Color Separation, Halftone Control, Raster Image Processing, Generate Palettes

[nghenry]

Hello!

 

 

As a Fine Art Printmaker who uses Computer Design tools to create prints for Screen Printing, Lithography, and Intaglio, CNC woodcut,  it would be amazing if 

 

I could separate colors and control half tones size shape (line, dot, etc) and color.  

 

I imagine being able to work in CMYK layers and being able to apply color halftones to shapes based on percentages, or change the size and shape of the individual color channel half toning. 

 

It could be applied in any document setup really  

 

 RGB document with a simulated color / spot process: Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple, Green, Turquoise, Grey and control the halftone percentage, size and shape.

 

grey scale: black, 25% grey, 15% transparent white

 

LAB would be fun, you could control the lightness darkness of the halftones maybe have an option to constrain the gamut inside of lab to a specific set of colors like CMYK but still have lightness control. 

 

In my imagination the possibilities are endless for options like this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"MOONSHOT" : to have RIP like printing control inside this program, where I wouldn't have to worry about the printer I am on to get circular halftones (this might be next to impossible but I am ignorant when it comes to the programming side of hardware interactions) this would be just insane and might require a new type of universal file format I have no idea but it's something I dream about, being able to go to Kinko's or some other local digital print shop and be able to print out my files without having to worry about the print shop getting the settings right in their computers and on their printers, the employees being inept, or any other stupid thing that happens because you don't have enough money to buy the hardware that you need.

 

 

 

and finally

 

 

 

 

"MOONSHOT": A new type of color selection palette based off of a Warm/Cool, light/dark, transparent/opaque

 

warm adds red

cool adds blue

lightness adds white

darkness adds black

transparent/opaque self explanatory 

 

but the twist is you pick initial colors as a base and those colors become the colors you base rest of the interactions between the colors on like paint

 

For example:

 

Here is a shorthand RGB two way conversion to Paint/Ink color palette equivalent 

 

 

Red (Pantone Uncoated 032)

Yellow (Pantone Uncoated 123)

Blue (Pantone Uncoated 300)

Purple (Pantone Purple)

Green (Pantone Uncoated 354)

Turquoise (Pantone Uncoated 312)

Grey (Pantone Cool Grey 8)

100% opacity White

15% opacity White

mixed or printers black (R 54, G 54, B 57)

Black

 

 

now imagine you have picked these colors as your initial palette and have set them inside of a grid 

 

each color has the same basic controls

 

warm/cool:                    add red/add blue

light/dark:                      add white/add printers black

transparent/opaque:      increase decrease transparency/opacity

 

 

 

Now for example you activate the red, white, and yellow channels

 

you now adjust warm/cool light/dark transparent/opaque sliders around to just work within the constraints of those colors selected from you base palette

 

this gives you a sub palette of yellows oranges and reds based of your real world/RGB equivalents

 

this would work for CMYK as well
 

This would be a great tool to have I think

 

 

Thank you for reading and for your consideration

 

Nathan Henry

[Al Catullo]

I use all the time "tools" like this in Photoshop, to do separations for screen printing, if we can get the "same tools" will be A+... Imagine printing "separations" from channels, be able to change the dot size, to choose the shape of the dot, to choose the lpi, and much more....

[ImOld]

I have Q about raster .ps files.

I use CorelDraw x6 to make films to screenprint and i use wasatch softrip to print them.

My Question is about lpi.

 

If i save .ps file in corel with "default" 60lpi settings and make my color, angle and all settings in rip including lpi.

How the program make that file?

If that file is already rastered in corel, does these setting apply to that rastered file....so does it raster that file twice?

 

i mean if that .ps file have 45lpi example and i choose profile from wasatch which have 75lpi does it make it 75lpi to that file what has 45lpi? so there is more lines yes, but "resolution" of that pic is still the same?

 

Hope you understand what i mean.

 

Thank you

-Teemu

[Benni]

hi there, 

 

is it possible to put the settings in the halftonefilter (AP) to a certain amout, let`s say 55 lpi?

That is what i want to do...

 

Maybe by calculating the "cell size" by a factor = lpi?

 

I´m really lost her so thanks for any help

 

 

[DarrenR]

I agree with the need for the color separation and how limited the pre-print/press functions of both Designer and Photo are. They are good programs for web graphics, but when it comes to actually printing, they lack many functions that are needed (as mentioned above and in other posts).

I'm a huge believer in the project. I have Mac and Windows versions (since the betas on both) and have both books. The functions for print pales severely in comparison with PS and AI. if it wants to come close to competing with Adobe and build a larger user-base, they will definitely have to step up their game with these functions and do it faster than the updates currently come. People in this industry (print), need to be convinced that the software can do all they currently do with Adobe.

[alig]

I agree, it is very useful for printing.

[maruben]

I do not Agree!

 

The color separation is a MUST have! And not a would be good to have.