Document setup for publishing

[davej]

I'm actually a web designer who has been asked to create some marketing materials - so this is all new to me (please be kind - I know this is elementary!). I created a two page document using two colors that will be professionally printed. I used CMYK/8 thinking that's what professional printers wanted. There is a light gray background image (it is a placed EPS file), a logo embedded (EPS) and two small pieces of JPG artwork (because I don't have EPS versions). As with other jobs that our marketers have sent to other printers, I export as a print-ready PDF with bleed (I've attached a screenshot of part of the flyers as a png). Each marketer uses local printers- this one responded:

• The attached artwork is an all CMYK form
• There is no way to separate it into 2 colors like the PO asks for
• Also, the screened background logo is a JPG
• The ACR logo and the map on the back are also JPG files which cannot be separated
• We either need all vector art, set in PMS colors or we could run this as CMYK

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated - as mentioned, this is all new to me.  

[Fixx]

Best print quality would come from 2 Pantone colour job, but then it would be easiest to achieve if logo and bg graphic were vector art. Your company should have the logo as vectors (incompetent if it is lost) and background do not look too complicated either.

Doing pixel images with Pantone is at the moment complicated with Affinity (and I am not sure it can be done).

It is somewhat a matter if the company cares the looks; also if this is digitally printed Pantone does not matter. The form though looks professional enough so I would presume it needs to be done with 2 Pantones and right.

[Wosven]

1 hour ago, Fixx said:

Doing pixel images with Pantone is at the moment complicated with Affinity (and I am not sure it can be done).

It seems only possible using APublisher, importing the image as greyscale, clicking the option "K only" in the context bar, and applying a Pantone to this image.
I don't understand why the usuall fill layers can't behave the same way... it would be usefull in AD and AP. 

[Chris L]

I don't know if this possible as I am new to this but in InDesign I used to import bitmap files at 300+Dpi and then you could colour them to suit and set the transparency of the bitmap as required to obtain a 'greyscale' of the colour. Otherwise you will need to change everything to vectors in the correct pantone colours. You may also need to check separations for anything that overprints. Black may print as an overprint, which isn't always desirable. 

[thomaso]

3 hours ago, Fixx said:

Doing pixel images with Pantone is at the moment complicated with Affinity (and I am not sure it can be done). 

1 hour ago, Wosven said:

using APublisher, importing the image as greyscale, clicking the option "K only"

It is not necessary to have a greyscale image to use the "K only" botton and assign a spot fill color.

It also works with RGB and CMYK images. Whereas in RGB the "K only" results in a mix of R + G + B / but with CMYK the "K only" ignores CMY and show K only – which can be a very different look compared to an RGB + applied "K only".