The number and types of separation techniques the software can handle is not the issue. You’re not interested in software that requires two or three trial-and-error efforts before you get what you’re looking for. Your goal, of course, is to take a piece of artwork, print films, burn screens, and print accurately - the first time. However, the biggest question is how well it can reproduce your original artwork. By posterize, I mean that the software reduces the number of colors in the artwork, taking a continuous green tone, for instance, and simplifying it dramatically. I’m not interested in index separations, which can posterize the artwork and change the original, in my opinion. Does your shop have a specific technique, such as index, that it prefers - and if so, can the software create seps for that process?įor what it’s worth, I prefer software that can handle simulated process separations. Questions to consider while you demo the software and investigate your options include whether or not it fits your needs. This should allow for enough ink pickup on the back side of all screens to show the true print. Once you separate an image and burn screens, what do the prints look like? Are they accurate? Did achieving that accuracy take an inordinate amount of effort? In addition, print at least a dozen samples before judging the final print. Photo courtesy of Classic Impressions, Pittsburgh, Pa.Īs you test drive the software, also test its results.
Print at least a dozen samples before judging the final print.
The ultimate test of any separation program is in the print. You’re just trying to glean a sense of the software’s ease of use, its learning curve, and how well it may fit with your workflow.
Does it work with RGB or CMYK files? Does the file need to be on a black-and-white background? Should it be layered? At this point, you don’t need to read the manual cover to cover. Also see what types of files it can handle. Generally, demos are fully functional applications that will stop working after a certain amount of time or usage - two weeks or 20 separation jobs, for instance.ĭemo in hand, peruse the owner’s manual and see if it outlines a workflow process.
Prices range from about $300 to $1,000 or more, so it’s a good idea to start your selection process by using demos.Ī visit to each supplier’s Web site should give you access to downloadable demos if not, give the supplier a call and ask for a demo CD. In fact, only one product, Spot Process, is a stand-alone program that works without a graphics program. It’s also important to know that most separation programs are actually plug-ins for Photoshop. You're not interested in software that requires two or three trial-and-error efforts before you get what you're looking for. The biggest question to ask about a separation program is how well can it reproduce your original artwork? Pick a typical piece of artwork you do and run the program through its paces. They can do spot-color separations, but you won’t be able to do sophisticated color work. The only question is, which separation software is right for your shop?Īll mainstream graphics programs have some separation capabilities, but the reality is that they’re probably not going to be accurate enough to work for your shop. Today, advances in technology, as well as lower software costs, make it possible for printers to turn out top-notch separations with surprising ease and speed. Similarly, you could make your way through the separation process using only Adobe Photoshop, and most people use Photoshop when creating seps “by hand” but again, it’s a time-consuming way to do things that has fallen by the wayside.
In theory, you could do separations by hand, but that’s something I haven’t done - and many screen printers haven’t done, no doubt - in at least 15 years. In the same way that every art department needs an image editor and a vector program, every department should have separation software.