If there is one look of puzzlement we know better than any other here at cutpasteandprint, it is the look of confusion we see on customers when we tell them their files don’t separate. Separations are a big part of our day here at the shop. We are constantly receiving files and making sure that they separate properly so we can get them printed and into our customers hands.
Essentially, a separation is a single layer of an image that represents one ink color to be used on press. An image such as a photograph will be broken down into layers for each of the 4 basic printing inks – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK). Each ink that will need to have its own separation.
If you are like most folks and don’t spend your whole day in a print shop, then the printer you are most familiar with is a standard desktop inkjet of some kind. And the printing process on such a machine is a simple one. You take your picture, load it on your computer, select and press print. Then all at once your printer starts to spit out your image.The printer mixes the inks (CMYK) all together into your image as it works.
In a print shop, since we will be making thousands of copies of an image not just one at a time, there a is different and more complex process to go through to achieve a finished image.
We would take your photograph and isolate the 4 color layers of the image as separations and then print each one onto its own individual plate. Lets take a look at a quick sample of what I mean.
Here is a color photograph of our illustrious pressman Quan hard at work. In its composite form we see it as a whole and complete photograph.
But to get it press ready, we need to create the 4 CMYK separations , they will essentially look something like this:
Each separation represents an individual ink that will be put on press and applied to our paper. Each plate will be fitted to a cylinder on the press and then made ready to start running. As each lays down its respective layer of ink, we will gradually build the image on the paper.
That is an example of 4-color process, but the same holds true for your business card or letterhead design. Even if it is just 2 or even 1 color.
For example, a 2 color card like this:
To get it on press we will need to break the design down into 2 separations. A separation for the purple PMS 261
And another for the light green PMS 366.
Each color will meet the paper separately, and it will be the skill of our pressmen that ensure that the final product has the correct amount of ink, lines up perfectly and looks great.
If you are just learning about separations for the first time, it may seem a bit complicated. How can you be sure your colors will separate properly? And will they print properly?
Fortunately, this is something that our Prepress department will handle for you. But here are a few points to keep in mind.
1. If you are creating stationary to be printed in spot colors like Pantone inks. You need to choose those colors when creating your design. Every software program has a method for doing this, and by taking the time to ensure that you are using the same colors throughout, you will avoid confusion later.
2. If you are working with a photograph on screen, it is more than likely that you are seeing an image in a RGB color space. This is designed for monitors and TVs not printing. Thanks to specialized printing software this isn’t as much of problem as it used to be. But it is a good idea to preview how the image will look in a CMYK (printing) color space. That way you will have a better idea what your final colors will look like when printed.
Well, we have just scratched the surface of this discussion, so if you have any questions or comments, why not add them below?
