1 spot color job with accidental CMYK

**Lith** · 12-05-2012, 06:06 PM

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Is the art they're having trouble with vector?

cornfed · 12-05-2012, 06:12 PM

What kind of file did you submit to them?

**BJMRamage** · 12-05-2012, 06:17 PM

The job shouldn't be too difficult to change from a printer's standpoint. However, they could be backed up with other jobs, someone doesn't feel like searching (if too complicated, a separations print-out could help) and or they are being a stickler for rules.

Now, it should be easy for you do fix as well...and that way your file is correct for future printing.

Karroog · 12-05-2012, 06:20 PM

Originally posted by cornfed View Post

What kind of file did you submit to them?

We supply a PDF with a dieline, without the dieline and an EPS file.

hank_scorpio · 12-05-2012, 06:21 PM

If the stroke is made up of 100% CMYK then it could be any combination of

0-100% in Cyan, 0-100% in Magenta, 0-100% in Yellow, or 0-100% in Black

That is the stroke could be composed of 100% Cyan and 50% Magenta, 20% Yellow, 5% Black.

Or it could be

50
20
10
50

If one of the CMYK is not 100% then they can't make it a spot colour.

Sure you can tell the RIP to ignore the CMY or K plates that are not 100% and then map one of the CMY or K plate to the spot colour

But one of the 4 CMYK has to be 100%.

kemingMatters · 12-05-2012, 06:21 PM

Originally posted by Karroog View Post

Hi All, first post hope I keep using and contributing to this forum for years to come!

Quick question within a pre-press standpoint. I have sent artwork to a print vendor that was suppose to be 1 spot color and nothing else, printing offset. Unfortunately, there are a few strokes within the file that are CMYK based that look like the spot color but are not. We want to print the job 1 color, not 4/5 color.

Literally this is maybe 6 or 7 very small lines with an illustration. Is it possible from a pre-press standpoint to replace the CMYK referenced strokes with just the 1 spot color? Even more simply, the strokes are 100% all around, no tints. Since the job is printing 1 color, can't they just make 1 plate and be done?

Again we want the job to run 1 color only, but the printer is asking us to re-submit the artwork with the small issues corrected.

The reason why this is an issue is because this will then effect a huge run of other artwork that is using the same illustration. There would be a number of files that would require revising.

Thank you for the advice and hope to hear a response soon!

If you get them to fix your file, they'll probably charge you there minimum rate usually an hour (sometimes half hour).

Just replace the cmyk colour with the correct spot, save as "filename-1color.whatever" so you don't overwrite your existing file/mess with your existing files, and send the correctly specced file to the printer/save yourself some money.

cornfed · 12-05-2012, 06:25 PM

I would overwrite the existing file name if you're doing this in Indesign. Then the bad file will be gone forever and your links will update without having to go relink everything.

kemingMatters · 12-05-2012, 06:41 PM

Originally posted by cornfed View Post

I would overwrite the existing file name if you're doing this in Indesign. Then the bad file will be gone forever and your links will update without having to go relink everything.

Originally posted by Karroog View Post

The reason why this is an issue is because this will then effect a huge run of other artwork that is using the same illustration. There would be a number of files that would require revising.

reading FTW

Need a coffee today corn? Don't worry it's hump day

Karroog · 12-05-2012, 06:46 PM

Originally posted by hank_scorpio View Post

If the stroke is made up of 100% CMYK then it could be any combination of

0-100% in Cyan, 0-100% in Magenta, 0-100% in Yellow, or 0-100% in Black

That is the stroke could be composed of 100% Cyan and 50% Magenta, 20% Yellow, 5% Black.

Or it could be

50
20
10
50

If one of the CMYK is not 100% then they can't make it a spot colour.

Sure you can tell the RIP to ignore the CMY or K plates that are not 100% and then map one of the CMY or K plate to the spot colour

But one of the 4 CMYK has to be 100%.

Cyan, is 100%, that might be a decent workaround. Since the illustration is setup the same if they can just change Cyan to spot color at the RIP that would save a lot of time...

Thank you for the heads up!

PrintDriver · 12-05-2012, 06:46 PM

Next time you'll check your seps before you send.

Illustrator is stupid. It doesn't easily allow you to swap colors, which is why your printer is telling YOU to do it. It's a pain in the ass. You can't even use the option drag as it doesn't rename the color properly (don't do it) and there is no delete/replace like Indesign. You have to do it manually.

You tell the color palette to add all used colors. Then you make a box, and using the stroke and fill, you Select Same and change it.

The printer might be able to map those Used Colors to the PMS color depending on their work flow, but it's your artwork. Sounds like a printer sticking to his guns on file prep. Or one that's been burned a few times.

hank_scorpio · 12-05-2012, 06:51 PM

When I worked prepress we had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get clients files to print correctly - simply because they didn't know how to setup for print.

Most printers now don't like taking the responsibility of fixing up files for print - they just want print ready files without any hassle.

Even if they can charge for the changes they don't want to make them unless they absolutely have to.

I encourage the OP to change it themselves and provide the artwork ready to print.

prepress_goddess · 12-05-2012, 06:57 PM

do yourself a favor and fix the file yourself. If you are using this graphic repeatedly throughout several projects going to several vendors, you will save yourself a major headache.

I cannot tell you how many times I get graphics in like this. My shop has fixed the files and sent the clients back a correct print ready graphic in the correct color space.

Problem is - the designers never used the fixed one, they always use the bad one - so they get charged each time.

cornfed · 12-05-2012, 07:01 PM

Originally posted by kemingMatters View Post

reading FTW

Need a coffee today corn? Don't worry it's hump day

Yes, I do. I need real coffee. I sent my son to buy Community Dark Roast last week and he came back with Folgers. I haven't been the same since. I'm making it as dark as possible but am still in a fog.

HOWEVER, if every run of this job is to be run as spot, then I would keep the same file name. This would apply, primarily, if I were pulling the file into Indesign. The OP is suggesting that this is a one color job across the board. If it's supposed to be a one color spot on all other files, which is sounds like it is, then why create a file with one spot color and another one that uses 5 colors and only exists to confuse the issue? If the "huge run of other artwork" doesn't use a spot, then it sounds like those files have a color problem too.

I'm open to this being a crap coffee moment, but would like further clarification.

kemingMatters · 12-05-2012, 07:13 PM

Originally posted by cornfed View Post

Yes, I do. I need real coffee. I sent my son to buy Community Dark Roast last week and he came back with Folgers. I haven't been the same since. I'm making it as dark as possible but am still in a fog.

HOWEVER, if every run of this job is to be run as spot, then I would keep the same file name. This would apply, primarily, if I were pulling the file into Indesign. The OP is suggesting that this is a one color job across the board. If it's supposed to be a one color spot on all other files, which is sounds like it is, then why create a file with one spot color and another one that uses 5 colors and only exists to confuse the issue? If the "huge run of other artwork" doesn't use a spot, then it sounds like those files have a color problem too.

I'm open to this being a crap coffee moment, but would like further clarification.

Wow language fail

, what you just said makes more sense then what was thinking. You may call me a vacuous posterior now.

Darken up the folgers, use two filters instead of one when brewing

1 spot color job with accidental CMYK

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