You need a DCS2 (Note that "2"!) rather than a plain-vanilla DCS.
If the channels still show in your channels palette, you can check them to make them visible.
Ann,
I really appreciate your reply, but:
My document is a DCS 2. It still retains all the channels when I save it but when I reopen it the last four are off, which is causing problems when I try to do my work around to make it into a CMYK file because it’s not seeing the channels which like to turn themselves off. Does that make any sense? Maybe there is an easier way for me to convert my DCS to a CMYK that I just don’t know about. Currently I’m placing it in Quark, saving it as an EPS and then bringing it back into Photoshop to rasterize it–without the last four channel colors showing, unfortunately! Still needing help please!
Cheryl-
Try this:
Leave Quark out of the equation for the moment. (Better still, leave Quark out of your life).
Open the DCS2 file in Photoshop and make all channels visible in the Channels palette (click to the left of the icon so that you see the "Eye").
Click on one of the spot color channels to select it and choose "Merge Spot Channel" from the palette’s pop-out menu.
Repeat for each spot channel.
Save As to a new name (in case you ever need to get your spot colors back again). Now Place in QXP — or, preferably, in InDesign.
Thank you for your continued help. I agree about Quark–I hate it, but unfortunately I have to work in it from time to time…
I finally figured out how to convert my file with much help from you! I had to do it a little differently than you had suggested because my file wouldn’t let me merge more than one spot channel. I ended up making a new document, converting it to CMYK (it was formerly grayscale DCS), adjusting those four channels to match my original DCS as best as possible and then copying one by one the spot channels from the original to the new CMYK and then merging it. It was a little time consuming but accomplished the job beautifully. I kept my Photoshop document, made it a .tiff and placed it in my Illustrator artwork document (BBQ Sauce label) I really appreciate all of your help!
So glad that you got it to work.
Hi – I’m posting this in a couple spots because I’m in desparate need of help! I have to use Quark for a project and this is my delima….
I created a file in photoshop with 2 spot colors. I hid all the layers and highlighted only the spot channels I wanted. I saved it as a DCS 2.0 file, BUT… I selected "Multiple files with composite." I’m wondering if that option is creating my problem which is…. When I pull the image into Quark it is very low rez and bitmapped severely. Unfortunately I can’t test the results. Either way I can see that all my spot colors are being pulled into Quark but I can’t print the separations – due to a printer problem I believe. So you see I can’t test my "theory."
When I save the file as an DCS 2.0 Multiple with compostie and then create an EPS in Quark – I can print the image (but it looks awful).
When I save the file as an DCS 2.0 Multipe NO COMPOSTIE and then save it as a eps in Quark the photoshop images does not show up or print.
What am I doing wrong! Also I never flatten an image before saving it as a EPS DCS file – could that be part of the problem.
Kathi
You need to print to a printer that has a RIP that understands at least, Postscript level 2.
Thank you – that is what my printer is using – so I’m still not sure why the proofs look so bad? I can’t imagine them providing inaccurate proofs for review – but I will check.
Does that mean no matter which option I pick Multi with composite, single with composite, multi without composite, single without composite – won’t make a difference?
Kathi
Here again I need to give them a file I can trust will print out in high rez in the end. I would like the confirmation before negs are created.
If your printer driver has the option to print separations, use it.
As mentioned in earlier messages – right now I unfortunately can’t print to my postscript printer, so I can’t check to see if the file is printing out at high rez or not. The proofs I’m referring to are those from the people who will printing the job. I need to know if if matters which option I use under DCS 2.0 eps. Mutliple – single etc.
Previously I saved the file as DCS 2.0 multiple files WITH composite. I then went into Quark (WHICH I HAVE TO USE RIGHT NOW) and said "get picture" – I picked the file with the eps extention. After doing "collect for output" and after giving the file to the printer – they say it’s bitmapping terribly! Why is that?
Kathi
Save your Photoshop image as a DCS2 (making sure that "Spot Colors" is checked); Preview: either JPEG or Tiff 8-bit;
Single File with Color Composite;
Encoding: ASCII.
Place in QXP (because you apparently have no choice in this instance!).
Then export your whole QXP document to a PDF and "proof" it from Acrobat 6 Pro. You can also examine your separations in Acrobat Pro.
Thanks – I’ll try that. Should it really be ASCII? Some of the spot information I’m sending is detailed fine line drawing (a pencil landscapiang drawing)? I thought ASCII would break it up more is that a total misconception.
Thanks for the detailed response though.
Kathi
ASCII is just slower than Binary but many printers can’t accept Binary — neither will directly affect your drawing but a non-Postscript printer could.
Boy thanks for your quick resonses… now…
I tried to export to PDF but I get the message "To save a layout as a PDF file, a PostScript printer must be set up to print to file."
Now what?
Kathi
I haven’t used QXP for ages but can you not either "Print to PDF" or Export to PostScript and then Distill?
I just cranked-up v.4.1.1 (which is the only version of QXP that I have) and in that version you could "Print" to Distiller but I don’t know what options you might have in the later versions.
With a special XTension, you could also Export to PDF via the Utilities menu.
I feel like I’ve tried every option.
I have the option to select in the printer dropdown window: Adobe PDF Printer description; Adobe PDE
Output: Used process and spot
Do I check "Quark Postscript error Handler"
Options: Full Rez Tif
Layers: Print all plates
Should I check APply to layout
Should I check OPI Active
HM!
Kathi
Kathi:
I have tried it too and QXP 4.1.1 no longer seems to be able to do ANY of the above now that I only have the modern versions of Acrobat and Distiller and OSX + Classic..
Can you either open the QXP file in InDesign or re-create the document in InD. and Export to PDF from there?
There is probably no reason for your client not to accept a PDF for final output.
I have Quark 6.0 – but it’s just as crappy!
Well—-the printer does not have InDesign either – But I guess I could create an InDesign File – but then the next big question is…
If I change programs the printer wants me to recreate a file to match his Quark file EXACTLY, which is the letterhead 4 up. How do I "group" the art background, address line and etc. added in InDesign and paste it so that it is 4 up. Or do I have to create a new document (a larger one) and insert the completed letterhead document?
I just got InDesign.
THEN….
There are so many options for PDF. What do I do to maintain spot color and etc.
Hm – I certainly appreciate your patience and help!
Kathi
If you send the Printer a PDF he should be able to output it. It should be his responsibility to do the imposition — you should only need to send a single page.
Use the Press settings when Exporting to PDF out of InDesign.
If you have bleeds make a new Preset that looks like this:
General
Pages: All
Spreads: Off
Compatibility: Acrobat 5 (PDF 1.4)
Standards Compliance: None
Generate Thumbnails: Off
Optimize PDF: Off
View PDF after Exporting: On
Create Acrobat Layers: N/A
Include Bookmarks: Off
Include Hyperlinks: Off
Export Nonprinting Objects: Off
Export Visible Guides and Baseline Grids: Off
Include eBook Tags: Off
Include Interactive Elements: Off
Multimedia: N/A
Compression
Color Images
Bicubic Downsample at: 300 DPI
for images above: 450 DPI
Compression: Automatic
Tile Size: N/A
Quality: Maximum
Grayscale Images
Bicubic Downsample at: 300 DPI
for images above: 450 DPI
Compression: Automatic
Tile Size: N/A
Quality: Maximum
Monochrome Images
Bicubic Downsample at: 1200 DPI
for images above: 1800 DPI
Compression: CCITT Group 4
Compress Text and Line Art: On
Crop Image Data to Frames: Off
Marks & Bleeds
Crop Marks: On
Bleed Marks: On
Registration Marks: On
Color Bars: Off
Page Information: Off
Page Mark Type: Default
Weight: 0.25 pt
Offset: 0.25 in
Use Document Bleed Settings: Off
Bleed Top: 0.125 in
Bleed Bottom: 0.125 in
Bleed Left: 0p9
Bleed Right: 0p9
Include Slug Area: Off
Advanced
Color: Leave Unchanged
Destination Profile: N/A
Include ICC Profiles: Off
Simulate Overprint: N/A
Output Intent Profile: N/A
Subset Fonts Below: 0%
Omit PDF: Off
Omit EPS: Off
Omit Bitmap Images: Off
Transparency Flattener Preset: N/A
Ignore Spread Overrides: N/A
I have just realized that you are creating this DCS2 out of Photoshop for a letterhead.
Should this in fact be Vectored, rather than bitmapped, art and is that the reason that it looks so ragged in the Proofs?
Well Ann – Figured out how to set my printer to print to file, get my PDF file to print to Adobe, do the distiller and all that …so now I’m taking my laptop to another printer and see how it prints. I pray it’s good. Thanks for your help.
Kathi
DCS images are a preseparated format.
You will need to print as SEPARATIONS to create postscript for distilling.
Outputting as composite will only yield the low resolution preview.
There a workarounds such as this one using InDesign <
http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx?13@@.3bb42259/4> or another using Illustrator, but since you are in the eleventh hour, stick with what you are comfortable doing.
