Separate spot colors from process

Post Reply
drcpub
Member
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat May 01, 2021 5:53 am
Location: Connecticut

Separate spot colors from process

Post by drcpub »

What I need to do is print paper overlays (lasers in their pms color) on top of epson proofs to show what on the page is printing in pms. (printing separations is fine but prints on lasers as black, I need it n color)

What I would like to end up with is 3 layers when finished, Spot color Layer, Process layer and an original layer that shows everything together, even though turning the spot and process layer does the same thing.

I made this action and works creating the spot and process layers so I can print the pms color properly but it also deletes the process. I now need it to Create an original layer so I end up with the 3 layers I mentioned.
Attachments
spot color print only 4.eal.zip
(3.72 KiB) Downloaded 285 times
bens
Advanced member
Posts: 252
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2011 10:13 am

Re: Separate spot colors from process

Post by bens »

PDF layers support "visibility expressions". With this you can put objects in multiple layers, and only show them if both layers are on, or show them when either layer is on, or show them when one layer is on but the other is off, etc. These visibility expressions can be quite complex and are very powerful. Unfortunately PitStop only supports _showing_ these visibility expressions, not editing them. And as far as I know Acrobat doesn't even show them, let alone editing.

When you use PitStop to add an object to two layers then the object will only be visible if both layers are on. So in your case if you add an object to both "original" and "process" then it will only be visible if both those layers are on. If I understand correctly that's not what you want.

Short of low-level PDF editing to change the visibility expression the only thing I can think of to fix this is to create a copy of the objects, and put that copy in the "original" layer:
  • Select all
  • Assign objects to layer process
  • Select spot colours
  • Assign objects to layer spot
  • Select all
  • Copy objects to clipboard
  • Paste objects from clipboard
  • Select last added objects
  • Assign objects to layer original
  • Select layer original
  • Change layer properties: set default visibility to invisible
After you save and re-open the file (to get Acrobat to refresh the layers) this should hopefully be what you need.
CruzinCooler
Member
Posts: 39
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2021 6:31 pm

Re: Separate spot colors from process

Post by CruzinCooler »

Thank you Bens. I was looking for something like this for a project I am currently working on and the last step you added was a necessity for me to achieve and verify what I was looking for.
"After you save and re-open the file (to get Acrobat to refresh the layers) this should hopefully be what you need."
Post Reply