Pre-press in Illustrator with 2 pantones

[finley]

(This is a re-post update message. As I've now discovered that sending vector art to print is the way to go)

I have created illustrations for a book in AI CS (MACOSX) with required 2 pantones(1 (one of which is metallic) for commercial print overseas.

The main person doing the layout and inserting of my illustrations is using an older version of Quark (2or4 i think), and also has Photoshop 4 on a PC platform.

1. Could anyone by chance please walk me through the pre-press process, of how I need to compose these files before sending them off. Again there are two pantone one of which is metallic. Also, the artwork isn't perfect as I'm still learning. I am not yet familiar with compounding and masking techniques so, there is lots of overlapping. I've used white boxes and such to cover areas I don't want to show, and colored ones to increase areas in a ways that the brushes didn't allow.

Thank you for you time,
Nicole

[D-Frag]

Wow, I would have to take a look at the file to tell you if its print ready. Did your printer give you a spec sheet on what file they want...etc.?? You might be running into alot of problems with overlaying shapes. I remember opening a file by a person that didnt know illy, and they had made 4 white boxes on all sides of a photo to mask it, obviously you cant send that to print.

My suggestion to you is, take some tutorials on illy, get to know it pretty well before taking on press jobs with it.

If you would like to send me the illy file in a PC format, I can walk you through it, im not toooooo busy today. bookdfrag@gmail.com

http://www.pillargraphicdesign.com/dfrag/dfragsig.jpg
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[3howards]

you need to learn masking, don't ever use boxes to 'mask' sections. remember, the file knows what colors you use so, that white box will only block off whatever color is the same on that plate. masking is really easy, just create a box covering the areas you want to 'show'. select the box and the items you want to mask and, well, create a mask. fairly simple.

[PrintDriver]

Eehyah, fairly simple til you try to mask something on multiple layers or need to get at a portion of the image you masked... But that is the general idea.

Funny thing is, the white box trick actually works in large format digital cuz the rip doesn't 'see' under the white and there are no seps. Still considered sloppy.

PrintDriver is a large format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[3howards]

i haven't had a job where i absolutely needed to use layers in illustrator ... so that's never been an issue

[finley]

Thanks for the heads up everyone!

1) I've used the pen w/ the -sign to edit lines, however often times this does not work as I will loose the nice calligraphic effect, due to changing the mathematical equation of the line. (??) The next thing I know the calig thickness have totally changed.

2) Next my biggest problem in most of these illustrations. In using the calligraphy lines, I often have to edit the shape often times. For instance on the outline of the heel of a foot, I've placed a white circle in the inside heel to make the round shape I desire. I select both the leg/foot outline and the circle at the heel apply a mask and the whole thing goes transparent. Obviously I'm still not getting how to use this masking tool.

I've started reading up on overprinting - I think this is what I'm doing, though not sure. If it is then is there a way to send it to print via Acrobat Pro?

This project is driving me crazy! I cannot even begin to comprehend the number of hours I've spent on some 50 illustrations. Now to discover that I can't send them to print just a couple days before it's due. Arghh. Tough lesson!

They've not yet settled on a printer. So I reckon I'll just have to have the files ready for anything, send them off to the type-setter, and pray for IN-RIP.

Open to any other comments/suggestions.

Thanks again,
Nicole

White will print out as paper so it doen't matter. You can use this amature techinque cause like PrintDriver said when you output the file white is paper so the film won't see the underlaying color. That is considering you flatten the file before printing. If you output from Photoshop flatten everything cause in Photoshop using a technique like this will screw you good. Look at the channels in Photoshop those are exacly what goes to plates.

Anyhow you should learn masking it's pretty easy as long as you don't have an overly complex shape that when you try to mask it removes and adds certain things. I wish illustors masking was as easy as photoshops though. Dam vector mask as a pain sometimes.

[finley]

Thanks Benjo,

That's really good news to hear, cuz due to time restraints I'm not going to be able to do much more. I suppose I'll use AI and I'll definitely flatten it as per your reccomendation. I'm playing around with masking, although it only seems to workout on certian arrangements. 'A pain sometimes' as you said.

Nicole

[REDeye]

There are a couple of points I'd like to touch on—having had quite a few two-color jobs.


1. Pantone Colors: To properly set up a file for 2 color output, you need to set up the Spot Colors. A PANTONE swatch is used to designatea spot color, which means that all objects in that color occupy one entire plate. There is one more plate for the other color. Two colors—two plates. Dig?


This can be done in the Swatches toolbar, selecting New Swatch. In the New Swatch option menu, make sure to specify 'Spot' color. Do this for each spot color you use. Your new spot colors should appear in your Swatches menu, each with a little dot signifying the fact that they are spot colors. Make sure you name it—preferably in the spot color name (i.e. PMS 192, etc.).


You can also fiddle around with the color bars to get it close to the color you want, but ultimately the printer will end up with two plates: one for each color. It really doesn't matter how the color looks on screen, because the printer will simply use the ink color you specify to him (this, of course, is assuming you are outputting to offset press...this does not apply to digital output). Make sure all the objects that are going to be the same color are all designated with those swatches you made. Remember that what the printer is actually obtaining from this little vector file is two plates, one for each color, complete with crop marks and registration.


2. Crops Marks and Registration: Simply put, crop marks are little lines specifying where the printer should cut. Whether you make your own crop marks or have Illustrator make them for you (make a box around layout, Make Cropmarks), make certain that the designated color is [registration]. It appears on your Swatches menu as a cross with a circle, next to your Black swatch. This makes the cropmarks/registration marksappear on both plates, allowing alignment for the press. Registration marks are little icons that help the printer check the alignment on the output.


Anyways, good luck on the project. Sometimes it seems like two color jobs can be more difficult than four color jobs.


____________________


PMS 192


REDeye

Post Edited (REDeye) : 8/2/2004 10:45:43 PM GMT