How to Create Spot Data in Photoshop
Introduction
This section explains how to prepare images that include spot data with
raster-based image editing applications such as Adobe Photoshop®. In
order to print with white ink or varnish, you must have an ONYX profile
(media model) properly configured for the use of spot data.
To add spot color data to your image in PhotoShop, 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 image mode as the actions required for spot
data creation are simpler than those for RGB.
NOTE
You can use raster-based image editing applications other than
Photoshop as long as it has the ability to create spot channels.
Purpose
When you have a raster-based image and need to have select areas of that
image show up as white when the media is non-white or clear or
translucent, you can prepare a spot channel for the white data in
Photoshop.
When to do
The first step in the white ink or varnish workflow is to prepare your source
image to use a spot ink 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 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. Using your graphic
application program, the spot data can be simple or complex and can
range from vector shapes and text to halftone bitmap images.
How to Create Spot Data in Photoshop
170
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
