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l008com · Jan 17, 2003, 08:11 PM

Ok heres the deal. I made a logo in photoshop, I mage it HUGE, thousands of pixels across, so I would always be able to scale it to whatever size I need. Its only two colors, a dark red, and black. Now I'm trying to make a business card, and I wanna use these two colors in the InDesign document and in the photoshop file that I'm using for the logo. I Picked two pantones, one for the red and one for the black. The photoshop image is already the CMYK version of this. But I can't figure out how to 'make' the document so it will not automatically default to CMYK. I made my document use pantone in InDesign but this feature of photoshop is illuding me. I created spot color channels but I have layer effects that I can't figure out how to incorperate into this.

Also, If I get this done right, will I be able to export to a PDF that will itself print to pantone and NOT CMYK?

Thanks

l008com · Jan 18, 2003, 02:49 PM

OK I used Spot Color Channels in photoshop with my logo, so my whole logo is represented by the two colors. But when I try to import them into InDesign, it tells me it can't read the files specifically becuase they contain spot color channels?!?!?! What the hell is going on???? That makes no sense at all. There has to be a way to do this, I don't wanna spend twice as much to print the exact same thing in CMYK instead of using two spot colors.

kulverse · Jan 19, 2003, 08:10 AM

Originally posted by l008com:
OK I used Spot Color Channels in photoshop with my logo, so my whole logo is represented by the two colors. But when I try to import them into InDesign, it tells me it can't read the files specifically becuase they contain spot color channels?!?!?! What the hell is going on???? That makes no sense at all. There has to be a way to do this, I don't wanna spend twice as much to print the exact same thing in CMYK instead of using two spot colors.

I haven't had to use spot color in InDesign on a PhotoShop file yet, but I would think that it should just recognize them. Thats InDesigns main selling point...the compatability between it's own apps. Oh well...If that doesnt work for you try this.

I KNOW this works in Quark, as I've had to do it.

1. Make sure you delete the channels you don't need (in your case, all the process colors) in PS

2. Save the file as a PhotoShop DCS 2.0 file. (saves it as an EPS file with spot color info) The preview may look crappy, but will print right.

3. Import into whatever app you need.

I've managed spot colors from a PhotoShop file using this format in Both Illustrator and Quark XPress 4. I'd just assume that InDesign has followed suit.

Good Luck

almaink · Jan 19, 2003, 09:28 AM

Easy fix� change logo to cmyk in Photoshop
choose yellow channel then select all clear. Do the same for cyan channel. Make mag solid or whatever % red was. Save as Tiff. In InDesign use mag as red spot.
almaink

kulverse · Jan 19, 2003, 10:06 AM

Originally posted by almaink:
Easy fix� change logo to cmyk in Photoshop
choose yellow channel then select all clear. Do the same for cyan channel. Make mag solid or whatever % red was. Save as Tiff. In InDesign use mag as red spot.
almaink

In theory, that works only if your whole job is being done in those two colors. However, if the just the logo is using spot color and your dropping it on design using process (or process with some spot thrown in)that won't work. Depends on the piece.

I would have personally done that logo in Illustrator using spot colors.

l008com · Jan 19, 2003, 03:48 PM

Originally posted by kulverse:
I haven't had to use spot color in InDesign on a PhotoShop file yet, but I would think that it should just recognize them. Thats InDesigns main selling point...the compatability between it's own apps. Oh well...If that doesnt work for you try this.

I KNOW this works in Quark, as I've had to do it.

1. Make sure you delete the channels you don't need (in your case, all the process colors) in PS

2. Save the file as a PhotoShop DCS 2.0 file. (saves it as an EPS file with spot color info) The preview may look crappy, but will print right.

3. Import into whatever app you need.

I've managed spot colors from a PhotoShop file using this format in Both Illustrator and Quark XPress 4. I'd just assume that InDesign has followed suit.

Good Luck

Oh where to begin...

OK there are no CMYK channels in my photoshop doc, only RGB and two spot colors
I can't delete RGB channels so I left it as is. I saved in that format you said, and imported. InDesign did 'take' them. But this is what the preview looked like. I though it would print good like you said, but it prints exactly like the preview. Is there a way to get an InDesign document into Quark? I don't want to remake my design from scratch.

l008com · Jan 19, 2003, 03:53 PM

Also, if you look real close, I lost transparancy. Because a spot color channel is solid, the background of my image is white and blocks out the image beneath it. Is there a way to make a mask for my image?

kulverse · Jan 19, 2003, 05:13 PM

Originally posted by l008com:
Also, if you look real close, I lost transparancy. Because a spot color channel is solid, the background of my image is white and blocks out the image beneath it. Is there a way to make a mask for my image?

Printing will only work through a post-script printer. I assumed they were getting sep'ed at a printing house, so sorry about that. it will look like crap printed through an inkjet, as it can't read the post script info without additional software.

I've never had an issue deleting channels before. Try converting it to CMYK first then deleteing the process colors.

You could try using a clipping path in PhotoShop to preserve transparency.

Also....if you like....and I'll do this once (because it's a simple logo), I will recreate the logo in illustrator useing those two spot colors. This will eliminate any sizing, and transparency problems, and only take me about 15 minutes max. This kind of logo will fair better in vector format anyway.

Let me know.

l008com · Jan 19, 2003, 05:16 PM

No thanks, its really a simple logo, letters and a single shape. Its photoshop's layer effects that make it look good. If you think you can match photoshop's bevels and embosses in illustrator... I'd like to see it. plus sizing is already not an issue since i made the original logo file HUGE, and I mean HUGE.

kulverse · Jan 19, 2003, 06:22 PM

Originally posted by l008com:
No thanks, its really a simple logo, letters and a single shape. Its photoshop's layer effects that make it look good. If you think you can match photoshop's bevels and embosses in illustrator... I'd like to see it. plus sizing is already not an issue since i made the original logo file HUGE, and I mean HUGE.

Fair enough...didn't even see the layer effects on your sig. It's certainly doable in Illustrator as seen below, (didn't finish cleaning up the bevel on the left side of the oval thing after seeing your replay

)but I don't have the time or ambition to make it perfect. At least it killed some time for me.

Hope you get it working...

l008com · Jan 19, 2003, 06:24 PM

Yeah but see I specifically want those smooth photoshop bevels, I don't like those hard edged solid color illustrator types, you know? I don't know, I'll have to look around some more.

kulverse · Jan 19, 2003, 06:31 PM

Looking at your card, I wouldn't usually suggest doing this, but almaink's suggestion would work here.

Too bad you don't have access to a postscript printer, or the DCS 2.0 way would work just fine.

I'm going to open InDesign tonight and see whats up. You've peaked my couriosity. I can't believe Adobe didn't think of spot colors in PS files when creating InDesign

kulverse · Jan 19, 2003, 06:43 PM

I was able to to get the DCS 2.0 to print nicely on my inkjet. I did this by just selecting the imported image and bringing up the pop-up menu and selecting the highest quality setting. This made the EPS preview look just like the original file.

Checking the separations section of the print dialogue showed the spot colors I brought in just fine.

Hope it works

l008com · Jan 19, 2003, 07:42 PM

But do a preflight with the eps. I did and it still said 4 process and two spot colors. I don't undetstnad this at all. And I still have the problem of non transparent background of images. I don't know why you can't just use real spot colors in photoshop.

kulverse · Jan 19, 2003, 08:13 PM

Originally posted by l008com:
But do a preflight with the eps. I did and it still said 4 process and two spot colors. I don't undetstnad this at all. And I still have the problem of non transparent background of images. I don't know why you can't just use real spot colors in photoshop.

Thats because you never deleted those channels. It doesnt much matter though, because you can select which colors you want printed when you make your seps.

I havent tried this in InDesign, or with a spot color file, but have you tried making a clipping path in PS? That would solve your transparency issue.

I don't know why you can't just use real spot colors in photoshop.

They are real spot colors. PhotoShop just doesn't implement them real well...and they admit it. I've had good luck with them for certain things though.

I tried my hardest...sorry I was no help.

godzookie2k · Jan 19, 2003, 08:56 PM

Flatten Image ---> Convert to Grayscale ----> Convert to Duotone -----> Select Pantone Colors you want using "custom" in Color Picker ----> Save As Photoshop EPS.

l008com · Jan 19, 2003, 08:59 PM

Originally posted by godzookie2k:
Flatten Image ---> Convert to Grayscale ----> Convert to Duotone -----> Select Pantone Colors you want using "custom" in Color Picker ----> Save As Photoshop EPS.

That works on single spot color images, mine has two colors, needless to say, no-go

chris v · Jan 19, 2003, 10:50 PM

I build spot channels in Photoshop all the time. If you want to dump the extra unused cmyk channels, convert the file to multi-channel, then delete away.

You have to save the file as a DCS 2.0 in order for page layout programs to recognize the spot channels, though.

If you're concerned with the layer effects, I say:

1. Design file in RGB or CMYK, using all the layer effects you like.

2. Flatten image.

3. Extract your spot colors using "Select by Color Range..." (select "sampled colors" inthe pop-up menu) use the eyedropper, and play around with it. It may take a few trys. Once you've made a selection, when you create and name a new spot channel, the contents of your selection will automatically paste.

4. Convert to Multichannel, and delete unneeded channels.

5. Save as DCS 2.0.

If you need to make a clipping mask, use the majic wand to select the white areas around your design, then convert selection to path, then create clipping path. You'll probably still have to edit it a bit to make it fit just right.

CV

kulverse · Jan 19, 2003, 11:03 PM

I eventually got the spot colors looking perfect for him. Unfortunately the clipping path I made did no justice to the shadow. InDesigns built in clipping was the biggest POS i've ever seen in a program before. So that didnt help either.

The solution: Take the background image and spots that I made and combine them in Photoshop. redo the spot color...import into Indesign. Done.