PUB2000: PrePress: Imported Graphic Image Is Not Separated Correctly (264084)

SYMPTOMS

Spot colors in certain graphic images may not produce their full color value when you use Publisher 2000 to separate the image.

An imported graphic image, such as a TIFF or an EPS file that includes an embedded bitmap and uses a defined spot color, may have only a 90% to 95% tint of the desired color on the negative that is used to make the plate. This issue occurs even if the image is recolored.

However if the image is a vector-based EPS image, it usually separates correctly.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because the recoloring algorithm that is used by Publisher 2000 uses a luminance calculation. When you use a spot color, Publisher 2000 recolors all of the colors in the graphic to a tint of a single color to maintain contrast between the different elements of the image. As a result, specific colors may not reach a full 100% of the expected color.

Publisher 2000 is designed to separate spot colors only for vector-based EPS files. For other file formats, Publisher does not check the image to determine if it contains spot colors.

RESOLUTION

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Recreate the graphic in vector format using a third-party graphic editing program. Replace the bitmap images with vector images and save the file in EPS format.
Use an auto-tracing program such as CorelTrace, Freehand's Magic Wand from Macromedia, or Adobe Streamline to convert the bitmap image to a vector image, and then save the file in EPS format.

MORE INFORMATION

A variety of graphics programs with auto-trace features are available.

You can browse the Internet for information about these programs, or ask your local software vendor about their features and availability.

For additional information about how to prepare EPS graphics for spot color, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

264870 PUB2000: How To Assign and Separate Spot Colors in EPS Graphics