Need Illustrator Help!!!

[VersusMG]

Hi,

I sent off a design to a printer recently who is telling me they need the files color seperated? I know what it means but i have no idea how to do it in Illustrator.

And they also need the files to be in spot color.

The design has a gradient in it, but i don't know how to make it look right in Illustrator either.

www.versusmediagroup.com/tfc/envelops.jpg

[Virsitil]

im not sure what version of ill you are using but try this.

in the swatch pallete..make sure to convert your color to spot. ( dbl click - colortype = spot )

use you doc info window to make sure there are no CMYK objects..if there are convert them to your spot colors...also open the gradient swatch and make sure those are spot.

click on print- in the dialog window on the left there are some options..
click on output..it will show you what your colors are..and what the file will sep. as.

in adition to the CMYK it should show your spot colors there.

hope that helps..

[VersusMG]

okay now i need one last thing. I am using Illustrator CS2 and i need to have a gradient fade from black to a 4% black. How do i change the color on that to fade right?

[iLikePie]

mmm it's pretty hard i think... since you can't have transparent nodes on a gradient, you have to create the gradient and then use a mask to get rid of the white (or whatever color you choose)... but i'm not sure if that'll be ok for the printer.

[VersusMG]

So you can't just set a swatch alpha? Or can you control the alpha after its applied to the gradient?

[Stratification]

Just make a black swatch a spot color, edit that to be 4% black, save as a new swatch and drag those to the two ends of your gradient. Simple as that. For printing you want to avoid transparency if at all possible.

[VersusMG]

Thats what i don't know how to do! I don't know how to make it 4% :) Can you help me with that?

[simplistik]

in your color pallette just take down the K out of your CMYK... if you're using CMYK. If you're using a pantone black just take the black down to 4%... but a 4% black is basically white...

[VersusMG]

Thanks,

That is exactly what there guy from PrePress asked for, but it just turns the color white? So the effect doesn't really work if you want it to fade into an orange?

I'm going to have to give him a call

Thank you guys for all your help...I'll get the hang of this print stuff sooner or later. :)

[jimhere]

If you make a gradient (in a box) that goes from white to PMS Black to white, place it above the orange field, then in the Transparency palette, set it to "multiply", then slide it down to whatever percentage you want.

Then, go to (menu) Object> Flatten Trancparency. Make sure "Preserve Alpha Transparency" is checked. This will convert it to a bunch of traditional Illustrator objects.

[=guinness=]

that will work for full color press but for spot color you need it separated, making gradients more difficult and requiring more colors. with the process of spot coloring it does it in multiple passes with separate colors rather than the cmyk that mixes colors.

PMS sells swatch books for that reason so you can get the colors you want.