Photoshop allows you to add separate channels for spot colors which can then be color separated. Spot, or custom, colors are premixed inks manufactured by various ink companies, the most popular in the U.S. being Pantone. Other popular companies include Toyo and Focoltone. A spot color is often used for a logo, type, or small illustration. Spot colors are also used when you need to apply metallic inks or varnishes to your print job. Spot colors can be used instead of, or in addition to, the four process CMYK colors.
Usually, it’s easier and more convenient to add the spot color graphic — especially if it is type or a vector shape — in another program, such as a drawing program like Illustrator or a page layout program like InDesign. But if the spot color graphic has a Photoshop special effect applied to it or is an integral part of the Photoshop image, then create your spot channel(s) in Photoshop.
If you are delving into the world of spot colors, I highly recommend that you choose your color from a printed Pantone swatch book, available from www.pantone.com. Because your screen is an RGB device and you’re setting up your file for a CMYK output device, the colors you see on-screen do not match the colors that will ultimately be printed on paper and at best are a ballpark match. For accuracy, you must select the colors from the printed swatch book.
Creating a spot channel
Follow these steps to create a spot channel:
1. Create the graphic or type to which you want to apply the spot color on a separate layer.
2. Ctrl+click (Ô+click on the Mac) to select the graphic and then fill it with any solid color and an opacity of 100%.
3. With your selection active, choose Window-->Channels, and choose New Spot Channel from the Channels palette pop-up menu.
A spot color can be applied only to an active selection. It can’t be applied just to a layer. The New Spot Channel dialog box appears.
4. In the Name text box, enter a name for your spot color. In the Ink Characteristics area, click the color swatch.
I recommend naming it according to the spot color you want to use, such as Pantone 3405 C or PMS 3405 C. PMS stands for Pantone Matching System. When you click the color swatch, the Color Picker appears.
5. Click the Custom button in the Color Picker and select your Pantone color from the Custom Colors dialog box that appears. Then click OK.
6. In the New Spot Channel dialog box, select a Solidity value between 0% to 100%.
A value of 100% represents an ink that is completely opaque, such as a metallic ink, which completely covers the inks beneath it. A value of 0% represents a transparent ink, such as a clear varnish. But the solidity value affects only the screen view and composite prints; it doesn’t affect the separations. It can be helpful to see where a “clear” varnish will print.
7. Click OK to close the dialog box. Your spot channel appears in the Channels palette and is filled in the image as well. I created a spot channel for my sun graphic and for the
Australia type. In the printing process, spot colors are overprinted on top of the four-color image. That means that the spot color is applied at the end of the printing process and is printed over the other inks. This can sometimes cause lighter spot colors to darken somewhat. If you need your spot color graphic to knock out the underlying image, you should create it in an illustration or page layout program. A knockout is when a hole is left in the four-color image, and the spot ink then fills that hole. It does not print over the other inks.
8. Save the image in the native Photoshop, Photoshop PDF, or Photoshop DCS 2.0 (Desktop Color Separations) format.
If the image is being separated directly out of Photoshop, leave it as a PSD or PDF file. If you want to import it into a different program, such as PageMaker, InDesign, or QuarkXPress, you must save it as a DCS file. You also have to go through a few more hoops: If your image is a duotone, tritone, or quadtone image, you must first convert it to multichannel mode with the Image-->Mode command. In the DCS 2.0 Format dialog box, make sure that the Include Halftone Screen and Include Transfer options are not selected. Import the image into your destination application and set your screen angles. (Also, you can have your service bureau or offset printer do it, but let them know what spot colors you want for each spot separation.)
Converting an alpha channel to a spot channel
If you want to convert an alpha channel to a spot channel, select the alpha channel in the Channels palette and choose Channel Options from the palette pop-up menu. Rename the channel and select Spot Color. Choose a color from the Custom section of the Color Picker. Click OK. Note that Photoshop converts all areas containing nonwhite pixels (unselected to partially selected areas) to the spot color. Choose Image➪Adjustments-->Invert to apply the spot color to the white pixels or selected areas of the alpha channel.
Editing a spot channel
After you create a spot channel, you can edit it. Select the channel in the Channels palette and use a painting or editing tool to paint with black, white, or any shade of gray, just as you would with an alpha channel. To change any of the options of the spot channel, double-click the spot channel thumbnail, or select it and choose Channel Options from the palette pop-up menu. Choose a different color or solidity.
You probably won’t ever need to do this, but to merge a spot channel, select it and choose Merge Spot Channel from the palette pop-up menu. This converts the spot color and divides it among the four process color channels. Photoshop then deletes the spot channel and flattens all layers in your image. Also, the spot color will now print according to the closest match it can reproduce by using process colors. And sometimes this isn’t a very good match because CMYK inks can’t reproduce the range of colors offered by spot inks.
Usually, it’s easier and more convenient to add the spot color graphic — especially if it is type or a vector shape — in another program, such as a drawing program like Illustrator or a page layout program like InDesign. But if the spot color graphic has a Photoshop special effect applied to it or is an integral part of the Photoshop image, then create your spot channel(s) in Photoshop.
If you are delving into the world of spot colors, I highly recommend that you choose your color from a printed Pantone swatch book, available from www.pantone.com. Because your screen is an RGB device and you’re setting up your file for a CMYK output device, the colors you see on-screen do not match the colors that will ultimately be printed on paper and at best are a ballpark match. For accuracy, you must select the colors from the printed swatch book.
Creating a spot channel
Follow these steps to create a spot channel:
1. Create the graphic or type to which you want to apply the spot color on a separate layer.
2. Ctrl+click (Ô+click on the Mac) to select the graphic and then fill it with any solid color and an opacity of 100%.
3. With your selection active, choose Window-->Channels, and choose New Spot Channel from the Channels palette pop-up menu.
A spot color can be applied only to an active selection. It can’t be applied just to a layer. The New Spot Channel dialog box appears.
4. In the Name text box, enter a name for your spot color. In the Ink Characteristics area, click the color swatch.
I recommend naming it according to the spot color you want to use, such as Pantone 3405 C or PMS 3405 C. PMS stands for Pantone Matching System. When you click the color swatch, the Color Picker appears.
5. Click the Custom button in the Color Picker and select your Pantone color from the Custom Colors dialog box that appears. Then click OK.
6. In the New Spot Channel dialog box, select a Solidity value between 0% to 100%.
A value of 100% represents an ink that is completely opaque, such as a metallic ink, which completely covers the inks beneath it. A value of 0% represents a transparent ink, such as a clear varnish. But the solidity value affects only the screen view and composite prints; it doesn’t affect the separations. It can be helpful to see where a “clear” varnish will print.
7. Click OK to close the dialog box. Your spot channel appears in the Channels palette and is filled in the image as well. I created a spot channel for my sun graphic and for the
Australia type. In the printing process, spot colors are overprinted on top of the four-color image. That means that the spot color is applied at the end of the printing process and is printed over the other inks. This can sometimes cause lighter spot colors to darken somewhat. If you need your spot color graphic to knock out the underlying image, you should create it in an illustration or page layout program. A knockout is when a hole is left in the four-color image, and the spot ink then fills that hole. It does not print over the other inks.
8. Save the image in the native Photoshop, Photoshop PDF, or Photoshop DCS 2.0 (Desktop Color Separations) format.
If the image is being separated directly out of Photoshop, leave it as a PSD or PDF file. If you want to import it into a different program, such as PageMaker, InDesign, or QuarkXPress, you must save it as a DCS file. You also have to go through a few more hoops: If your image is a duotone, tritone, or quadtone image, you must first convert it to multichannel mode with the Image-->Mode command. In the DCS 2.0 Format dialog box, make sure that the Include Halftone Screen and Include Transfer options are not selected. Import the image into your destination application and set your screen angles. (Also, you can have your service bureau or offset printer do it, but let them know what spot colors you want for each spot separation.)
Converting an alpha channel to a spot channel
If you want to convert an alpha channel to a spot channel, select the alpha channel in the Channels palette and choose Channel Options from the palette pop-up menu. Rename the channel and select Spot Color. Choose a color from the Custom section of the Color Picker. Click OK. Note that Photoshop converts all areas containing nonwhite pixels (unselected to partially selected areas) to the spot color. Choose Image➪Adjustments-->Invert to apply the spot color to the white pixels or selected areas of the alpha channel.
Editing a spot channel
After you create a spot channel, you can edit it. Select the channel in the Channels palette and use a painting or editing tool to paint with black, white, or any shade of gray, just as you would with an alpha channel. To change any of the options of the spot channel, double-click the spot channel thumbnail, or select it and choose Channel Options from the palette pop-up menu. Choose a different color or solidity.
You probably won’t ever need to do this, but to merge a spot channel, select it and choose Merge Spot Channel from the palette pop-up menu. This converts the spot color and divides it among the four process color channels. Photoshop then deletes the spot channel and flattens all layers in your image. Also, the spot color will now print according to the closest match it can reproduce by using process colors. And sometimes this isn’t a very good match because CMYK inks can’t reproduce the range of colors offered by spot inks.
Creating Spot Color Separations in Photoshop
![Creating Spot Color Separations in Photoshop]()
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