How Do I Preview My Custom Spot Color Channels?

[denk]

I wanted to experiment and test something.

 

I did a Photoshop color separation then I opened the Photoshop file with Affinity Photo Desktop version.  It successfully opened and all channels show up.  So it is possible in Affinity Photo to create custom spot colors. The only problem now is how do I preview my channels?  How do I turn them on so I can see it on screen how it will print?  See attachment.

[Aurelio]

Good question... I need this feature too.

[Gabe]

Hi @denk,

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

Unfortunately, at the moment we do not have a Preview for the Spot Channels channels created in photoshop. This has been logged as an improvement with our developing team. In the meantime,we can wait and see if some of our community members might have found a workaround. 

 

Thanks,

Gabe. 

[denk]

Thanks.  It would be great if there was a persona just for screen printers, just a wild suggestion.

 

Certain functions will be built in like pulling basic colors like yellow, red, dark blue, light blue, green, orange etc. and turning them into channels.

Or using the Select Sampled Colour Tool to pull custom colors.

Because there are so many variables in screen printing: ink viscosity, ink transparency, mesh count, squeegee pressure, squeegee durometer, stencil thickness etc. it would be best if we can adjust each channels solidity to simulate the printers inks.  That way printers can adjust for dot gain.  There are tricks in photoshop to make what you see on screen appear close when on a garment without loading a color profile just as long as the channels can be adjusted to what the printers believe it will look on the final product.  Theres a lot more to it but thats it for now.

 

In the end people can still design in affinity then move the final artwork to photoshop to do the color separation.