hexachrome color swatches

GB
Posted By
g_ballard
Jul 30, 2006
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1321
Replies
18
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Closed
any clue where I can download Pantone Hex swatch library to load in Photoshop and Illustrator?

or are these retail files I need to buy?

any info on using Hex color on Epson 4800/Xproof or how they work on a sheetfed press would be greatly appreciated…

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AR
alan_ruta
Jul 30, 2006
I think you have to purchase it. I remember seeing a Hexachrome swatch (fan type) book from Pantone years ago. Wouldn’t that have the hex process breakdown?

I was never that impressed with Hexachrome although it may be greatly improved since I last had any chance to work with it.

If you have access to bigger money a company "Aurelon" makes a product that allows you to separate (really separate with graybalance and dmax, not just a touch plate) using spot colors and cmyk so if you had a shot of irises that you needed to reproduce you could separate using C pantone purple Y K.

Thus only using 4 plate (cost) but acheiving color and balance. That is just an example. I would have to get the Lab or HSB values and then plug in the spot color that closest matches those value.

It is great software but expensive.

alan
GB
g_ballard
Jul 30, 2006
great, thanks, alan
AR
alan_ruta
Jul 30, 2006
I’m certainly not the expert on this–I think you have a lot of Googling ahead of you.

I’m now curious to learn how close and accurate the epson 2400 (software RIP) and 4800 (Hardware RIP I think) can print Hexachrome. I know that when it comes to matching Pantone colors–the regular book PMS 100 thru 7000 something–it is amazing.

Because it has the two cyans and two magenta (and blacks?) and can vary the ink density–something offset printing cannot do–simulating spot colors works very well.

I’d be curious to know what direction you take this, what size project you are considering this for, etc. I’m in the NYC area and have "some" free time. I would work on this type of project if it was warranted.

alan
E
eltee
Jul 31, 2006
Epson’s inks have slightly greater gamut than most CMYKs, but Pantone sells inks (even for printers as old as the 1270) that reproduce almost 90% of the Pantone books.

askpantone.com
E
eltee
Jul 31, 2006
g, you can download ProfileMaker 5.1 and (call first? : ) use the Hexachrome target that comes with it.
(to use the program you’d need a dongle [methinks])
TM
TW_Miller
Aug 1, 2006
g-
I don’t think you can use the Hexachrome library in Photoshop because PS does not support Multicolor profiles. I cannot load the Hexachrome profile and use it to view Hex images in Photoshop, this is done through 3rd party software(such as Pantone’s Hexachrome and Gretag’s Multicolor Plugin. You can however design in Hexachrome in Illustrator and Quark, but this requires purchasing the package from Pantone. For Hexachrome call-outs I load the Hexachrome profile in Profilemaker’s Color Picker, read the swatch that I wish to match with the Spectrolino and this gives me the Hexachrome breakdown. I do not believe this works with the i1 shareware.

TW
AR
alan_ruta
Aug 1, 2006
I’m not that impressed with Hexachrome anyway. I think it still falls short in the Reflex blue area. What exactly are you wanting it for? Separations and/or tints?

alan
TM
TW_Miller
Aug 1, 2006
Hexachrome has a much larger color gamut than cmyk printing(compared using ColorThink.) We have printed some award winning pieces using Hexachrome, that would have fell short if we had printed using traditional cmyk. Opaltone is another interesting process(7 colors) cmyk+R+G+B.

TW
GB
g_ballard
Aug 1, 2006
Thanks for all the help, I’m still sorting them all out…

The colors are the designer’s picks for corporate logo type color (HexOrange) and a blue background.

I can see why he wants that distinct orange in a logo, but he was no help when I talked to him.

He pointed me to Illustrator> Swatches> Pantone Process Uncoated (which of course isn’t Hex color). Either he was misleading me or he didn’t know and he had to get off the phone when I pressed him.

Hex color would always be a spot color, right? Unless someone hoses it in CMYK?

Buying the Pantone Hex kit still seems like the straightest line?
AR
alan_ruta
Aug 1, 2006
If all he wants is HexOrange you have no problem. It is one of the Hexachrome primarys, e.g. Hex cmykog (orange and green).

Unless you are going to try and separate a photo that has a gamut much wider than cmyk I would use pantone spot colors.

alan
E
eltee
Aug 1, 2006
What difference does it make if you have the right Pantone or not? (ink on paper matters only, unless there’s overprinting and mixing with other inks that you need to preview [somewhat])
GB
g_ballard
Aug 2, 2006
Sorry I am still not too clear.

A designer used HexOrange and another mystery blue on the corporate logo and business cards.

We simply want to obtain the swatches to load in iLL so the designers can load the swatch library and apply the color.

The designer has (again) just played stupid and confused about what the colors are…
AR
alan_ruta
Aug 2, 2006
HexOrange is a "primary" Hexacrhome color–incluced in photosho along with the other five primarys.

alan
AR
alan_ruta
Aug 2, 2006
Could you give us more infomation about what your customer wants? Hexachrome (unless it is just the HexOrange Primary and one other?, most often needs a 6 color press.

Often you can achieve good results with a 5 color press using process match and one spot color. Also if you use all 6 hex plates then you can varnish easily.

alan
GB
g_ballard
Aug 2, 2006
alan,

I’m lost in the science 🙂

We want to use a swatch pallet to apply HexOrange uncoated to text in iLLustrator and send it to press as a Hexachrome spot color — is this right?
E
eltee
Aug 2, 2006
You can use Pantone 021 in your document (for the screen) and tell the printer to use HexOrange (on press).

you can even rename 021—>Hex if you want the correct name on the plate
TM
TW_Miller
Aug 2, 2006
Alan is correct. Just treat the Hex Orange as a spot. You do not need the Pantone HexWare to create this. The Hexachrome primaries are included
in the color libraries with Photoshop and Illustrator.

TW
JS
John_Slate
Sep 2, 2006
At this point g needs to thank g <g>

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