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Posted on 27/09/05 4:30:26 PM |
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CaraDunn
* Posts: 20 Reply |
Spot colour in photoshop problem
Hola everyone again, I have another problem, this bear needs to be on this gold background. Problem is it needs to be a Panton Metallic spot. So I need to set it up in photoshop. Is it possible to get that shadow under the bear and all his soft edgeing looking like it does in this RGB version to work with a pantone spot metallic channel? Pleaaaaase help, all I can find online is how to do wording or simple shapes and varnishes in photoshop but how do I do soft edge shadows over a channel please. Thanks in advance all 
xxx Cara  |
Posted on 27/09/05 4:44:26 PM |
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CaraDunn
* Posts: 20 Reply |
P.S. Spot colour in photoshop problem
What file format do I save it in once its been set up? PSD won't import into quark or indesign.... so does anyone know which file format will preserve that 5 channel info please? Thanks again. x Cara |
Posted on 27/09/05 4:44:45 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7047 Reply  |
Re: Spot colour in photoshop problem
Spot inks, particularly if they're metallic, are almost always printed last. In which case, the only way you could make a shadow appear on top of the gold would be to add a solid black background, then paint out on the gold layer where you want the black to show through, revealing the 'shdow' underneath. It's a little dodgy, and you may find your printer throws a fit when he sees what you've done. But some printers will add the black plate last - it all depends on the printing process. In this situation, you'd be able to paint the shadow just on the black channel, and it would print OK. Either way, you're going to need to convert the doc to CMYK first, and then add an additional channel for the gold. Then save it as a multichannel document - most likely, in EPS format, which is the safest for this method. Talk to the printer, if you can! Is it possible to get them to run a proof first? I really think you need to see the results before committing yourself to a large print run! Like the way you've pixellated the bear's feet to preserve its anonymity. Just like in police footage. |
Posted on 27/09/05 11:25:42 PM |
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Neal
Master Manipulator Posts: 322 Reply |
Re: Spot colour in photoshop problem
Open the file in Photoshop and make the color CMYK. If the bear has a mask, save it as an alpha channel. Make sure the drop-shadow is not part of the alpha channel. If the bear is on his or hers own layer, activate the layer with a click of it's name while holding down the Control (or Option if you use a Mac) key. Save the selection as an alpha channel. Again, make sure the shadow is not part of the selection. Whichever method you use, find the channel and invert it so you have a white selection on a black background. Now for the shadow, make a selection of it, subtract the bear selection, and save it as an alpha channel. This time don't invert the channel. Name it "shadow". You should have a grey mass on a white background. Hide the drop-shadow or delete the drop-shadow layer. Now the magic: change the mode from CMYK to Multichannel. Look at the Channel palettes, and activate the alpha channel with the bear selection in it. Hang in there, we're almost done. Make a New Spot Color and set its options to 0% Solidity. Click the small color icon and find the Pantone colors. Pick your Metallic PMS ink, If it does not exist as part of the Pantone choices, name the spot ink the PMS number of the metallic ink, like PANTONE 874 CV. Congratulations, you made the background a solid fifth ink. Now, activate the "shadow" alpha channel. Select the Black Channel, only. add black to the channel. You're done. You made a 4-color process bear sitting on a solid metallic ink background with a black overprint drop-shadow. It's clean up time. Delete the alpha channels. Save the file as a Photoshop DCS 2.0 EPS file. Newer versions of Photoshop have a checkbox for spot colors, when you save the file, make sure it's checked. Older versions have several DCS options, pick the Single with Color Composite. Place or import the file in your layout program. You'll notice the spot color in your program's color palette. |
Posted on 28/09/05 10:23:07 AM |
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CaraDunn
* Posts: 20 Reply |
Re: Spot colour in photoshop problem
Hi again Steve
[quoted] At 4:44:45 PM 27/09/05, Steve Caplin wrote: ...the only way you could make a shadow appear on top of the gold would be to add a solid black background, then paint out on the gold layer where you want the black to show through.... Won't the solid black background affect the colour of the metalic gold when its printed over? I forgot to add this is for a poly wrap and the dot on a poly wrap is HUGE! 
>>>Talk to the printer, if you can! Is it possible to get them to run a proof first? Will do that now thanks
>>> Like the way you've pixellated the bear's feet to preserve its anonymity. Just like in police footage. Had to be done, he's a very prestigious little bear! 
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Posted on 28/09/05 11:22:06 AM |
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CaraDunn
* Posts: 20 Reply |
Re: Spot colour in photoshop problem
Hi Neil, Yeah I'm going to try and go though all that. Don't know if I'll get it right but thanks for the step by step. Definately give it a go
x |
Posted on 28/09/05 1:31:58 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7047 Reply |
Re: Spot colour in photoshop problem
No, because metallic colours are almost always printed as solids - so there's no dot visible. You could print it at, say, 50%, but it would lose all impact and I'm sure your printers will complain! |
Posted on 28/09/05 3:37:57 PM |
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Neal
Master Manipulator Posts: 322 Reply |
Re: Spot colour in photoshop problem
Please, listen to Steve CaraDunn. He's the master. One ugly property of metallic inks is when you screen them, they look flat and dull. They lose the shiny quality you're after. I once did and annual report where I created duotones of black and metallic silver. I thought the mix of shiny silver and black would make a cool-looking, image. An image that made the black and white images shimmer like a platinum print. The pre-press looked like mud. The screened metallic ink became dull and lifeless. I worked with printer on fixing the mix of inks, but when the images printed, they looked like regular black and white images. They laughed at me. Mind you, they laughed at me while I went to the bank with my check, but they laughed. |