Desktop Color Separation (DCS) creation

[vrrrooom6]

Hi all... I’m hoping that you might be able to help me out with a project incumbent upon me for work. I work for a company that creates packaging and promotional artwork. My background is within retouching and illustration and I have a gap in my Photoshop knowledge when it comes to DCS file creation. Since pre-press work has pushed into the design process and DCS creation has now become a designer’s task, I have to create a manual for training our staff on this subject matter. I am asking you for links to process tutorials, literature, and recommendations concerning DCS file creation workflow. Specifically we are creating DCS files on Mac platforms, OSX, and using both Photoshop CS2 and CS3. As far as printer's suggestions and requirements go, I am only aware that they require our working PSD file with all creation layers in case they need to re-work the DCS file. Issues that may need to be adjusted at the printer may be trapping, and color saturation. We output a DCS 2.0 file as an .EPS. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance!

Chad

[Cappy]

Are you outputting the film for your printer? Bad idea if you are.

If you aren't, don't worry about it. Save out your files as you are and let the printer worry about it. I cannot imagine any printer wanting a design house responsible for trapping and color saturation as all of that has so many variables and is of another age.

We always preferred to handle those ourselves. Besides, most of that is non-existant with the state of the art technology that is printing our materials, regardless of the degree of difficulty.

Trapping is a process that allowed for poor registration on the press and color saturation can be handled on the computer, proofed before hand and minor adjustments made with ink levels during the run.

Don't sweat the small stuff, leave that to your printer.

[vrrrooom6]

Originally posted by Cappy
Are you outputting the film for your printer? Bad idea if you are.

If you aren't, don't worry about it. Save out your files as you are and let the printer worry about it. I cannot imagine any printer wanting a design house responsible for trapping and color saturation as all of that has so many variables and is of another age.

We always preferred to handle those ourselves. Besides, most of that is non-existant with the state of the art technology that is printing our materials, regardless of the degree of difficulty.

Trapping is a process that allowed for poor registration on the press and color saturation can be handled on the computer, proofed before hand and minor adjustments made with ink levels during the run.

Don't sweat the small stuff, leave that to your printer.

Cappy thanks for the response! I only stated the printer considerations in my OP because they should be kept in mind while building the file. What I am mainly looking for is literature for building multi-channel files. The actual creation and workflow that produces a file with color separations. I am interested in the front end rather than the output. I hope that this clarifies my search. Once again, thank you for you time in responding!

Chad