How to Prepare Spot Data in Adobe Illustrator
Introduction
This section explains how to prepare images that include spot data with
vector-based image editing applications such as Adobe Illustrator®. In
order to print with white ink or varnish, you must first have an ONYX
profile (media model) properly configured for the use of spot data.
To add spot color data to your image in Illustrator, you need to create a
layer within the image as a new spot channel. It is possible to have more
than one spot element in an image, but each element must be on the same
spot channel, and therefore have the same opacity level, or else
ProductionHouse will treat the saved document as a separation file. Since
the Arizona printers with white ink or varnish support two spot channels,
you can create one spot channel for Spot 1 data and another for Spot 2
data. CMYK is the preferred mode as the actions required for spot data
creation are simpler than those for RGB.
NOTE
You can use vector-based image editing applications other than Illustrator
as long as it has the Overprint feature and the ability to create a spot
color.
When to do
The first step in the white ink workflow is to prepare your source image to
use the spot channel. The spot data must be designed entirely on a
separate channel (either as a spot channel layer or a custom spot color) to
be recognized by the Onyx RIP. The name you assign to this spot channel
layer or custom spot color must be Spot 1 or Spot 2 and is the most
important part of preparing the file. This named channel allows RIP-Queue
to determine that the data in the source image needs to be output to the
spot channel, in this case the white ink or varnish channel.
In preparing your file, only you can define what you want to print with
“white ink” or "varnish" as part of your design and assign the color as
described in this document. In Illustrator, the white ink data can be simple
or complex and can range from vector shapes and text to placed bitmap
images.
Use the following steps to configure an Adobe Illustrator file for use with
white ink:
How to Prepare Spot Data in Adobe Illustrator
174
Chapter 9 - How to Work With White Ink and Varnish
User Manual: Arizona (AZ) 440 GT, AZ 440 XT, AZ 460 GT, AZ 460 XT, AZ 480 GT, AZ 480 XT - Rev. B, 4/2013
