Print Production: Spot Colors and Varnish

Course details

While most printing today is accomplished via a four-color process, there is a wide range of practical and creative options available when you add an additional color or varnish. This course teaches how these additional colors are made and shows some examples of finished projects that use these colors. Author Claudia McCue also dives directly into Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other creative apps and shows how to build documents correctly for printing.

Learning objectives
Why spot colors are necessary
Making a decision between spot and process colors
Choosing a spot color
Understanding the effects of stock on color
Printing spot colors digitally
Using varnishes
Creating a multi-tone image in Photoshop
Adding Pantone color swatches to Illustrator
Creating spot varnishes in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
Using preflight profiles in Acrobat

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - What you should know before watching this course
03 - Using the exercise files

1. Understanding Spot Colors

04 - Why spot colors are necessary
05 - Examples of spot color impact
06 - Spot or process - Making the decision
07 - Choosing a spot color
08 - About the new Pantone Plus color system

2. Printing Spot Colors

09 - How spot color inks are created
10 - Considerations when using certain spot colors
11 - Effects of stock on color
12 - Proofing spot and special-mix colors before printing
13 - Spot colors and digital printing

3. Using Varnishes

14 - How spot varnishes can enhance a project
15 - How varnishes, inks, and substrate interact
16 - Combining different types of varnish to add dimensions
17 - Aqueous flood coatings

4. Photoshop

18 - Creating a multitone image (duotone and tritone)
19 - Creating a simple spot color channel
20 - Creating a touch plate to enhance a color image
21 - Creating a spot varnish

5. Illustrator

22 - Adding Pantone color swatches
23 - Using Overprint Preview to proof the display of spot color transparency
24 - 3D shading - Preview with overprint on
25 - Converting spot colors to process
26 - Creating a varnish
27 - Creating spot gradients

6. InDesign

28 - Importing art containing spot color content and resolving issues with Ink Manager
29 - Using Overprint Preview to proof the display of spot color transparency
30 - Converting spot colors to process
31 - Creating a spot varnish
32 - Creating and using mixed inks

7. Acrobat XI

33 - Examining with Output Preview
34 - Using preflight profiles

Conclusion

35 - What I hope you've learned in this course
36 - Next steps