Color Separations and PPD

[KGD]

Hi all-
This bored has always been helpful and hopefully it can do the job again!

I have been a graphic artist for 5 years now, and this is the first time I have ever had to color separate a job for the printer. Normally when I design something (this case a logo for a t-shirt), I did it in illustrator, joined everything and flattened the transparency, and sent it off. No problems.

This time it's my job to separate and I'm a little unsure. The printer is using a Epson 300, and needs the colors separated to be printed on transparencies. However there is no epson printers in the print dialog box when I am setting up the postscript file. Is there a place to download this printers and load them in?

Also, I know every printer has different presets for printing and separating, but can anyone give me some suggestions on which settings to use?

Thanks again Pros for all your help!

[The Repro Kid]

Your printer's requrest seems odd KGD, most printers would not want a pre-separated postscript file. Sounds like your printer is confused on the capabillites of his Epson 300, and is hoping you can solve it for him.

Another thought, for the most part epson printers are not postscript printers and require a third-party hardware postscript RIP. Whithout the third party postscript RIPing hardware hooked to your system, there would be no way to set-up the third-party PPD, whether you can download the PPD or not. Not sure about the Epson 300, but this is the case with the Epson 3000, 5000, etc.

[scottie]

I'm thinking that this guy with the 300 isn't really looking for "Repro" kind of seps. I think that what he wants is each color used on it's own layer so he can print the film for each color. I you're using CMYK change to pantone spot colors. Just a thought.

[KGD]

yes they just want the colors on seperate transparencies. Whats the best way to set them up?

[The Repro Kid]

I'm thinking that this guy with the 300 isn't really looking for "Repro" kind of seps. I think that what he wants is each color used on it's own layer so he can print the film for each color. I you're using CMYK change to pantone spot colors. Just a thought.

sounds possible scottie, but in some regions, europe for instance, often times any and all film is referred to as a transparency, in fact in euro they also call slides transparencies, which of course they are, but we in the US call them slides. we in the US also call overhead projected film, transparencies, but I have no idea what europe calls them, maybe gels.

And what you are describing above, to me, still sounds like what you are calling "repro seps", and would only work in printing reproduction if each full strength color were represented as solid fields of black, other wise the so-called seps would print to the "transparencies" as shades of gray not as solid color fields.

[DCurry]

I would try the following:

Use the Acrobat Distiller or Adobe PDF PPD and print your document as a separated PostScript file. Distill, then you are left with a separated PDF.

Here's an example I created:
http://www.prepressforums.com/modules/My_Uploads/user_folders/DCurry/sepped%20AI.pdf