Separate Spots into Individual PDF

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estaub
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Separate Spots into Individual PDF

Post by estaub »

Would like to have single PDF containing multiple coating and/or die spot separations, divide into individual PDFs for each process for routing to process (if needed) and send to separate vendors.
I am able to do this for simple PDF with ink (cmyk, pantone) and single instances of many processes in one file. (IE. any ink with cut, UV, Varnish, emboss, etc.) I do this by using pitstop actions to create layers for each process and a Switch module to split into separate PDFs by layer. Works rather well for our usual PDF builds. What I can't figure out is the next step. Separating a PDF with multiple instances of the same process (IE. if there are more than two foils or more than two UV's. Foil Blue, Foil Red, UV Gloss, UV Raised). They all go to the same layer by process and stay in a PDF together.

Our techical ink (not using Esko product, I just got used to that name) naming convention is RootProcess ProcessDescription. UV Dull

I assume Pitstop, maybe with variables, is somehow the only answer here. Any guidance with Pitstop/Switch variables would be appreciated.
Is there some other Switch module, app or external app/process that I am overlooking or could help?
Any suggestions or existing processes in the wild that anyone knows of?
I reviewed Andrews older Pitstop webinar on spot color with no luck, maybe a newer process added to Pitstop?
freddyp
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Re: Separate Spots into Individual PDF

Post by freddyp »

Use the option "Select Spot Color by name from list" when using the action "Select spot color" and list all the possible names for a foil or a varnish and all those spots will be selected together and will end up on the same layer. Names of spots that are not present in the file are ignored.
freddyp
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Re: Separate Spots into Individual PDF

Post by freddyp »

Use the option "Select Spot Color by name from list" when using the action "Select spot color" and list all the possible names for a foil or a varnish and all those spots will be selected together and will end up on the same layer. Names of spots that are not present in the file are ignored.
estaub
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Re: Separate Spots into Individual PDF

Post by estaub »

Thank you for the reply Freddy,
Let me clarify. I basically need separations for coating and dies. One spot color in one PDF. I'm already easily getting multiple spot colors on one layer. Like UV Gloss, UV Dull, and UV Raised on one layer called UV. I really don't need the layers, it's just my mechanism for separating the spot channels. Just can't figure a way to get the UV's, Foils, or whatever on individual PDFs. Would be nice if Pitstop could read and list the channels present in the PDF and use the names to create layers.
jan_suhr
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Re: Separate Spots into Individual PDF

Post by jan_suhr »

With Switch you could copy the file to different PitStop instances, one of them could have an action that select all objects except the ones that have the spot color you want to keep. Then it removes all those objects. Then you would have one file with Foil only. Do the same for all others.
Jan Suhr
Color Consult AB
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freddyp
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Re: Separate Spots into Individual PDF

Post by freddyp »

Would like to have single PDF containing multiple coating and/or die spot separations, divide into individual PDFs for each process for routing to process (if needed) and send to separate vendors.
I interpreted that as meaning that you wanted the different spot colors that make up a certain processing step (varnish, embossing, ...) into one file: all UV spot colors together, all embossing together, etc. Or do you just want: 1 spot color = 1 PDF file?

Assuming an input PDF with the following separations:
CMYK
PANTONE Warm Red C
UV Gloss
UV Dull
Embossing
Foil Blue
Foil Red

What are the expected output PDF's?

Is the list of spot colors that define a so-called processing step a fixed list, or can it just be anything?
estaub
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Re: Separate Spots into Individual PDF

Post by estaub »

jan_suhr wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 11:29 pm With Switch you could copy the file to different PitStop instances, one of them could have an action that select all objects except the ones that have the spot color you want to keep. Then it removes all those objects. Then you would have one file with Foil only. Do the same for all others.
Thank you Jan,
I have that option in use for some standard use. It's the potential variation from a standard list of items I was hoping to find a more flexible variable for. In your example the one I want to keep would be the variable potentially pulled from the list of separations in the file. An array of manual coded Pitstop actions could be quite large and always miss a new spot name for say.... a foil or UV type we have not used before. We do standardize bad spot names a head of final output to a fixed naming convention. Just looking for A "Smart Variable" option, if it exists.
estaub
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Re: Separate Spots into Individual PDF

Post by estaub »

freddyp wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:38 am
Assuming an input PDF with the following separations:
CMYK
PANTONE Warm Red C
UV Gloss
UV Dull
Embossing
Foil Blue
Foil Red

What are the expected output PDF's?

Is the list of spot colors that define a so-called processing step a fixed list, or can it just be anything?
We have a standardized naming convention that has fixed names for most usual items. These cover most products.
Fixed examples:
Emboss
Deboss
UV Gloss
UV Dull
Varnish Gloss
Varnish Dull
The issue I'm attempting to fine tune is when the name strays from the norm and becomes a custom variable, but still follows convention.
Notice the UV and Varnish examples start with the root process followed by the variable description.
We could have the UV examples below:
UV Raised
UV Textured
They need a separate name as they could live in a design PDF with any other UV at same time.
Since the root process always begins with UV in this example, it's easy to use a regex to include them on a layer named UV and delete the others. That leaves me with multiple UV separations in the PDF and some manual work.
Wish there were a "create separate layer from each spot color" action, using spot color name as the layer name.

From your example list I'd like:
Inks = trashed
UV Gloss = 1 PDF
UV Dull = 1 PDF
Embossing = 1 PDF
Foil Blue = 1 PDF
Foil Red = 1 PDF

5 PDFs total.
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