(Help) Photoshop user approaching solid colors (AI) for first time…

Wade Garrison wrote:

Hi,

I’m mainly a Photoshop guy. So as you might guess, I use 4 color process (RGB, CMYK) almost exclusively.

A friend asked me to do a label for him as a favor, which must use solid colors. Spot colors, I think they’re called. And for this, I need to use Illustrator (v10), which I have but seldom use.

Keeping in mind that I am pretty well-versed in Photoshop (process), what do I need to know to create a label with solid colors in AI?
Is it simpler than it looks? Is there a "mode" I need to switch? And if I use gradients, does this still count as solid colors?

Thanks.

All yesses here.
Open the Swatches, under Windows>>>Swatch Libraries (choose between all the possibilities, I always pick Pantone Solid Coated or Uncoated, list them by name) . You will find the whole array of PMS colors, which are the solid colors. Just apply them to the objects you want to color. And yes you can gradient them.
—
steg

Hi Steggy,

Thanks for the answers. My friend sent me a sample of what someone else did for him on a previous label. It’s an EPS file that only has 6 regular swatch colors in it, plus two colors that have the bottom-right corners of them whited out… as if to indicate that these are "special" colors.

Upon mouseovering all the colors, I noticed the first 6 have CMYK values, while the final two (the only two actually used on the label) are Pantone CVC colors.

So if I wanted to remain consistant with what the previous person was doing, I should probably be using Pantone CVC swatches.

Which Swatch library would that be? If I had to guess, I would say Pantone Coated. Is that right?

"steggy" wrote in message

Wade Garrison wrote:

A friend asked me to do a label for him as a favor, which must use solid colors.

Is it simpler than it looks? Is there a "mode" I need to switch? And if

I

use gradients, does this still count as solid colors?

All yesses here.
Open the Swatches, under Windows>>>Swatch Libraries (choose between all the possibilities, I always pick Pantone Solid Coated or Uncoated, list them by name) . You will find the whole array of PMS colors, which are the solid colors. Just apply them to the objects you want to color. And yes you can gradient them.

Not sure about the two blank ones, while installing I just installed them all. Maybe you did not. Check your install CD. I have 25 color swatches in my Illustrator. Never use them all though:)

But yes Pantone CVC is OK. That is coated colors, so if you plan to print it on uncoated paper, just tell your printer. They have the same numbers and look slightly different,
because of the paper sucking ink in or not. But it is the same ink. Again the best to use as far as I am concerned is the "Pantone Solid Coated".

These are the newest:

http://www.pantone.com/support/support.asp?idArticle=73

steg

Wade Garrison wrote:

Hi Steggy,

Thanks for the answers. My friend sent me a sample of what someone else did for him on a previous label. It’s an EPS file that only has 6 regular swatch colors in it, plus two colors that have the bottom-right corners of them whited out… as if to indicate that these are "special" colors.
Upon mouseovering all the colors, I noticed the first 6 have CMYK values, while the final two (the only two actually used on the label) are Pantone CVC colors.

So if I wanted to remain consistant with what the previous person was doing, I should probably be using Pantone CVC swatches.

Which Swatch library would that be? If I had to guess, I would say Pantone Coated. Is that right?

"steggy" wrote in message

Wade Garrison wrote:

A friend asked me to do a label for him as a favor, which must use solid colors.

Is it simpler than it looks? Is there a "mode" I need to switch? And if

I

use gradients, does this still count as solid colors?

All yesses here.
Open the Swatches, under Windows>>>Swatch Libraries (choose between all the possibilities, I always pick Pantone Solid Coated or Uncoated, list them by name) . You will find the whole array of PMS colors, which are the solid colors. Just apply them to the objects you want to color. And yes you can gradient them.t

What I meant was that the sample project (EPS) that was sent to me had its own swatches (custom for this project, I guess). They included 8 colors. When mousovering them, 6 of them gave you the CMYK values. The last 2 gave you the Pantone number. The last 2 also appeared with the bottom right corner of the color (in the swatch library) whited out. As if to indicate that these 2 colors were special.

They’re also the only 2 colors used in the project. I just wonder what the other 6 are in there for.

"steggy" wrote in message

Not sure about the two blank ones, while installing I just installed them all. Maybe you did not. Check your install CD. I have 25 color swatches in my Illustrator. Never use them all though:)

In article <3ELbc.57021$>,
"Wade Garrison" wrote:

What I meant was that the sample project (EPS) that was sent to me had its own swatches (custom for this project, I guess). They included 8 colors. When mousovering them, 6 of them gave you the CMYK values. The last 2 gave you the Pantone number. The last 2 also appeared with the bottom right corner of the color (in the swatch library) whited out. As if to indicate that these 2 colors were special.

Solid swatch – a regular RGB or CMYK process swatch. Using this swatch will assign that color to whatever you paint it with, and will separate onto process plates (for CMYK at least).

Swatch with a white triangle in the corner – a global RGB or CMYK process swatch. Same as a regular process swatch, but if you redefine that swatch, everything painted with it will change color to the new definition.

Swatch with a white triangle and dot (spot) in the corner – a spot color swatch. Will separate out onto a separate spot color plate.

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

"Paul Asente" wrote in message

In article <3ELbc.57021$>,

Solid swatch – a regular RGB or CMYK process swatch. Using this swatch will assign that color to whatever you paint it with, and will separate onto process plates (for CMYK at least).

Swatch with a white triangle in the corner – a global RGB or CMYK process swatch. Same as a regular process swatch, but if you redefine that swatch, everything painted with it will change color to the new definition.

Swatch with a white triangle and dot (spot) in the corner – a spot color swatch. Will separate out onto a separate spot color plate.

It’s the latter. Triangle with a dot in the corner.

I also noticed that the "Pantone Coated" library has ONLY these types of triangle-dotted swatches. So I guess that’s where the artist got them (given that they are clearly Pantone CVC colors, and marked as such).

So then, the first 6 colors in the file’s custom library are just useless. This file only needs the 2 pantone colors (it’s a 2 color file).

Does this mean I know I am using "SPOT" colors when (and only when) the swatch has a dotted triangle in it?

If the answer to that is "yes", then I think I’m well on my way to being able to do this. 🙂

Oh, and slightly "OT" additional question… can Photoshop do spot colors at all? (I’m guessing the answer is no given what Photoshop is supposed to be used for… but with the PS text editing being so advanced nowadays, you never know…)

W.G.

In article <8FWbc.23227$>,
"Wade Garrison" wrote:

Does this mean I know I am using "SPOT" colors when (and only when) the swatch has a dotted triangle in it?

If the answer to that is "yes", then I think I’m well on my way to being able to do this. 🙂

Yes, that’s right. You can use the document info palette to make sure you don’t have any process items in the document.

Oh, and slightly "OT" additional question… can Photoshop do spot colors at all? (I’m guessing the answer is no given what Photoshop is supposed to be used for… but with the PS text editing being so advanced nowadays, you never know…)

It can, you need to create spot channels in the document. See the documentation.

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

Wade Garrison wrote:

Oh, and slightly "OT" additional question… can Photoshop do spot colors at all? (I’m guessing the answer is no given what Photoshop is supposed to be used for… but with the PS text editing being so advanced nowadays, you never know…)

W.G.

Yes it can. One way to do that is making a "duotone" but using the "monotone" option and use Pantone color. You have to save it as an EPS.
—
steg

Wade,

A blanket "yes, you can do gradients" is not good advice. While Illustrator certainly allows it, the printing process you’re using may not.

You need to speak with the particular printer you are using to find whether you may use gradients. Traditional offset processes allow it, others, like foils, do not. Some label making processes allow for gradients but have a lot less flexibility than process printing when it comes to gradients. You may not be able to overprint or blend gradients with the same results if the screen ruling is high or the inks are opaque.

Always go to the printer and find out what they recommend before you start a project like this. It’s a sure-fire way to stress a friendship to come up with a label that really stinks because of technical reasons.

Don