Printing color separations

When you send color work to a service bureau or printing shop, either you or the service bureau must create color separations. Color separations are necessary because a typical printing press applies only one color of ink at a time to a sheet of paper. You can specify the color separations to print, including the order in which they print.

Printing presses produce color using either process color or spot color, or both. You can convert the spot colors to process colors at printing time. For more information on spot and process colors, see “Choosing colors.”

Corel also supports PANTONE Hexachrome, a type of printing process that increases the range of printable colors.Talk to your service bureau about whether you should use PANTONE Hexachrome color.

When setting halftone screens to print color separations, we recommend that you use default settings; otherwise, screens can be improperly set and result in undesirable moiré patterns and poor color reproduction. However, if you are using an imagesetter, the screen technology should be set to match the type of imagesetter the service bureau uses. Before customizing a halftone screen, consult the service bureau to determine the correct setting.

If you have overprinted areas, you can choose how you want those areas to print. For more information about overprinting, see “Working with color trapping and overprinting.”


To print color separations

CorelDRAW btnbacktotop Printing color separations
1.
 
Click File CorelDRAW onestep Printing color separations Print.
2.
 
Click the Separations tab.
3.
 
Enable the Print separations check box.
If you want to print specific color separations, enable the corresponding check box in the list of color separations.

CorelDRAW tip Printing color separations

 
Although not recommended, you can print separations in color by enabling the Print separations in color check box in the Options area.
 
You can change the order in which color separations print, by enabling the Use advanced settings check box, clicking Advanced, and choosing an order from the Order list box.

To convert spot colors to process colors

CorelDRAW btnbacktotop Printing color separations
1.
 
Click File CorelDRAW onestep Printing color separations Print.
2.
 
Click the Separations tab.
3.
 
Enable the Convert spot colors to process check box.

CorelDRAW note Printing color separations

 
Changing the spot colors to process colors does not affect the original CorelDRAW file; it affects the way colors are sent to the printer.

To use PANTONE Hexachrome process color

CorelDRAW btnbacktotop Printing color separations
1.
 
Click File CorelDRAW onestep Printing color separations Print.
2.
 
Click the Separations tab.
3.
 
Enable the Print separations check box.
4.
 
Enable the Hexachrome plates check box in the Options area.

To customize a halftone screen

CorelDRAW btnbacktotop Printing color separations
1.
 
Click File CorelDRAW onestep Printing color separations Print.
2.
 
Click the Separations tab.
3.
 
Enable the Print separations check box.
4.
 
Enable the Use advanced settings check box in the Options area.
5.
 
Click Advanced.
6.
 
Change any of the following settings:
Screening technology
Resolution
Basic screen
Halftone type

CorelDRAW note Printing color separations

 
You can set the screen frequency, screen angle, and overprint options for spot colors as well as process colors. For example, if you have a fountain fill made up of two spot colors, you can set one to print at 45 degrees and the other at 90 degrees.

Printing color separations