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Tutorials for Manual Full Color Simulated Process Separations in Photoshop?

16K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  Different 
#1 ·
Hello all!

I'm looking for some good tutorials on MANUALLY creating simulated process separations in Photoshop. I know all about the different programs and plug-ins. They've never worked well for us. So save yourself the time typing out a response telling me to use Sep Studio or Ultraseps.

I've been searching for months now for good tutorials but I've never been able to find anything that great.

Thanks in advance!
 
#4 ·
for basic flat colors, I just usually use the magic wand and fill the layer in with black on the channel I want it on. If its a half tone, I copy and paste it in, works pretty well. Occasionally you have to tweak the color for the sake of production but its just a matter of changing it from black to a gray.
 
#6 ·
Hey Guys!

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#9 ·
I know you said you haven't had good results from the separation programs. So what makes you think its any better doing it manually. It takes practice to take a file and get a great result on press. Being able to adjust a file so that it will look great on press has taken a lot of practice. A calibrated screen and knowing all your inks PMS colors so that proper colors are used in the separation process are very important. I have paid the separation "experts" and haven't had great results. There is a reason the better separators will specify PMS colors and then most will use the closest stock ink they have and the results will vary greatly. I made a PMS chart for the 700 series IC inks and calibrated monitor. Using separation programs or manual separations this has been the greatest improvement from computer screen to on press with being able to see a more real result. Also using photoshop or Corel to change the print order before going to press.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I agree with this statement above. I don't think it even scratches the surface of "ALL" of the issues that come with color separations for T-shirts.

To truly know T-shirt separation, The separator should know the T-shirt and how it prints. No "if's", "and's" or "but's"! Period! The 2-4 years of art school did not teach this in their curriculum. This is another dimension of art. One that is not a 2D surface like offset printing. Nor is it transparent like 4 color process. This art has dimension, different thicknesses and transparencies of inks. This all changes and evolves as a new color comes down on top of another.

All of this is influenced by a canvas called a t-shirt. Another ever-changing aspect to the print. It can be 100% cotton. 50-50. Nylon, polyester. . . It can be a thick mil, thin mil. Some shirts can be discharged, others can't, depending on the dye.

There is so much more, and I didn't even come close to scratching the surface either.

The separator should have at least a basic knowledge of screen printing. I myself am no, "expert". Just experienced. . .




 
#12 ·
I own T-seps, Ultra Seps, Simple Seps and SS Raster, a few products from Steve Yates. I know there is some I own I am missing. Not 1 is a 1 click pony everyone is after. I find myself using Simple Seps 3 and Simple Seps Raster the most. Why? First Simple Seps Raster takes into account the substrate (tshirt) color if you set it before separations. I do separations per shirt color as most of the time an order is only 1 shirt color. This gives the ability to use the shirt color in the design.

I do use the others and sometimes use color plates from each separation program to make up 1 separation but with adjustments and sometimes I have to do it completely manual.

Color is very misunderstood in the Tshirt world. I am going on 7 years and almost everything I learned in the first 5 1/2 years has been wrong, basically was most info is for offset printing or paper printing in general. You can make it work but the results can be much better if done right. I have reprinted shirt that I did with previous methods and every single customer has been shocked of the output. Not 1 complained before but all have raved about the newer printed shirts.
 
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