Spot UV from Photoshop

Started by Tracy, December 12, 2014, 12:49:08 PM

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Tracy

Customer created spot uv in photoshop
It has spot uv on text and images, I called the customer
on this and he said he wouldn't fault us for it not registering 
exactly on the text.

Now the UV people are telling me they need a new file
I don't think I can give them one

has anyone ever used a photoshop spot uv?

David

We use them all the time here.
Of course we make our own coating plates (flexo) so we don't have to monkey with old ass software and systems.

Do they need a vector file like a die maker does?
If so, just launch Illustrator, place the image in a new page, do the "Live Trace", then expand it to get the vector outline and you're done.
Most times the UV file will need to be pinched due to the fact that the UV ink has a tendency to "grow" on press. And there is also the small problem of distortion...
Prepress guy - Retired - Working from home
Livin' la Vida Loca

Tracy

Thanks David, I will try it, but their UVing didot text
that has super fine serifs :rolleyes:
Boss will press check it and decide if he want's to take the uv off the text

I told them I could retype set it and redraw it last week
but now it's on press - too latesky

David

ohh, you didn't mention that it was a fine serif font done in photoshop...
smack him on the head with a ruler (or any other hard object) for doing that.

I would vote for taking it off the UV, simply because it will never fit and will look like crap.
If we had to hit a lot of small type and images, we might make it an overall uv...

or...

We have a trick here when we have to deal with tight registration on a UV coat. We will put down a spot reticulating varnish (the inverse of what you want in UV) and then add an overall uv coat. The reticulating varnish will "repel" the uv coat, and since the retic varnish is a litho plate, you can get a better chance of it fitting to the small stuff on press. The retic varnish is usually a dull varnish and the UV is usually a gloss coat.

Of course it depends on the paper and the press, your mileage may vary.
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Tracy

That sounds pretty good, you must print some cool stuff!
just curious-how are you making the reverse?

Also not that I will do it on this job, but what is the best setting for image trace?
I fumble around when I use it.

Thanks David

David

for the image trace, I start with the default settings, then tweek it from there, depending on how "detailed" I need it.
For most images that will be used for something like flexo coatings, you don't need too much detail because the process will not carry the tiny details.
As far as making the reverse, it depends. If it is a photoshop image, simply open in PS and select inverse. We will probably also do a 2-3 pixel pinch to make sure when the UV grows, it will fit back to it.
If it is a vector object, simply change the fill from a color to white and then fill the background of the page with a color (we usually use black since the flexo plate is not a color per se.
For most of our custom flexo coating jobs, we use our Esko workflow. The page editor is like Illustrator on steriods... even better than Freehand.  It is very easy to do and only takes a few minutes.

where's DCS?
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Tracy

oooh, your gonna be in trouble :laugh:

Thanks for the info today David!

DigitalCrapShoveler

I can't deal with any UV that is not in vector. I have to cut blankets and the materials used do not like small cut-outs; more like the press destroys them. If it's a curve larger than a dime, I usually won't even try. Some larger text I can get away with, IF it's a short enough run, or the text has some weight to it to make sure it stays attached to backing.

To say this, I can do Photoshop files, but like Dave said, I have to use Illustrator to make vectors for them. I usually just hand-draw them, but occasionally, I will use auto-trace, but I usually spend more time cleaning up stray point and errant curves; hand-doing them just produces a better result.

I hate X-Mas.
Member #285 - Civilian

David

yep, depends on the quality and the quantity...
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DigitalCrapShoveler

Member #285 - Civilian

andyfest

Quote from: DigitalCrapShoveler on December 16, 2014, 01:37:33 PMI can't deal with any UV that is not in vector. I have to cut blankets and the materials used do not like small cut-outs; more like the press destroys them. If it's a curve larger than a dime, I usually won't even try. Some larger text I can get away with, IF it's a short enough run, or the text has some weight to it to make sure it stays attached to backing.

To say this, I can do Photoshop files, but like Dave said, I have to use Illustrator to make vectors for them. I usually just hand-draw them, but occasionally, I will use auto-trace, but I usually spend more time cleaning up stray point and errant curves; hand-doing them just produces a better result.

I hate X-Mas.
We normally send out for a cyrel plate to be made for spot UV. It's a raised rubber plate à la Flexo, and allows for finer objects to be chosen. They still require vector-based objects in the file to make the plate though, so a conversion would be a must. I've only run into a PhShop file being used for an emboss/Spot UV once and had to do the Live Trace routine to convert it to something the die & plate makers could use.
Retired - CS6 on my 2012 gen MacBook Pro

David

We used to use Cyrels (a Dupont product) but we now use Flexcel (a Kodak product). Both of these are very similar in their makeup.
We make our flexcel plates in house so we don't have to send them out and wait for them to come back.
Takes about 2 hours to make one.

And, we never had to make it all vector, we use image files all the time.
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andyfest

We still send out for our cyrels - some place in Chicago.
Retired - CS6 on my 2012 gen MacBook Pro

David

Probably the same place we used for years, can't remember their name.
We were getting a 24 hr turn-around (send them files and 24 hours later the plates were on our doorstep).
We then found a place locally that did them as well (here in Dallas), it would take them about 12 hours to get the plate back to us.
Now that we make our own, it takes about 2 hours.
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Tracy

Job came back today from the Coaters, Came out really good surprisingly
even on the fine text :azn: