printer Description) file?

In the PPD pop-up menu, select the PPD file.
A PPD (PostScript Printer Description) file contains information about the output device. For more information, use Illustrator help "Select a PPD file".

Please note: You can select a PPD file only when you have selected a PostScript printer or RIP Software (Raster Image Processor).

Changing Paper Size and Orientation

In the Media section, choose the paper size and orientation (portrait or landscape).

Add Registration Marks in your film output

Select the Marks and Bleed tab. (See Figure 3)
Select the Trim Marks tab.
Select the Registration Marks tab.
Select the Color Bar tab.
Select the Page information tab.

In the Marks and Bleeds tab, add Registration Marks to your document.

How to print Halftones

Select the Output tab.
The Output options in the Print dialog box appear.
(See Figure 4)

Change the Mode pop-up menu from Composite to Separations (Host-Based).
The ink settings are now enabled.
If you want to print only a certain Spot color, deselect all other print icons in the first column.

Emulsion and image exposure

(See Figure 5)

Emulsion refers to the photosensitive layer on a piece of film or paper. Up (Right Reading) means that type in the image is readable (that is, “right reading”) when the photosensitive layer is facing you. Down (Right Reading) means that type is readable when the photosensitive layer is facing away from you. Normally, images printed on paper are printed Up (Right Reading), whereas images printed on film are usually printed Down (Right Reading). Check with your print shop to determine which emulsion direction it prefers.
To tell whether you are looking at the emulsion side or the nonemulsion side (also referred to as the base), examine the final film under bright light. One side appears shinier than the other. The dull side is the emulsion side; the shiny side is the base.

Output mode options

Illustrator CS3 provides three choices for output mode:

Composite—This mode sends all of the color information in your file to your output device. This is the typical setting for everyday printing to a desktop color printer or a color copier.
Separations (Host Based)—This mode produces the separations on your computer and sends the separated data to your output device.
In-RIP Separations—This mode performs color separations at the RIP (Raster Image Processor), leaving the host computer free to perform other tasks. When using this mode the output device receiving the data must support In-RIP separations.

If you were to print color separations at this point, all the colors, including the spot colors in the artwork, would be printed into eight separations.

Check the box to the left of Convert all Spot colors to Process.( Figure 5) Now the spot colors will be broken down into the CMYK builds, and would be printed into four separations.

Uncheck the Convert Spot Color To Process, and the spot colors are no longer grayed out, and the process icon to the left returns to a spot icon, indicating that they are going to print.

As you learned earlier, you can print separations using process colors or spot colors, or you can use a combination of both. You’ll convert only the first spot color (PANTONE 185) to a process color because a precise color match isn’t necessary. The other spot color, PANTONE 2725 CVC, will stay a spot color because a precise color match is desired.

To convert Pantone color to a process color, click the spot color icon to the left of its name in the list of colors.

In the Frequency field, type 71 (LPI) for HP Printer.
In the Angle field, type in an angle, as shown in Table 1.
Please Note: If you use Simulated Process, change Angle settings to 22.5 degrees.
From the Dot Shape list, select Ellipse.

Process and Spot Colors	Frequency	Angles	Dot Shape
Four-Color Process
Cyan	71-150 LPI	15 degrees	Ellipse
Magenta	71-150 LPI	45 degrees	Ellipse
Yellow	71-150 LPI	75 degrees	Ellipse
Black	71-150 LPI	105 degrees	Ellipse
All Solid Spot Colors	71-150LPI	15 degrees	Ellipse
Simulated Spot/Process
Spot/Process Colors	71-150 LPI	22.5 degrees	Ellipse

LPI - The number of lines per inch in a halftone screen. The higher the LPI the finer the screen.

Please note, that the default values are determined by the PPD file.

Tip: Click the Done button in the Print dialog to save your settings and return to your document.

Select the Color Management tab.

Make sure that the settings in the Printing Method section are all and completely correct. (See Figure 6)
Click the Print button to start color separation.

Note: The color separation of 4 color CMYK and 4 spot color layout of your artwork will separate in 8 film output. Your job is done! Congratulations!