First two colour job, need help with colour mixing please 1

[fisher113]

Hi all,

I am doing my first two colour print job for stationery (that has to go to a different printer to my usual on Monday), and have learned all about using two spot colours (well, pantone 180 and black) to acheive a decent range of tints and mixes. The final design is in Indesign, but there are eps illustrator images placed in that file. It's really easy to make mixed swatches of these two colours I'm using with the "Create mixed ink swatch" option in Indesign, but I can't find the equivalent in Illustrator.

I've tried to find an answer online and am getting all about overlaying objects with transparency, and overprinting which is new to me as well. Is this the preferred way to do the same thing in Illustrator?
Indesign will let me change the mixed inks into individual spot colours and export them to illustrator (i think), but will they still count as only two colours if I load up a bunch of individual exported spot colours into Illustrator?

I can't believe that the systems between Indesign and lllustrator are so different! It's frustrating.

Any help on this would be much appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[apepp]

...illustrator doesn't perform mixed ink groups as you have discovered...

...the only way is manually, objects on top of other objects...

...even with indesign (and also quark) being able to perform mixed inks, in my experience, many have avoided it, i've rarely seen it used. Despite the simplicity that this function is to use, it is difficult to really predict with any great accuracy how two spot colors would really look on paper when mixed together, take p389 and a metallic for example...

...the same can be true when dealing with duotones, tritones and quadtones in photoshop. It does get complicated mixing two spot colours together, so you either rust your own judgement and see how it turns out on press, or get a wet proof done (expensive), this depends on budgets and how significant the print job might be...

...in your case you are dealing with p180 + k...

...to mix these two together in illustrator, you either:

- import a duotone made in photoshop.

- colorise a mono image in illustrator above an object with a different colour and set the image to overprint (overprints are dealt with in the attributes palette), turn on view > overprint preview.

- set the object you want to overprint using the 'multiply' command in the transparency palette, turn on view > overprint preview.

- create different spot tints in illustrator, apply to objects directly on top of one another, set the top object to overprint (overprints are dealt with in the attributes palette), turn on view > overprint preview.

...in indesign, import as native .ai files (instead of eps) and let indesign deal with flattening transparency if it needs to upon export to pdf 1.3 or postcript...

...exporting ink swatches from indesign into illustartor is fine, but not mixed ink groups, they have to be the individual spot colors...

...when the print provider RIPS the file, they will change the angle of the spot color to avoid screen clash and also deal with any trapping values required...

Andrew

 

[apepp]

...forgot to mention, the other option is to create spot channels in photoshop and import that...

...this method can be complicated, depending on the artwork you are trying dealing with...

Andrew

 

[apepp]

...also, with the illustrator method, think in layers, you can select objects and then in the layers palette, create a new layer, grab the colored square, whilst pressing the alt/option key drag it to the layer above (you should see a plus symbol when performing this action on your mouse cursor)...

...this ensures the object is in identical position...

Andrew

 

[apepp]

...and finally to mention, ink groups and spot tints from indesign to illustrator can be achieved via copy and paste, not the export swatches command...


Andrew

 

[apepp]

...but don't expect illy to honour the individual tints in the swatches pallette...

...it will only list it as a solid...


Andrew

 

[apepp]

...i'll shut up now...


Andrew

 

[apepp]

...actually, no i won't...

...spot tints in illustrator are made using the color palette, drag to the swatches palette or the option via the flyout menu of the color palette 'create new swatch'...

...useful to have on is the 'select same tint %' option in the preferences dialog...

..then choose, select > same > fill color, and change the tint values if need be...

Andrew

 

[fisher113]

Wow! Hi Andrew and thanks so much for all that information.

I've just got back in and so my brain isn't capable of digesting all that just now but I will have a proper read through tomorrow morning and test it out.

I'll post back then, but just wanted to say thanks for all your help so far!