Adobe Illustrator - Spot colors & cmyk on output?

Author

Spot colors & cmyk on output?

Donna

2005-08-20, 7:14 pm

Ok a production question. I have a file in Illy CS 1 & 2 that uses nothing
but spot colors. When I click Print, output, it shows all cmyk and the
spots. My press keeps telling me to get rid of the CMYK colors, but I did
not use any. What is up with that? To test this for yourself, just draw a
rectangle, fill it with a spot and check output. It will show the one spot
color and CMYK. I am confused!

--

Laura K

2005-08-20, 7:14 pm

"Donna" <mcmenamin4spamNO@msn.com> wrote in
news:IuHNe.6$Kq4.302@news.uswest.net:

> Ok a production question. I have a file in Illy CS 1 & 2 that uses nothing
> but spot colors. When I click Print, output, it shows all cmyk and the
> spots. My press keeps telling me to get rid of the CMYK colors, but I did
> not use any. What is up with that? To test this for yourself, just draw a
> rectangle, fill it with a spot and check output. It will show the one spot
> color and CMYK. I am confused!

Click on the little triangle on the right side of the Swatch palette. Go to
"Select unused" and drag those to the trash can at the bottom. You usually
need to pull the blacks and grays off individually. You should be left with a
swatch palette that has just the spots plus the slash/no color and the
registration mark.

Donna

2005-08-22, 11:15 pm

Laura, I did this--absolutely no swatches showing but the spot. Illustrator
still reads CMYK and the spot on Output, but if I take the file to InDesign,
it reads only one spot color. My point is why does Illy show CMYK on output?

"Laura K" <laurak@madmousergraphics.com> wrote in message
news:Xns96B898D2B10F7LauraK@216.77.188.18...
> "Donna" <mcmenamin4spamNO@msn.com> wrote in
> news:IuHNe.6$Kq4.302@news.uswest.net:
>
>
> Click on the little triangle on the right side of the Swatch palette. Go
> to
> "Select unused" and drag those to the trash can at the bottom. You usually
> need to pull the blacks and grays off individually. You should be left
> with a
> swatch palette that has just the spots plus the slash/no color and the
> registration mark.
>
>
>

steggy

2005-08-22, 11:15 pm

Donna wrote:
>
> Laura, I did this--absolutely no swatches showing but the spot. Illustrator
> still reads CMYK and the spot on Output, but if I take the file to InDesign,
> it reads only one spot color. My point is why does Illy show CMYK on output?
>

Illustrator uses CMYK and RGB as output. Spot colors (for
printing) gives you a so called CMYK output. For screen
output of course you chose RGB.
Yes that is unnecassary in my view and quite annoying.

Since it has no effect (in InDesign/XPress/Pagemaker it
imports and shows and turns out like a real spot) nobody
complained I guess;)

I might be wrong here. But that is my experience since
Pagemaker LOL
--
steg

Paul Asente

2005-09-01, 4:15 am

In article <IuHNe.6$Kq4.302@news.uswest.net>,
"Donna" <mcmenamin4spamNO@msn.com> wrote:

> Ok a production question. I have a file in Illy CS 1 & 2 that uses nothing
> but spot colors. When I click Print, output, it shows all cmyk and the
> spots. My press keeps telling me to get rid of the CMYK colors, but I did
> not use any. What is up with that? To test this for yourself, just draw a
> rectangle, fill it with a spot and check output. It will show the one spot
> color and CMYK. I am confused!

Hi Donna,

In the Output window, change the pull-down at the top from "Composite"
to "Separations (Host-Based)". When you do this, you should notice the
printer icons disappear from the C, M, Y, and K plates, and only remain
on the spot plates. If they do, everything is copacetic.

If they don't, then you really do have a composite object in the
artwork. Open the Document Info palette and go to the "Objects" pane.
Make sure that "Selection Only" is checked in the fly-out menu. Select
all and scroll down the window. You should see something like

Spot Color Objects: (some number)

and "NONE" in the other places (like CMYK objects). If you don't see
"NONE" in these places, then you need to track down the objects. Use
the layers palette or drag select to select some of the objects; if you
see "NONE" then lock them and select a different set; keep narrowing it
down until you find the problematic object.

Or, print the separations to a PDF file and look at the pages. Whatever
prints on the C, M, Y, or K pages should help you discover what objects
are the problems.

-- paul asente
To reply, make the host be the same as my last name