Am I able to do this in Affinity? (Transparent sticker printing)

[true_blue1878]

So basically, I asked in the Adobe forums about a printer's requests for my transparent kiss-cut sticker sheets, as I thought I'd get more logo designers and such passing by.

The printers designer asked for a vector image so that the printer can print white ink first and then the design on top of that.

So the way I (think) I understand it, is that I have to create a new vector layer that paths perfectly around the shape/image, fill it 100% opaque white, and then sit it below the main layer and rename it "print first" or something along those lines? Then add the white colour to another document swatch?

I am not sure what the guy in the screenshot means when he mentions "overprint in the attributes panel". Is that basically what I have already done in affinity by creating a "CutContour" swatch and adding the cut line colour (magenta)?

Also regarding the text, I have used a glitter texture to fill the text, so I assume I need to do the same thing for that and would it be best to keep it on the same white layer as the image, or create a 2nd white layer just for the text?

The printer is Chinese, so it is difficult to grasp exactly what she is saying. So if anyone has experience with this sort of thing, I'd really appreciate guidance! 

Thanks!

 

[Print Monkey]

You need a spot color, and not a CMYK color, and overprint needs to be set.

Check the Help docs for the article named "Overprint" and at the bottom it says:

Add a "global color" to the swatches panel and make sure "spot" and "overprint" are checked.

Check with the printer if they can use the same "color" as both a cut contour and a spot white color.

[true_blue1878]

1 hour ago, Print Monkey said:

You need a spot color, and not a CMYK color, and overprint needs to be set.

Check the Help docs for the article named "Overprint" and at the bottom it says:

Add a "global color" to the swatches panel and make sure "spot" and "overprint" are checked.

Check with the printer if they can use the same "color" as both a cut contour and a spot white color.

Thanks yes I have got the magenta CMYK 0, 100, 0, 0 named "CutContour",

and a white CMYK 0,0,0,0 "WhiteSpot"

both as global colours in a document palette. Both set as spot colours, and I set the white one as overprint but not the CutContour. I hope that's what you mean?

 

And was everything else I assumed correct? 

 

Cheers!  

 

[Print Monkey]

You probably also need the cut contour set to overprint to make sure it doesn't get "knocked out" by having something on top of it. Otherwise this sounds like what the printer needs but would need to check with them to make sure the spot color and cut contour don't need a specific names to make things easier etc.

[lacerto]

There was possibly a related question concerning import of spot colors designed obviously for the same purpose and using identical spot color name and CMYK representation color for cutting, asked by @felixbmurray, for which I posted a reply containing an AI based palette that was used in the original design, defined in Affinity app file format:

Since Affinity apps define overprinting as part of swatch definition, rather than as per object (fill and/or stroke) attribute (like Adobe apps do), it may be necessary to define two swatches for each cut functionality, or if just one, add the overprint attribute for each that requires it from within the context menu of the Swatches Panel:  

 

Below CutContour has Overprint defined (gray circle at the top right corner of the swatch), while the remaining functionalities have just the spot and global color marks.

Whenever importing PDF and AI jobs designed for cutting tasks, it is good to understand that Affinity apps do not import possible overprinting attributes that exist in these files so the functionality needs to be manually added.

[true_blue1878]

18 hours ago, Print Monkey said:

You probably also need the cut contour set to overprint to make sure it doesn't get "knocked out" by having something on top of it. Otherwise this sounds like what the printer needs but would need to check with them to make sure the spot color and cut contour don't need a specific names to make things easier etc.

I have enabled overprint for the white filled layers and also for the cutcontour stroke. Still not really sure what a spot colour is, or how the printer cuts out the magenta line without leaving magenta ink on the edges but I'll see what they say for my latest submission. Fingers crossed! 

14 hours ago, lacerto said:

There was possibly a related question concerning import of spot colors designed obviously for the same purpose and using identical spot color name and CMYK representation color for cutting, asked by @felixbmurray, for which I posted a reply containing an AI based palette that was used in the original design, defined in Affinity app file format:

Since Affinity apps define overprinting as part of swatch definition, rather than as per object (fill and/or stroke) attribute (like Adobe apps do), it may be necessary to define two swatches for each cut functionality, or if just one, add the overprint attribute for each that requires it from within the context menu of the Swatches Panel:  

 

Below CutContour has Overprint defined (gray circle at the top right corner of the swatch), while the remaining functionalities have just the spot and global color marks.

Whenever importing PDF and AI jobs designed for cutting tasks, it is good to understand that Affinity apps do not import possible overprinting attributes that exist in these files so the functionality needs to be manually added.

As I said just now to Print Monkey, I have set the attributes to overprint on both the contour and the fill. As you say, I think it's necessary after doing some googling also. But I am not sure to set the colours themselves to overprint inside AI. But I figure the printer/designer can and probably will add that stuff in himself anyway! But I have downloaded the files from that thread you linked so I can inspect them.

Thanks for your advice, guys! I can't even imagine figuring this stuff out without the help of the community. Fingers crossed they accept the new design redo, and I'll keep you posted.

Cheers!

[lacerto]

42 minutes ago, true_blue1878 said:

But I am not sure to set the colours themselves to overprint inside AI.

It is done by using Wjndow > Attributes panel in Illustrator, but as the printer seems to open the production file in Illustrator, they probably apply overprinting wherever needed.

[true_blue1878]

1 hour ago, lacerto said:

It is done by using Wjndow > Attributes panel in Illustrator, but as the printer seems to open the production file in Illustrator, they probably apply overprinting wherever needed.

Yes I have done that using the attribute window but that doesn't seem to work for the palette or spot colours. As you say though, they'll do all this stuff themselves. Thanks mate!