Photoshop Tutorial – Spot Channels for PrePress and Printing
This video is available Free for Everyone.
Running Time: 8 minutes
This Adobe Photoshop tutorial video will introduce Spot Channels. This is the third of four videos about working with channels. We will explain what Spot Channels are, and how they differ from regular Color Channels. Before you watch this video, we recommend you watch the previous Adobe Photoshop tutorial about Color Channels and Alpha Channels, and you can then follow this one with the Channel Mixer.
Spot colors are intended to be used with CMYK for printing. These will allow you to add extra colors for press such as PMS, create “bump plates”, or for detailed varnishes. The can be used to add a 5th color to a CMYK print run, or limit the image to a two color duotone image. Used with Quark Express or Adobe inDesign, either of the programs just mentioned can select, and print, the Spot Channel that was created in Photoshop.
More specifically, the spot channels will tell the desktop publishing program what color, and where, to place the ink on the plate. The the case of a 5th color PMS or Varnish plate, this will add cost to the press run. However, for a two color job, this can actually save money because you would not need to run 4 CMYK plates.
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This Adobe Photoshop Tutorial answers the question: How to use Spot Channels for prepress in Photoshop? If you would like to learn more about Photo Enhancement from a Professional Retoucher, I offer Adobe Photoshop Classes. Please contact me today, and I will be able to add you to the schedule too. If you would just like to watch online videos, The Art of Retouching Studio offers many Photoshop Tutorials for Beginners and Advanced users.
