film output and black is transparent

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atoa
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Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:58 pm

film output and black is transparent

Post by atoa »

Hi

We recently had fim done from artwork supplied in pdf. 2 colour image, bottom layer was a bitmap file, was a face made up of graduated black lines, when exposed there was a weird cross hatch effect between the black lines(kinda as if it had been output as half tone, is it possible to print image as half tone without changing the actual file)

and then the top layer was supposed to be a solid line crest, for some reason the black came out transparent. so the image was clean but when held up to the light it let a lot of light through.

spoke to the designer who supplied art, and apparently when he did seps he took the top red layer and changed it to black by adjusting each CMYK colour so each colour is 100% to make up the black, because apparently he says this is the "blackest black" you can get.

So is that the correct process, it seems overly complicated and i'm not that proficient on the computer but would've just selected the red layer and changed it to black with my colour picker.

Not really sure what happened, any ideas.
Hex Screen
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Location: Australia

Transparent black

Post by Hex Screen »

Try having the file flattened. and then save.
Is he using an inkjet or Image setter?
Also try asking the customer for better
art.
Any file can be output to half tones, it is just a matter
of ticking a box or two at the output stage.

Ask the designer who output your films what film he is using
and what files he knows work best. Then either ask the customer for files
in this format or get someone to redraw or fix -up the files at a cost to the
customer.

Most of my custoemrs amazingly find the correct format when I tell them my fees for redrawing.
I dont want to redraw some thing because they can't be bothered ringing their graphics people
and getting them to email it to me. I would rather be printing.

Good Luck

James
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