If your label uses spot colors AND screens (photos), in order to import a photograph and have it separate out on the right plate, you need to following these instructions to the letter in order for this to work. If you are unable to follow these instructions, please contact us and we can arrange to do these steps for you.

Prep file for Spot Colors
1. Open your image file in to photoshop (tif, jpg, psd, etc.). Be sure it's 300 dpi at 100% size
2. Convert to Greyscale (Image, Mode, Greyscale)
3. Convert to Duotone (Image, Mode, Duotone)
4. Select Type: Monotone has 1 spot color, Duotone has 2, etc.
5. Assign PMS SPOT (Solid) color number: Click on color square, click "custom", enter color number (such as 247), click OK, Click OK again.
6. SAVE file as a psd. Keep this file in case you need to change something later.

Create file for placement into Illustrator
1. Convert image to Multichannel (Image, Mode, Multichannel). The image will turn to black - that's what it's supposed to do. The color info is embedded into the file info. You'll see the color info in the heading next to the file name.
2. SAVE AS: Choose File Format "Photoshop DCS 2.0 (*.EPS)". Choose ASCII encoding. Tif 8 bit. Name it something like "original filename MC" to indicate it's the multichannel version.
3. Close.

If the image you want to import as a spot color is solid (no screens or shades) like a logo:
1. convert bitmap – 600-1200 dpi at 100% size. 50% threshold.
2. save as tif file
3. after you import into illustrator (see below), you’ll need to do the following:
a. Colorize the item by FILLING it with the spot color you want.
b. Follow rest of instructions for saving and checking below)

If your label uses CMYK
Save a 300 dpi jpg, tif, or psd file as CMYK (Image, Mode, CMYK).

The rest of these steps apply to either mode:

Import into Illustrator
1. Open illustrator template file.
2. Select Document Color Mode (in the File menu) as CMYK
3. Place image file (File, Place)
Be sure LINK is checked.
4. position, size image as normal
5. Place other text over, under, etc.
6. Be sure the image does not bleed - what you see should be exactly what prints with no inner or outer bleed. Knock out the outside and inside.
7. Delete any unused layers.
8. Save file (you need this in case you have to change some text later)

Save Illustrator file for submission
1. Save As and call same name plus "curves" at the end of the name
2. Convert all text to curves:
Select, Objects, Text Objects
Type, Create Outlines
3. Remove all circle guidelines in the template - again, what you see is exactly what prints. Leave cross hairs and registration marks (center and outer)
4. Save File (with the "curves" in the name)

Check separations (Print the file to PDF)
1. Go to Print
2. Select Output, Mode: Separations
You should see your PMS colors in the list at the bottom
3. Change printer to Adobe PDF
4. Print - you can call the file anything you want since it's an in house test file
5. Open the PDF file and look at the different plates.
6. Check if each plate contains the objects (image, text, logo) that should be in that color and
7. Check that the PMS color number is correct for that plate.
8. Check that there are no extra plates with stuff on them. Don't worry if CMYK plates are there, but they should be blank.

Submit files to Crescent Music:
1. Zip the illustrator file AND any linked files together and email/ftp.
2. Notify me that you're sending it.