Print Spot Color Gradients?

Hello there,
Could anybody tell me if it's at all possible to print gradients using spot colors? For example, I'm wanting to create a gradient from a near black color to a slightly lighter gray.
I'd be grateful for any advice.
Regards,
Kristopher (UK).

I have never, ever had a gradient built from 2 different Pantones do anything but separate to 4 color. Unfortunately I can't test in ID CS3 as whenever I try to add a second Pantone to the gradient swatch ID crashes.
Please make a PDF from these 2 Pantone gradients and post it. I'd like to see it.
Edit: I stand corrected. I was able to do this in ID CS3. So the day wasn't a total loss for me and I learned something new. Thanks Luke and Scott for setting me straight.

Similar Messages

  • DCS EPS 2.0 files not printing spot colors

    I know that PMS colors have been changed with CS6 using lab color as the basis to preview colors, but I've been getting this problem printing DCS EPS 2.0 files from Photoshop in Illustrator. It does not matter if I print in CS5 or CS6 the same error occurs. I'll try to explain the process I'm using the best I can.
    I create a multi color spot channel DCS EPS 2.0 file in Photoshop utilizing PMS colors. I then link that image into Illustrator and add custom registration marks and labeling to print. When I bring in the DCS file the spot colors appear in the swatch palette and are labled as spot colors, however they either come over as CMYK or LAB color in the color mode when you double click the color swatch. This is where it gets weird. When I print the file, the first spot color with a cmyk color mode will print the registration mark and the custom label I made in Illustrator, but it will not print the DCS part of the image. If the next spot color is in LAB color mode it will print as well as the third color that is in CMYK color mode will print. It seems to only effect the color being printed before the LAB color and then doesn't have an issue after that. My fix has been to manually set all color modes to either CMYK or LAB color and that solves the problem, but it seems like a bug becuase it's only an issue effecting the DCS file and not other elements in illustrator that have the same swatch color applied. For the record I've done prints with 2 printers and a pdf printer and they all have the same issue. 
    This may be something that cannot be fixed, but I hope my bringing it to light will help some people realize why some of their spot colors aren't printing.

    No... Believe me, I suggested, and would almost always suggest high resolution PDF for any printing. Like I mentioned, I've basically always printed with PDF's but, the company he's getting printing done through apparently requires EPS. I tried another set of settings when saving, so we'll see if it works and they accept it.
    My main question was why the file was coming out black and white after I save it when it's blatantly in color - and reopens in Photoshop in full color.

  • Problems printing spot colors overprinting registration color

    In order to get a spot color to overprint a registration color on a proof, I have to change the spot color to multiply and then select convert all spot colors to process in the output dialog. I've never had this problem before using CS4. I'm running Mac OS X 10.5 and printing to an EFI RIP. I can see the error in the preview window inside the print dialog box in Illustrator before I sent to the rip.

    Absolutely.
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    For the record, I can get it to work by checking "convert all colors to process" in the print dialog box, but nothing works without checking this box and I would like to avoid checking this box if at all possible.

  • Print Spot Color Separations

    OK.  I had Pagemaker, CS2 and now have CS4 on an XPP machine.  I print to plate.  When I want to print separations, the area is grayed out = I can't select any color to print separately.  Plus, up above, I can not choose Separations to print, it's also grayed out and not available.  Just RGB and gray.  I print to a HP LJ5000 PCL & PS printer and need (prefer) to print in non-PS mode (PCL driver).  Pagemaker could do this; and I tweeked something in InD CS2 to make it work.  Can't make it work here in CS4.  HELP!  Is it true that ONLY the PS driver will work to print separations???  The PS driver does not work well for me or for plate production.   Is there a way around this???  TIA.

    Oh, no!  So you are remarking that I should print to the PDF driver and then print the PDF.  Two (big) step process?  Yeah, I guess that's a good work-around.  Isn't there another way, tho'?  Please!  I thought there was some sort of Color Management setting that might allow this for the job.  Yes?   Can someone also tell me Why separations are only allowed for a Post Script printer driver?  (That may be too much to ask.)  Thanks.

  • Issue with Gaussian Blur and Spot Colors

    Wondering if anyone has a solution to this issue.
    Setup: We are using CS4 + CS5 Illustrator on Mac OS 10.5.X and 10.6.X
    We created a spot color radial gradient filled circle over a background of the same spot color. The gradient went from 100% of the color down to 2%. We then applied a gaussian blur set to 50 pixels so that we had a nice smooth transition from the circle blurring outwards over the background with the blur blending into the spot color background.
    The problem arises when we select "Retain Spot Colors" on the blur. It fills the gradient circle with 100% solid color (but at the 2% range of the gradient so it appears white) and deletes the blur effect. If we don't select "Retain Spot Colors", it converts the blur to process and we get a banding on our printouts where the spot background and CMYK gaussian meet.
    We tried the gaussian blur set at 5 pixels all the way up to 55 in 10 pixel increments but nothing worked. We tried different spot colors, same issue. We know we can do the background in Photoshop and import it into Illustrator as a workaround, but we are constantly editing and changing files and would like to keep everything in Illustrator.
    Does anyone have any suggestions on how to solve this or if there is even a solution. We have not tried Illustrator 5.5 and do not want to invest the money in the upgrade yet. We would prefer to stay with both CS4 and CS5.
    Thank you for any input.

    Hi Mike,
    Okay, I have some new information that changes things. I misunderstood what the issue was from the designer. My apologies in advance for the confusion. There are actually two issues but they are somewhat related.
    Issue 1:
    We are concerned with banding on the outside of a spot color gradient with a gaussian blur over a patterned background of the same spot color.  We do not  know if this is becasue of the number of pixels on the blur, the version of Illustrator, the blending of the blur into the patterned background, etc... While the banding looks slight on screen it is more pronounced when printed. There are many variables and we have tried everything we can think of to create a smooth transition but we keep getting some banding.
    The first image shows what happens when the Preserve Spot Colors in the Raster Effects Settings (found under the Effect menu) is unchecked. We believe that the spot color is being treated as CMYK and causing the blur to be a slightly different color than the spot color background thus causing the banding.
    The second image shows what happens when we select Preserve Spot Colors. We lose the blur.
    The third image is what we are trying to achieve over a over a patterned background of the same spot color. This was achieved with the Preserve Spot Colors unchecked and also unchecking Overprint Preview in the Separations Preview Palette. However, this brings us right back to the issue with the Preserve Spot Color being unchecked.
    Issue 2:
    The issue is that we want to print a spot color gradient with a gaussian blur (over 50 pixels). In order to preview the blur effect correctly we have to uncheck the Preserve Spot Colors in the Raster Effects Settings (found under the Effect menu). However, we have recently found out that this will not work with the software our printers use to do separations. If we check the Preserve Spot Color for the separator, it turns the blur into a large square of color (see screensnap below). We have played around with the Add: x Around Object setting in Raster Effects but it has not helped.
    3. If we do not select "Preserve Spot Color", the blur looks correct but it is no longer a spot color but CMYK when separated.
    I hope that isn't too confusing and makes sense. Again, apologies for the mixup on my part originally. Thanks again for any help.

  • Spot color sepration

    hi,
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    I would say that because you have transparency applied to the object the answer would be no as once the transparency is applied it has to show color below it that is a cmyk structure by definition.
    From a press run perspective I cannot see how that would work and the spot colors would have to be proof in order to know what you would be actually obtaining.
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  • Is it possible to create a gradient mesh object with 2 spot colors which separates & prints as a 2 color print job?

    I have a gradient mesh object which uses 2 spot color values (including some tints of those 2 colours) which I'd like to print as a 2 color print job. Is this possible? If not, any suggestions as to how I should proceed? The print job MUST be 2 color. Ideally I don't want to use raster objects but if I have to would appreciate any advice on the easiest way to transform my 2 color mesh object into a matching duotone raster object.

    I'd really say it's that PPD with the new n-space features of CS3 and CS4. If I use your PPD I get the same shoddy results you do with the postscript file. In fact, Acrobat Distiller errors with a log...
    <PDFX ISO="15930-1:2001" COMPLIANT="false">
    PDF/X Compliance Report
    1.  Color
       The following pages are separated plates:
          Page 1, Occurrences: 1
          Page 2, Occurrences: 1
          Page 3, Occurrences: 1
          Page 4, Occurrences: 1
       Violation.  The use of %%PlateColor is not permitted and was found in the document.  Occurrences: 7
       Violations: The total found in this section was 11.
    2.  Summary
       Warnings: The total found in this document was 0.
       Violations: The total found in this document was 11.
       This document does not pass PDF/X-1a:2001 compliance checks.
    </PDFX>
    %%[ Warning: Did not pass PDF/X compliance tests. No PDF file produced. ] %%
    If I use your PPD, print your AI file to a postscript file, then simply open the resulting Postscript file with AICS4, I see the same bad results that I showed in the movie. I think the PPD can't handle the new method of breaking out spots in gradients. Just to test this theory... try a different PPD and see if that works, at least to show the seps properly.

  • 2 color gradients for offset printing

    i am setting up a job for 2 color offset and have 2 PMS colors. I have some artwork that has a gradient from one of the PMS colors to the other. Is this going to be something the printer can deal with, or do I have to do something to set it up for separations for the printer. I am stuck thinking how easy it is in 4 color, but haven't had to deal with this using only 2 colors. Thanks in advance for any information.

    James: You're the kind of client I prefer! The more educated you are, the better off we both are! You have more tools under your belt and I have more productivity dealing with clean files. I applaud you fostering this relationship, it's NOT the norm!
    And like you, I do wish for better things with every version of ANY program I work with. Bravo!
    Scott: I never said FH had inherent output issues. I've imaged MANY FH generated EPS files not native FH files (which was my point in an earlier statement that I may not have conveyed well).
    I also agree that the user has much to do with the success of any prepress job (though Corel's crappy Postscript was their own doing.) The issue, historically, was that Corel's suite was a lot of "bang for the buck" to businesses to cheap to pay for professional design. So they bought Corel and foisted on their secretaries (or gave it to their kids) and had "in-house design". (This is the same cause of the Publisher plague). So you had many amateur files coming from Corel but also the occasional pro was using it and using it well. (I've designed files in Corel 4 that I never had a problem ripping!)
    Doug: "Graphic Find and Replace" does NOT make FH better than AI. Blending spot colors is a deficiency? Even today I caution people to use Blends sparingly. Gradient Meshes provide Spot to Spot blending capabilities. Do I say it's perfect and the most intuitive tool? No. But in the hands of those who give it enough time it is a masterful tool unequalled in FH. But it doesn't make AI better - it's just a tool other programs don't have. What about the Automation interface? When FH was Macromedia's, it's scripting dictionary was paltry. AI supports Applescript, Visual Basic, and Javascript. I build front to backend workflows for AI using various combinations of these. This doesn't make it a better program than FH - though it may be superior in this regard.
    As far as conventions go, FH's Pen Tool is what YOU are comfortable with. You see it FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE. I have an associate that is by far the fastest and most accurate user of ANY Pen Tool I have EVER seen and he uses AI as his weapon of choice.
    If you drop the qualifiers "flexible, elegant" (which merely describe YOUR feelings about it) you end up with one versus four. Appears to be a slam-dunk to you, I'm sure. But in practice, by a given individual, it may appear to make more sense and be faster than your experience. (Just like the cry for multiPage support in AI. I think this is a horribly bad idea but from many users' perspectives this is a must-have.)
    I just don't understand why these forums become a continual p*ssing match between FH and AI users?!?!

  • Problems with spots colors and printing

    Hello everyone,
    I am currently working on a business card for a client.  The design calls for white text with an inner shadow to sit above a bar with a gradient. One of the colors in the gradient is reflex blue. When I export the file to a pdf and try to print it the text box fills with white and the graident bar changes colors and a portion of it becomes solid. I can fix the problem by printing the pdf as an image or removing the reflex blue and substituing it for another dark blue.  However there really isn't a close match in cymk to Reflex Blue C. Is there a way I could continue using reflex blue ( incidentally that is one of the company colors) without these short of issues? If it helps I am using Indesign cs5,  Acrobat X, Mac OS 10.6.8, using Creo Rip Software and Printing on a Xerox 700 digital press. 

    I tried putting the text on another layer but it didn't change anything. The only solution that has worked so far is changing the spot color, reflex blue, to a cmyk color. Here is a screen shot of the problem and some of my export options
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  • Gradients -- Spot Colors -- Illustrator CC

    I have created a gradient in Illustrator CC
    Using percentages of a single spot color, applied to a bar graph.
    The gradient definition is clearly in the pantone color
    When the bar chart is imported into InDesign CC, it separates as cmyk.
    When attempting to find a solution, i have seen references to a "Separation Setup Dialogue Box".
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    And I recall having used this in earlier versions of Illustrator.
    But I cannot find that dialogue box in Illustrator CC, or any other function that would preserve the spot color separation.
    Any guidance would be appreciated.
    Thank you!

    After having done some tests, I believe that the problem MAY have to do with saving up from earlier versions.
    i leave this information with thaks to Monika (as well as Mike) in hopes that it may help someone else dealing with the same problem.
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    4) My current method of checking the colors is both using InDesign's Window > Output > Separations preview... as well as outputting separations to my laser printer.
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    The files that began in earlier versions of AI and were saved separated into CMYK (but curiously also created pantone plate) so they were in fact 5 color builds
    When I started from scratch with a brand new Illustrator CC file, the gradients otherwise created by the same method remained in the pantone color when placed in InDesign.
    There are so many variables here that I am not entirely CERTAIN that attributing this to the change in version is accurate.
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  • Should the print company I use be able to change a file to spot color for me?

    I recently sent a document in to a major print company to have a folder printed.  The document was created in Illustrator using only two colors. They said they could not print it because it was still more than two colors and that I needed to change it to a two color document using Pantone Spot Color.
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    The reason I am asking is because they pretty much said that I don't know what I'm doing, which to a designer is completely insulting.  We all do new things from time to time but that is an insult. Shouldn't they, a large print company with years of experience, know how to do this for me? They had the original design file.. Maybe they don't know what they are doing?
    Any clarity on as to why I needed to do it and not them is greatly appreciated.  Also.. any direction as the best way to use spot color over cmyk is appreciated too.

    ...which to a designer is completely insulting...
    What's so special about "a designer"?
    Prior to the mid 1980s, designers could get away with prima Donna attitudes, because they (or their employers) were paying pre-press "color houses" around $350 per hour to tweak colors to sooth their oh-so-erudite discernment and hyper-developed color sensitivities, and to gain reimbursement for the $100 per plate lunches on proof-check days.
    That all changed when designers (and their employers) got tired of paying those fees and took on the responsibility for the technical side of assembling their designs into something printable. That was the so-called "desktop revolution" and "revolution" was not a bad word for it. It turned a huge industry on its head. Color houses which didn't adopt PostScript devices and workflows were soon dropping like flies--and so were designers who didn't climb down off their lofty pedestals and buckle down to learning the technical realities of what they were doing.
    Don't be insulted, but the simple fact is, you still don't know what you're doing if you think converting any given process color job to a two-spot job is "just a couple of minutes' work." Only in the very simplest designs would it be as simple as re-defining a couple of process Swatches as spot color Swatches.
    In Illustrator in particular, doing so won't even work if the original Swatches were not originally defined as Global Swatches.
    If those two process Swatches were used in any Blends, converting them to spot will likely not update the intermediate steps of the Blend. In earlier versions of Illustrator, the same problem applied to grads.
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    JET

  • Dear Spot Color Printing Gods......... Please Help Me!

    Ok so here is my story...
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    Some misconceptions evidenced in your post.
    You don't have to use a Pantone library to create spot colors. Pantone is just one brand of spot color definitions and inks intended for offset lithography; not screen printing. You can define any color you want as a Swatch and then specify it as Spot. A Spot color is simply a color that represents an individual ink that will be physically used in the printing process. Therefore, if you want to please your boss:
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    One of your swatches should be a spot white for your underprint. ( "Flash" is not actually an ink color. It's a production step in which a dryer semi-dries an imprinted ink before overprinting it with another. You usually flash a white underprint, but you just as often flash any color with significant density that needs to be overprinted with a following color.) Understand, you don't have to make this swatch actually appear white. For example, I often make it a pale magenta just so I can see it on screen when working with it.
    Just because the white underprint is going to be printed underneath the other colors, doesn't mean it has to be layered under your other colors in your Illustrator document. Remember, each ink is going to be printed to its own plate anyway. So it's simpler to just put your white underprint objects on a Layer above the rest of the artwork, and set it to overprint, so that it doesn't knock out the rest of the artwork on layers below it in the stacking order.
    Assuming the white underprint has to underprint all the other colors, creating the white underprint should be the near-last step. It's simply a matter of duplicating the colored artwork objects, moving them to the Underprint layer, filling/stroking them with the spot white color and (for efficiency) merging them into as few paths as possible. The Merge or Union Pathfinder commands are typically used for that.
    JET

  • Color Doc w/Gray Gradient Prints as Color/B&W

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  • Need to PRINT with PANTONE spot colors  - PROBLEMS

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    yeah, i knew that.
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