Separations Menu
The Separations menu offers advanced tools for managing and optimizing color separations to ensure high-quality screens. These features include automated adjustments, reduce the number of screens, and create custom base layers as well as a Black separation for seamless printing.
Auto Adjust
This feature, also a button option, is designed for use with Spot Process® separated PNG, JPG, or TIF files. When a file is first opened in RAW separation mode, the separation saturation can be adjusted. It is recommended to use this feature once per file before making specific local separation adjustments. Repeated use will over saturate data.
Black Generation…
This feature, also accessed via a button, is not required when printing on black garments. It opens a window with three levels of Black Separation options. Select the same color file with a transparent background originally used for making color separations.
Black separations are strategically placed immediately after the Base separations and before all other colors. When printing black ink for halftone images, it is advisable to print this ink early in the process. Doing so allows it to form realistic shades from the bottom of the ink color stack. Avoid flashing this ink; instead, print it wet-on-wet (WOW) with other color inks, immediately following the flash-dried Base. Printing black ink last will darken the image significantly, resulting in a loss of detail.
Skeletal
Produces minimal black separation, ideal for dark (non-black) garments. Focuses primarily on shadow areas.
Detailed
Generates a separation covering shadow to mid-range tones, suitable for medium-colored garments.
Sharper
Produces the most defined black separation, resembling a grayscale effect; Used on lighter surface areas (white, tan).
Enhance Red Orange
The Enhanced Red Orange feature is best used when needing to smooth out subtle color transitions between gold and red for images; for example a sunset. The red color values are extended into the yellow to create a softer transition.
Generate Brown
The Generate Brown feature introduces a unique Brown printing channel.This channel can be further refined with lightening adjustment sliders to achieve optimal brown tones. It’s generally recommended to perfect your color adjustments before separation, allowing the Spot Process® to handle brown tones as natural secondary and tertiary colors within your artwork. Adding a dedicated Brown screen is typically unnecessary unless specific elements require isolated brown tones, helping streamline the setup and minimize ink consumption.
The recommended Brown Channel PMS colors are 470 (dark) and 714 (light) – choose what is best for your artwork.
Knockout White…
This Under Color Removal (UCR) feature modifies data across all color separations between the Base and Top White layers. It is accessed via a button and is ideal for users aiming to save a screen by eliminating the need for a Top White print.
How It Works:
- Upon activation, an Adjustment Window appears. It is recommended to leave the adjustment sliders in their default positions until more experience is gained, as the default settings typically yield excellent results.
- The Top White separation is disabled, and the preview updates to reflect the design without it.
- The Base separation takes over the role of producing highlight white effects.
Results:
When the Top White separation is omitted, the output might show sharper contrast, as the Base layer now handles all white highlights. This approach simplifies the printing process by reducing screen load on press, while maintaining visual quality.
Merge Gray
Merges Gray color channel to reduce the total number of screens required for printing, especially useful when dealing with press limitations or managing a tight budget. While printing each primary color channel independently on the press yields maximum control, combining channels can save resources and simplify the workflow without sacrificing quality. The gray neutral handler is a high end graphics option that helps smooth color transitions. Useful when press space is available.
Merge Purple
Merges Purple color channel to reduce the total number of screens required for printing, especially useful when dealing with press limitations or managing a tight budget. While printing each primary color channel independently on the press yields maximum control, combining channels can save resources and simplify the workflow without sacrificing quality. Red purple color values will shift toward blue purple as the data is shared between the blue and red separations.
Merge Turquoise
Merges Turquoise color channel to reduce the total number of screens required for printing, especially useful when dealing with press limitations or managing a tight budget. While printing each primary color channel independently on the press yields maximum control, combining channels can save resources and simplify the workflow without sacrificing quality. Primary Turquoise color shifts to Blue as the data is merged to the Blue separation.
Create Base…
Opens the Base feature window offering options to produce a custom Base separation. Most commonly used when managing PDF files that do not produce their own Base separation.
Spread…
A feature available for vector PDF files. Spot Process® tonal sim process separations that print wet on wet do not use or need a Spread feature.
Spread will add print data to the outer portions of hard edge 2D butt-registration PDF separations to improve printing when a screen print press struggles to hold tight butt registration by producing an overlapping edge. Default setting is .2pts offering a maximum of 2pts.
