Can someone help me with color separations in illustrator?

From what I have seen in illy, when you go to print your separations. You select your rip to your printer, and then down in the print options there's an option to print separations. But you need to be in the correct color mode and have every thing the correct color.

But then somewhere else I saw you print you separations to a PDF and from the PDF you print the, out.

I don't know illy so I am not 100% sure what to exactly do

Can you not print each color in black and then just use the correct color ink on the press? That is what I do, and seems to work fine. I usually design in color, separate into layers, convert each layer to black, then print using the RIP software and my Black Max 1430.

You may need to adjust the RIP software. There is a test you can run under the File menu, that will help you dial in the settings to get the darkest and crispest print. If your running CMYK ink in the printer make sure that it is only pulling from the black cartridge. With the black max system I use, it has 5 black cartridges, so I can print from all 5.

can you direct me to where that print test is? and do you mean that with your printer, you replaced all the other ink colors with only black? so where there should be cyan, yellow, and magenta you only have black cartridges

With the printer and RIP software we use (we just use generic re-manufactured ink cartridges, we don't use black pigment systems), we have to choose CMYK printing, a high DPI, we use 1440HQ and there is a small hidden option in properties called "Generate Pure Black" that is defaulted to NO, but it needs to be YES to get ridiculously dark black to print, since true black in a CMYK system is a combination of all the colors. I've had other printers visit and make fun of my cheap printer, and then don't believe me when they see how dark the prints are, and its all in that one option for us.

jesseNYXT said:

can you direct me to where that print test is? and do you mean that with your printer, you replaced all the other ink colors with only black? so where there should be cyan, yellow, and magenta you only have black cartridges

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Yes, exactly. I use the epson 1430 & Accurip. The cartridges are labeled, CMYK for location purpose but have black ink in them. As far as I know you must use Accurip software to run all black ink.

Under Ink Setup you can choose "Multi-Black" then adjust the amount of ink coverage, with this system you can use less ink, to produce a darker neg.

In Accurip under the file menu, there is an option for "Test Print". After you do this it will print a scale for you from light to dark at different droplet weights. Then choose the darkest clearest image and adjust the droplet weight accordingly.

You may not have this setup, but I would highly recommend it for a dark print every time.

im using the epson 1400 SP and im already using the PowerRIP software so i suppose that it might be a bit different. but thank you very much for everything! you've been very helpful