Over the years I have learned that one of the major secrets to good printing is good color separations. As you become a better printer, it doesn’t take long to learn that in most cases if the separations are done correctly, the print looks great. Yes, yes, you need to use properly tensioned screens, good press setup, proper ink viscosity, etc. – but it all starts with color separations. 

This article lists 25 tips for better separations. In order to fit this in the allotted space, many tips are brief suggestions that will may require referring back to your software manual to figure out. Others are just good nuts-and-bolts suggestions that can make or break a set of seps.

Vector Based Program Tips

Vector based programs like Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand are generally used for spot color images or images with a hard edge and more of a cartoon look. The funny thing about printing shirts is that sometimes spot color images where colors touch colors are often HARDER to print than photorealistic images made up of halftone dots. Here are some vector based program tips:

Adobe Photoshop Tips

Assorted Color Separation Tips