Prepressforums.com

#1 (**permalink**) 06-18-2004, 04:52 PM

Does anyone know how to set up spot color colorbar in Preps, like the 4 color bar across on top of the press sheet? Thanks in Advance!!!

DCurry · #2 (**permalink**) 06-19-2004, 09:20 AM

Any EPS file can be used as a mark in Preps. I took our standard 4-color process bar and opened it in Illustrator (or any vector illustration program) and simply modified it to be 4 spot color instead of CMY and K. Each spot color is given a generic name (Spot 1, Spot 2, etc.) so that I can merge it at the RIP into the real PMS that is being used on a particular job. Just save as EPS and place in the dupe marks folder in Preps and it is ready to go.

I also edited all my color bars so that none of the colors actually touch each other. I was finding that ever time I trapped a job after ripping, half the traps listed were taking place in the color bar, which sometimes made it difficult to figure out which traps were really needed.

Also fun - put little nasty messages to your least favorite pressman in tiny type under your color bar, then see how long it takes him to see it. I'm going on over a year and still counting...

#3 (**permalink**) 06-19-2004, 11:16 AM

Thanks a lot. It's a great help. I 've been searching on the Preps manual for a while, but couln't find it. Let's say if I have a 2 color job (1 PMS & Black), all I need to do is to make "1 black & spot 1" in illustrator file, is that right? Once again, thousand thanks!

DCurry · #4 (**permalink**) 06-20-2004, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guest

Let's say if I have a 2 color job (1 PMS & Black), all I need to do is to make "1 black & spot 1" in illustrator file, is that right? Once again, thousand thanks!

Yep, that's it. Then just merge them into the correct PMS on your RIP or as you output seps from Preps, depending on your workflow. If you use Preps' PDF-to-PDF workflow, you'll also need a PDF of your custom color bar.

RosieHS · #5 (**permalink**) 07-15-2004, 12:04 PM

By the way, if you are using a Rampage Rip you can use Spot Color Aliases. These are special spot colors that automatically map to spot colors that are used in a page.

Rampage has ten special spot color names:
"rsi_coloralias_1" through "rsi_coloralias_10"

Use these to name your spot colors in your custom colorbar. Place this colorbar into your imposition layout and Rampage will automatically link the spot colors when you rip your impo.

Scott · #6 (**permalink**) 07-30-2004, 08:33 AM

Preps comes with both a cmyk+2spot color bar and a k+5spot color bar. Look for it in the marks folder. It's called dig6color or something like that.

Scott

Peon · #7 (**permalink**) 08-05-2004, 07:02 AM

You should do like we had to do. We had to have color bars made with corresponding numbers on it that matches the press keys so the pressman doesn't have to work too hard. It is tough for a press operator to have to lay a sheet on the delivery and see where he/she has to adjust color. Speaking of lazy, it's not just the designers. What a bunch of crap. :roll: It seems like us prepress people are the backbone of any shop, why do you think then we aren't we paid that way?