A separators perspective ~ We’ve seen alot of things come and go in the last 15 years of business. Plug-in separation software has given people the idea of what can be done with Photoshop. Lucky for us, plug-ins don’t have vision, they just process files. You know as a printer what will work best on press for any given design. Some of the most intense designs we have separated have had dramatic textures and detail which would certainly be softened to death if simulated process software were used or buried in noise if automated index software were used.

  Not to say that all plug-ins are bad. They can be a starting point if you’re new to separating. Other plug-ins can take some of the work out of the job. Our actions toolbox will halftone plates, split files and store them for printing. It can build flashs and move colors into channels etc. It saves time on the tedious everyday stuff so that we can put more time into planning and masking and that is where the power is.

  I don’t mean to get down on plug-ins.  I have tried all that I could get my hands on because, like you, my customers would love to save some money on separation charges. I just can’t sell the quality of work that plug-ins produce to my clients. They want their art faithfully reproduced. They want the sharpness and detail that only index work can give them combined sometimes with smooth halftone fades. They want vibrant colors, their own colors, not a predetermined set of colors chosen by a program. You know the clients I am talking about and they have no problem paying for the edge when it comes to their work.

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