Spot Color help please

[M._Hammet@adobeforums.com]

I received a graphic from someone who created it in Windows using a program I have never heard of that would only allow him to save it as an Illustrator EPS Full color image.

I'm Mac based using Photoshop, Quark, etc. I'm not that familiar with Illustrator, though I do have it. However, Illustrator won't open the document. Photoshop will. My dilemma is that I can't change anything even after converting it to a Tif. I need the graphic to be black and one spot color. No matter what I do, it still prints 4 plates CMYK.

Can anyone please advise?
Thank you.

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

Can you place the original image in Quark and print it?
If you have to make changes, try to save an EPS from Quark and open in Illustrator.

[M._Hammet@adobeforums.com]

I can and I will try that. Thank you.

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

No matter what I do, it still prints 4 plates CMYK.




What mode is your Photoshop file in? CMYK? That would explain the 4 plates. Look at the channels palette.

I doubt very much that the original file has spot colors defined in it, but you never know.

[M._Hammet@adobeforums.com]

It was that way under channels. What can I do to make a spot color and get a black and a spot color plate? I'm still having problems. I've gone through about a ream of paper. I'm going to open it on a windows machine and see what happens.

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

Does the image LOOK like it is only shades of black and this other color you want?

Regarding the original file:

Did you try file>place (unlinked) in Illustrator?

Do you have Freehand? If so try opening in that.

Or print a ps file from QXP, distill that to PDF, and try opening the PDF in Illustrator.

[M._Hammet@adobeforums.com]

No, the other color, when I can get it, shows as gray.
I don't have Freehand. My Illustrator won't let me set separations or change color. I'll try both it and Photoshop after I PDF from QXP.

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

Stuff the original, and email it to me at [email]jslatemail@aol.com[/email]

Tell me what area need to be what PMS color.

[M._Hammet@adobeforums.com]

Thank you.

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

M:

The original file ends in ".ai"

That makes it a native Illustrator file. It was saved in version 8.

You do NOT want to be opening this in Photoshop.

The Illustrator file is all vector, don't rasterize unless you really have to.

I'm a bit confused, you originally said that "Illustrator won't open the document" but later, you said "My Illustrator won't let me set separations or change color" which implies that you had the file open but could not figure out what you needed to do.

I'm guessing you can open it in Illustrator, so do so. That is what you need to do.

Note that all of the paths are way up to the left off the page-box, (see navigator) so you may want to select them all and put them in the center.

This is a very simple file.

There are only 3 colors involved:

0c0m0y100k, 0c0m0y25k, and 0c100m100y0k.

The first 2 are OK. The third is your problem but the fix is easy.

First select windows>swatch libraries>pantone coated and when the window opens up scroll to the color you want (PMS 192), and drag it into your swatches palette.

Now select any of the red shapes, then edit>select>same fill, and all the red shapes should be selected.

Click the PMS 192 swatch in your swatch palette and all the red shapes will become that spot color.

Save as EPS to place in QXP.

Make sure your document color mode in Illustrator is CMYK not RGB.

I have done the above in win98 using AIv8. I will send it to you if you want, but I think it would be more valuable for you to do it yourself.

[JasonSmith@adobeforums.com]

Just because it has .ai doesnt mean it was created by .ai.

[M._Hammet@adobeforums.com]

It wasn't created by AI. It was created by some obscure Windows program that I've never heard of that starts with a "G" or something, and it would only allow the person who created it to save it as an Illustrator EPS or another type of EPS. It would not allow him to save it as Tif, JPEG, PDF or anything else. When I try to open it in Illustrator or place it in Illustrator, all I get is an empty space. I can open it in Photoshop and convert it to Tif or what have you, then I can open it in Illustrator.

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

True. I often take the properties of any given file too literally on a PC.

Anyway, one other suggestion to M:

Select everything and scale it in Illustrator to 25%. Otherwise you will have a rather weighty EPS file by virtue of the preview.

[M._Hammet@adobeforums.com]

I had the tif the size I needed, you had asked for the original file and that's what the guy sent. I know. It is huge.

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

M:

It's not an EPS it's a .AI

When I try to open it in Illustrator or place it in Illustrator, all I
get is an empty space




That's because everything is way up to the left.

keep zooming out and you will see it.

[JasonSmith@adobeforums.com]

Oh, let me guess - GERBER?

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

I can open it in Photoshop and convert it to Tif or what have you, then
I can open it in Illustrator.




dude...

You need to educate yourself on the difference between vector and raster.

[John_Slate@adobeforums.com]

Oh, let me guess - GERBER?




Interestingly enough the "company" field in the information tab of file properties says "erber"

[M._Hammet@adobeforums.com]

I know the difference between vector and raster, LOL. I didn't realize all the stuff was way up at the top. Again, I'm not as versed in AI, yet, as I am in other programs. And I have learned today, thank you again.

P.S. I'm a Dudette. Be nice. :)

[JasonSmith@adobeforums.com]

It was more of a 'Whoah' type dude statement rather than gender related.