This article outlines the Spot Colors Module, which allows you to control how each spot color is treated during printing, from ignoring non-essential to simulating them accurately with process inks or Lab values.
The Spot Colors module is an advanced feature designed for the efficient management of spot colors in files. Spot colors, typically used to denote specific special inks (such as white, metallics or fluorescents), need careful handling during pre-press and production to ensure accurate color reproduction among other practical applications (brand color management, jobs with cut contoura, ink optimization, etc.).
Good to know
Starting with version 2.1, you can select a rendering intent and enable or disable black point compensation for spot color output in the global color management settings (Settings > Color Management > Spot Color Preferences).
Module features
This module offers a comprehensive set of tools to review, map, and manipulate these spot colors before sending a job to print:
- Search and Filter Spot Colors: The module includes a search bar that allows you to filter the spot colors by name. This is particularly useful for large files with multiple spot colors, as you can quickly locate specific colors based on part of or the full name, ensuring efficient navigation and selection.
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Review Spot Colors: The module automatically detects and lists all spot colors embedded in a PDF/AI file, or separated TIFF channels, which allows you to review them before deciding how to map each color to specific print actions.
Info
Up to 121 spot colors can be fine-tuned for PDF files per page. Currently, there is virtually no limit for TIFF files, but it depends on the capabilities of the workstation.
- Spot color mapping options: See the chapters below for more details.
- Save Favorite Spot Colors: You can save the mapping of spot colors in your files. The star button ( ) allows you to categorize your preferred mapping strategies as favorites ( ), so when you configure another image with the same spot color name, your favorite mapping strategy is applied automatically. This saves you valuable configuration time.
Spot color mapping options
For every detected spot color, you can choose to ignore it, simulate it (process, Lab, or auto), blend it directly, or overwrite it.
Starting with V2, the module provides an estimated "Best Guess" for spot colors that are unavailable in the library. Instead of defaulting to unprintable values, users will receive a "Simulated" approximation based on the preview color.
Info
The module processes preview colors by directly setting Lab values or converting RGB and CMYK values to Lab using ICC profiles, defaulting to sRGB.icc and CalderaCmyk.icc, respectively.
Ignore Before Printing
This option is used to exclude specific spot colors from the print job. When selected, the spot color is removed from the final output, ensuring it does not interfere with the print.
Good to know
The module automatically ignores certain industry-standard spot colors, such as those named "Cut", "Contour", or "Die". These colors are generally used for cutting guides or contour lines and are not meant to be printed. This behavior applies regardless of the letter case.
Simulate the Spot Color
This feature allows you to simulate a spot color using different methods:
Process Ink Simulation
The spot color is simulated by blending process inks. White and other functional inks (e.g., varnish, primer), overwrite generated values.
You can manually adjust the ink percentages (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black, in this example) to fine-tune the output to match the desired color.
Lab Values Simulation
Info
Requires that your preset has an ICC output profile loaded.
Lab values provide a precise color model based on human perception, ensuring an accurate simulation of the spot color. In earlier versions of the Caldera Direct-to-Film RIP, the Lab simulation came preconfigured with the 50 most commonly used Pantone colors. Starting with version 2.2, 2,286 Pantone Coated colors were introduced.
When Lab simulation is used, a color preview is displayed at the bottom of the interface, allowing you to visualize the final color before printing.
As of version 2.1:
- it is possible to switch to the "Simulated: Process" mapping strategy by clicking the edit icon ( ) next to "Color preview". This automatically applies the color preview values to the "Simulated: Process" mapping.
- Coat ink settings (amount and maximum, when applicable) for inks such as White undercoat or Primer are now utilized in the "Simulated: Lab" color preview and the suggested values in "Simulated: Process". When these coat ink settings are changed in the preset or during last-minute adjustments, the updated values will also be reflected in the spot color mappings.
Auto Mode
Warning
This mode can only be used when working with PDF/AI files.
In auto mode, the Adobe PDF Printing Engine will handle the color simulation.
Direct Blend
Here, you can blend a spot color into an output ink. The process will add ink over the computed output.
Blending a spot color with process inks is useful for creating custom color effects, softening intense spot colors, and reducing ink costs while maintaining design flexibility.
Overwrite Channel
Here, you can overwrite a spot color into an output ink. The process will replace the computed output with the original spot color.
Overwriting a spot color fully replaces it with another color, ensuring the correct ink is used when a spot color is unavailable, for example, or when you need to standardize colors for brand consistency or error correction.
Known limitations
We are working on improving the following limitation in future versions:
- The Spot Color module can be used in combination with the Knockout feature when working with PDF files.
We are working on improving the following limitations in future versions:
- Unknown TIFF channels are currently mapped to a “Select below” strategy that will not print (this is the case for special inks such as Varnish, ...).
- Unknown PDF spot colors are currently mapped to the “Simulated: Auto” strategy that will print those colors (this is the case for special inks such as White, Varnish, ...).
- We are also working so that the new Spot Color module can be used in combination with the Knockout feature when working with PDF files.
We are working on improving the following limitations in future versions:
- Some PDF files (containing patterns, Lab-based spot colors, ...) can not be loaded.
- Memory consumption is not limited and can lead to a significant drop in performance, or even to a crash in the case of large or complex PDF files ( particularly with many transparencies).
- Decreased performance when using asymmetric resolutions and PDFs.
- Unknown TIFF channels are currently mapped to a “Default” strategy that will not print (this is the case for special inks such as White, Varnish, ...).
- Unknown PDF spot colors are currently mapped to the “Simulated: Auto” strategy that will print those colors (this is the case for special inks such as White, Varnish, ...).
- We are also working so that the new Spot Color module can be used in combination with the Knockout feature when working with PDF files.