color seperation

[Twisted Tim]

I own a design company, and my employees have set me to try to learn advanced photo shop. I am running cs2, and was wondering how I can separate these colors into different layers or files, so I can make film positives for screen printing. Steak lunch is on the line here. I usually use Sign Go or Flexi for this, but I am experimenting with more intrecate designs.

I use Photoshop for 4 color process t-shirts, and think it could be awsome for other designs we want to try.

Thanks

Tim



http://www.flickr.com/photos/44450450@N08/4078728379/

[gusak22]

easiest way is just select a color range and hit cmnd/ctrl + j to get them on their separate layers. another way to look at it would be using the channels.

[combiBob]

Image>Mode>CMYK

Whatever device your printer uses for plates or screens will make CMYK. You don't need to separate anything.

Did I miss something in your post?

[Twisted Tim]

When you make a average shirt, you print each color separately, so this design will have 5 colors, plus black being the shirt. To expose the screen, I will need a positive (solid black design) to block out the light on the screen. So heres the second part of my question. I start with a design, separate the colors, change everything to black, and print, how do i make each design a separate layer, or how do I just print a selection.?


Any other questions?


Tim

[Old Geezer]

I don't really understand your problem.

Who is making the design and is it being made in Photoshop ?

Are you recreating it from a flat drawing ?

I would have thought Illustrator would be the program to learn in your position as opposed to Photoshop.

[profeivan]

You can do this: Convert your image to CMYK, then, from the menu on the layers panel select Split channels; this will create a new grayscale file for each color channel.

[Twisted Tim]

I want to use photoshop so i can use gradients to get some really cool designs. Fades and gradients have to be changed to little dots ( which photo shop does really well).

The designs are often made by my customers in something like paint shop or publisher, which makes it totally useless to me. So I can scan it and try to clean it up, or just flat redraw it. I really like the color range tool, I can get a really good trace, but I then have problems with printing them. So far I have just cropped the color I wanted, Printed, and undid the crop.

I use photoshop for all my 4 color process t-shirts, it has the fastest interface for converting to cmyk, also I can adjust my screen settings so I dont get a lot of distortions.

I'm just learning it, but I have used Corel draw x14 and as you know, the two programs are totally different. I am starting to use photoshop do design vehicle wraps and other signage.


Thanks for all your help. I really find the tutorials helpful, but do we know any really good books? I can buy books all day long, but don't want to spend cash on junk books.


Tim

PS If any of you want custom shirts or decals, let me know, I'll cut you a deal!!

[Old Geezer]

Design specific Photoshop books are not really any use unless you know what the tools and layers etc work.
Books by Scott Kelby, Matt K, Cory Barker, Dave Cross, Deke Mclelland will be good.

Google 'Photoshop for Designers'.

[combiBob]

Originally Posted by Twisted Tim

I use photoshop for all my 4 color process t-shirts, it has the fastest interface for converting to cmyk, also I can adjust my screen settings so I dont get a lot of distortions.

Is the current project (that you asked about) any different than this?

Seems like you're printing CMYK (4/C process) and a white KO plate on black t-shirts. Right?

Are you getting something other than a Cyan positive (film) printer, a Magenta printer, etc. when you make your film? I'm still confused as to why you feel you need to separate anything. You send a file and it comes out in 4 pieces. C, M, Y, and K.

Not trying to be difficult. Just curious.

Cheers.

[Twisted Tim]

Bob,

I'm not sure I made my self clear, When you print t-shirts, you have two options when screen printing. You can have a 4 process t-shirt, CMYK so you would have 4 colors, plus what ever your printing on. Unless it is a white shirt, you will have to lay down a white flash, or a white underlayer.

The other option and the most common is to make a screen for each color. So for a 5 color design, I would make 5 different screens. One for each color, then depending on the design, I would print each color in order of light to dark.

When you make a screen, you use a Diazo-Photopolymer Dual Cure Direct Emulsion. Which is like old school film, when uv hits it, it cures, and becomes hard. To make your design, you make a pattern, or positive, to block the light. After its exposed, you wash out your design, dry the screen, and hit it with ink.

So there it is. A crash course in Screen Printing.



Tim