Help with separating block colours

Lynny · 04-30-2003, 02:06 PM

Hi, I am doing some work for a screenprinter, I need to separate the colors in the attached image and print them each out separately as just black in other words a positive for each color.

Altho this isn't a good example, I need to select the colours with something thats more precise than the magic wand.... I find the magic wand leaves little jaggies either on the cutout, or between the cutout and where it was cut from.

I'm sure the answer would be something to do with channels, but can't for the life of me work out what to do.....

Any Ideas.

Lynny

Stroker · 04-30-2003, 02:25 PM

In the Channels palette, there is a little triangle in the upper-right. Click it and choose "Split Channels".

That should do ya, but it sounds kind of odd that you would have to do this this. Not that I know much about print.

Lynny · 04-30-2003, 02:51 PM

Somehow I have two threads going,

Yes I know about spilting the channels..... however it's very rear that a color is all red or all blue, in fact most times a colour will have all three for rgb or 4 for cymk colors to make up the color.... I need the colours to be in blocks of color whatever the color happens to actually be.....

I'm thinking the more I write the more confusing I'm sounding.

Lynny

Stroker · 04-30-2003, 04:04 PM

Yeap. I'm confused.

Some shots in the dark:
Image > Adjust > Posterize
Filter > Artistic > Cutout
Filter > Pixalate > Mosaic

04-30-2003, 04:12 PM

Lynny , like Stroker I have no idea what you mean... [confused]

Stroker's answer to your first post would have been mine too.

But your second post really confuses me; what do you mean by "I need the colours to be in blocks of color whatever the color happens to actually be....." ?

ladyfinger007 · 04-30-2003, 05:24 PM

Normally, one uses a lazer printer do do it, to print the separate coulours (If one prints in CYMK) to have halftoning...

If you rez up the file, convert to CYMK, and then print each channel one by one. (there is an option in the print with preview window (under output, check the screen options to apply halftoning to your image) )

wbiss · 05-03-2003, 05:23 AM

Lynny, I believe that all you need to do is save (and print) your file in a DCS (Desktop Color Separation) format. Photoshop will then automatically create a composite file that will allow a printer to make 'plates' (in the case of screen printing) from each CMYK color channel for print purposes.

Refer to this article on what it's all about!

http://gpp.netfirms.com/graphics/adv...sLesson09.html

Lynny · 05-03-2003, 07:21 AM

Geeze this BB hates me today, typed a long reply and something happen when I hit submit reply, and it's lost forever.

Oh well here goes again.

First thank you for the tut url, it wsn't wanted what I wanted for this problem, but it's something I've been wanting to know as well..... [righton]

I've attached a graphic, I want to separate the cyan, yellow, red, dark blue and white. This is what I tried, and it doesn't do a good enough job.

Magic wand- if isn't precise enough, leaves little jaggies.

Channels- because the colours aren't pure CYMK this doesn't work.

Select/color range- As long as I have the picture behind the color range box when it opens, and the picture is zoomed into 1600% so I can select the different colours where the different colors meet seems to be the best option...... but still very time consuming, id there a better way.

Lynny

wbiss · 05-03-2003, 10:59 PM

Oh, I see... I think? [confused] You're looking to reconstruct the image by putting the various elements on separate layers, are you Lynny? [confused]

If that is the case, then I would suggest cutting out the various 'shapes' using PS's pen (vector) tool. This is the only way to get the kind of "precise" selection that you are looking for...