PMS colors, gradients, process colors/spot colors

[mamba]

Hi,

For many a stupid question and surely something that has been discussed many times before but I cannot find the answers and your reply would help a lot!

(I am using Illustrator CS2; scratching my head in frustration)

1. Can I ever submit to the printer a file that contains both: Pantone Spot colors and Process colors? What does the printer do if he has such a file.

2. Is it possible to achieve a nice gradient made of 2 Pantone Spot colors? It seems there is always this greyish middle.

3. If someone says PMS colors - is it referring to Pantone Spot colors/Pantone Process colors? What is the difference between coated/uncoated?

4. I am designing a business card which has gradients and trasparencies in it. Further it will be foil stamped. Can that be done in Pantone Process colors only?

Than you!!

[budafist]

1. Can I ever submit to the printer a file that contains both: Pantone Spot colors and Process colors? What does the printer do if he has such a file.
Absolutely. If you want the job to be printed CMYK plus spots, you need to let them know that is your intentions. You will be charged extra for each plate that has to be made. Example, if you are using CMYK, silver and gold, you will be charged for 6 plates.

If you want the spots to be converted to CMYK, let you printer know this. I can change it easily by clicking "convert all spots to process" but your printer needs to be aware of this. Also be aware that some spots do not convert accurately to CMYK. Metallics especially!

2. Is it possible to achieve a nice gradient made of 2 Pantone Spot colors? It seems there is always this greyish middle.
Dunno. I haven't tried.

3. If someone says PMS colors - is it referring to Pantone Spot colors/Pantone Process colors? What is the difference between coated/uncoated?
They are refering to Pantone Spot colors. Coated and uncoated don't make a difference at your end it's mostly for preview sake. The printer will use the correct ink for the stock you have chosen.

4. I am designing a business card which has gradients and trasparencies in it. Further it will be foil stamped. Can that be done in Pantone Process colors only?
Design your business card in normal CMYK (or using spots if you like). Then choose a spot you are NOT printing with for the foil stamping. It is helpful to rename this spot colour "foil stamping".

Example, just say your logo is a cake and you want the icing to be foil stamped. You will set up the icing in a spot you are not printing in and set it to overprint. That way, when the printer outputs separations, the foil stamp will be on it's own sep and it will not knock out the cake or anything underneath. Knocking out the print underneath is done sometimes, but it's very hard to get the registration spot on, so anything that can help the printer is a good thing.

[mamba]

Thank you so much, this explains actually a lot!

[budafist]

Glad I could help :)

[Silence04]

2. Yeah. You have to overprint a screen (fade/gradient) of one pantone color on top 100% of the other pantone color. Be aware the final overprint color will be the 2 colors combined (i.e. Blue screen on 100% Yellow = Green to Yellow Gradient)

[mamba]

Thank you! Nice trick.