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Jonathon34360882iwsf
Participant
January 25, 2024
Question

Convert Flattened Spot to Process

  • January 25, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 574 views

Greetings!

 

My designers and I received a set of files from a content licensor containing a spot colour channel embedded within the PSD base layers. These images (all created/saved as CMYK) contain a series of adjustment layers (all within the CMYK/RGB range) as well as the base layer with the original drawing. 

 

The problem we're having is that the drawing layer (flattened) uses a spot colour (specifically DIC 584). When we export our final layout with the artwork from Illustrator for web usage, the spot colour isn't downconverted to RGB and we therefore can't get the image approved from the licensor as the colours mismatch. Attempts to recreate the spot with other masking techniques has gotten us close, but not close enough to pass, and before anybody says to just re-request materials, I can confidently state that we will be told to use what we have and make it work. We need to get a working process-safe image that we can keep entirely within the RGB/CMYK space on export.

 

I have attached screenshots below of what the channels and layers look like, as well as a (very) tiny excerpt of the image for testing. I can't include more without getting in trouble, so hopefully it will be enough.

 

Any guidance will be appreciated - thsi is the first time I've come across spot work done in such an obtuse way.

 

Thanks!

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    1 reply

    c.pfaffenbichler
    Community Expert
    c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 28, 2024

    I don’t quite follow. 

     

    Why is the channel not named »DIC 584«? 
    What is the name of the Spot Color Swatch in Illustrator? 

    What is it – RGB or CMYK? 

    Which CMYK? 

     

    If you actually need to convert the Spot Channel have you tried »Merge Spot Channel«? 

      J
      Jonathon34360882iwsfAuthor
      Participant
      January 29, 2024

      To answer your questions...

       

      1. I didn't name these, we received the file from our licensing partner (see the initial email). We're given what we're given.

      2. The swatch listed in Illustrator is DIC584 or Global Colour. I've attached a screenshot here.

      3. We are generally working with Japan Coated 2001 CMYK.

      4. This... seems to work fairly well (thanks!) but it also flattens everything include the transparency background, meaning the designers then need to scrub out any instances of white where, for example, there's a gap in the character's hair. But it's definitely a good step forward.

       

      Thanks!

       

      c.pfaffenbichler
      Community Expert
      c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      January 29, 2024

      In my experience it is important that the Spot Channel in Photoshop has the exact same name as the Spot Color in Illustrator, otherwise they will naturally not be output as one color when exporting a pdf (or others) from Illustrator. 

       

      You should be able to save the existing transpareny and re-apply it after merging the Spot Channel. 

      But this may naturally still not give the exact 4C-analog to the original 5C. 

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