Advanced Colour is ideal for separating water colour designs because it will produces the overprinting layers which any of the automatic methods such as Auto Tonal, Auto with Create and Automatic will not. These will only produce layers which fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Use Advanced Colour if you want to achieve a soft blend between your layers.
How it works
This separation method uses L*a*b* colour space to allocate colour information in the separation. This means the resulting separation is a closer representation to the way you see colours and the reproduction of tones result in a smoother separation.
CIE L*a*b* (CIELAB) colour space is the most complete colour model, used conventionally to describe all the colours visible to the human eye. It was developed for this specific purpose by the International Commission on Illumination (Commission Internationale d’Eclairage, CIE) in 1976. Its main advantage is that CIE L*a*b* colour space is device-independent.
During the separation process, tonal movement is defined by a scale which either reduces or increases the colour space included in the separation, thereby controlling how much information is added to each layer. When more information is included in the separation, more areas of overprint are created between different colours.
Note: If you are separating 48 bit images, you need to tick 16 Bit in the Overprint Inspector, and ‘Use 16 bit Separations’ in the Advanced Colour window. This will retain the tonal detail from the original scan. You will also need to change the depth of the layers you add, because these will be added at 8 Bit. To change their depth, control click on the layer and select 16 Bit from the menu which appears.
Surfaces
Instructions
- Create a layer for each colour you want to separate from the image. You can do this by selecting the Pipette Tool from the Tools Palette, and holding down ⌘ and ⇧ (command and shift keys on the keyboard), click on each colour. You should aim to pick the cleanest, most saturated tone of each colour. Using this method to add layers will create 8 bit layers. If you want to change these to 16 bit, hold down ^ (control key) and click on the layer, and select 16 Bit:
- Make the image visible and not active, and make the layers invisible but active:
- Go to the Separate Menu and select Advanced Colour. A window appears containing several controls opens:
- Click Make. This turns each activated layer into a preview layer. This is shown in the Layers Palette by a small icon:
Note: If you close the Advanced Colour window prior to completing the separation, all of the settings within it will be remembered when you re-open it.
The slider
Values from 1 - 100 can be used. As the scale number decreases, the range of colours included in the separation is increased. This has two effects: more movement on the layer and more overlap with other layers.
Values in the region of 1 to 30 give good tonal movement and quite a lot of overprint. Values in the region of 45 to 55 give closer tonal movement of the colour targeted and create less overprint. Higher values than these reduce the coverage and give less overprint between layers.
The snapshot below compares the original image with two different settings used in the separation. The middle view is being previewed on a scale of 30 and the view on the far right is previewing on a scale of 60.
The colour block
If you decide the colour you have picked at the start of the separation is not the correct tone, this should be corrected. In the example below, you can see the darkest area in the original artwork on the right is not being achieved in the separation on the left. This indicates that the darkest tone was not selected at the start of the separation, and therefore is impacting the result of the separation.
The Gamma Pane
When you have made any necessary changes to the colour which is being separated (as per above), you can continue to balance the tones within the separation using the Gamma. To learn more about using Gamma Panes, click here.
This removes the view which is currently remembered by AVA. When you click Make, AVA takes a snapshot of the artwork being separated (in the background) and stores it in memory. This enables the user to work in one screen, with only the layer you are separating visible and active, while you are working on the separation. To remove this snapshot from the memory, you need to clear the proof cache
Did you know...
During the separation process it is vital to be able to view the separation alongside the original artwork. You can do this by pressing the small + button in the bottom left of the Design Window.
Simply close a split view by clicking the X button within that view:
Separating individual layers
The Separate Colour window can be used to edit all layers at the same time, but the same separation value is applied to all active layers. It is useful if you want to get some information on each layer quickly, but in most cases, each layer will need to be tweaked slightly, resulting in a different separation value for each layer.
If you wish to work on each layer separately there are two methods you could use.
- Follow Steps 1 – 6 in The Instructions tab.
- Once you have separated each layer with a starting value of say 50, you can then edit each layer individually by activating only the layer you want to edit in the Layers Palette. When you activate a layer, the separation window will automatically update to show you the value the active layer was previously separated with.
- Activate the first layer you wish to fine tune and edit the slider bar and gamma until you have the required separation of that colour.
- Repeat these steps for each colour in your design.
- When you are happy with the separation of all the layers in your design, activate them all, and click Fix Layer.
As with all tonal separation methods in AVA, you can further adjust the results of the overprinting layers using Combine to Layer. You may also want to try more advanced methods of separation to improve the results of some of the layers. For example Spot is a very powerful separation method, and is perfect for separating dark colours.
The Movie
Textiles
Instructions
- Create a layer for each colour you want to separate from the image. You can do this by selecting the Pipette Tool from the Tools Palette, and holding down the command and shift keys, click on each colour. You should aim to pick the cleanest, most saturated tone of each colour. Using this method to add layers will create 8 bit layers.
- Make the image visible and not active, and make the layers invisible but active:
- Go to the Separate Menu and select Advanced Colour. A window appears containing several controls opens:
- Click Make. This turns each activated layer into a preview layer. This is shown in the Layers Palette by a small icon:
Note: If you close the Advanced Colour window prior to completing the separation, all of the settings within it will be remembered when you re-open it.
The slider
Values from 1 - 100 can be used. As the scale number decreases, the range of colours included in the separation is increased. This has two effects: more movement on the layer and more overlap with other layers.
Values in the region of 1 to 30 give good tonal movement and quite a lot of overprint. Values in the region of 45 to 55 give closer tonal movement of the colour targeted and create less overprint. Higher values than these reduce the coverage and give less overprint between layers.
The snapshot below compares the original image with two different settings used in the separation. The middle view is being previewed on a scale of 30 and the view on the far right is previewing on a scale of 60.
The colour block
If you decide the colour you have picked at the start of the separation is not the correct tone, this should be corrected. In the example below, you can see the darkest area in the original artwork on the right is not being achieved in the separation on the left. This indicates that the darkest tone was not selected at the start of the separation, and therefore is impacting the result of the separation.
The Gamma Pane
When you have made any necessary changes to the colour which is being separated (as per above), you can continue to balance the tones within the separation using the Gamma. To learn more about using Gamma Panes, click here.
Clear proof cache
This removes the view which is currently remembered by AVA. When you click Make, AVA takes a snapshot of the artwork being separated (in the background) and stores it in memory. This enables the user to work in one screen, with only the layer you are separating visible and active, while you are working on the separation. To remove this snapshot from the memory, you need to clear the proof cache.
When you are happy with the overall separation you can click Fix Layer. This confirms the separation and changes the preview layer to a standard 8 bit layer, moving that icon shown earlier. The fix will only be applied to the active layers. This introduces flexibility to the separation process because you can work on individual layers by only activating the layer you wish to fine tune, and Fix it independently of the other layers.
Separating individual layers
The Separate Colour window can be used to edit all layers at the same time, but the same separation value is applied to all active layers. It is useful if you want to get some information on each layer quickly, but in most cases, each layer will need to be tweaked slightly, resulting in a different separation value for each layer.
If you wish to work on each layer separately there are two methods you could use.
- Follow Steps 1 – 6 in The Instructions tab.
- Once you have separated each layer with a starting value of say 50, you can then edit each layer individually by activating only the layer you want to edit in the Layers Palette. When you activate a layer, the separation window will automatically update to show you the value the active layer was previously separated with.
- Activate the first layer you wish to fine tune and edit the slider bar and gamma until you have the required separation of that colour.
- Repeat these steps for each colour in your design.
- When you are happy with the separation of all the layers in your design, activate them all, and click Fix Layer.
As with all tonal separation methods in AVA, you can further adjust the results of the overprinting layers using Combine to Layer. You may also want to try more advanced methods of separation to improve the results of some of the layers. For example Spot is a very powerful separation method, and is perfect for separating dark colours.
The Movie
Wallcoverings
Instructions
- Create a layer for each colour you want to separate from the image. You can do this by selecting the Pipette Tool from the Tools Palette, and holding down the command and shift keys, click on each colour. You should aim to pick the cleanest, most saturated tone of each colour. Using this method to add layers will create 8 bit layers.
- Make the image visible and not active, and make the layers invisible but active
- Go to the Separate Menu and select Advanced Colour. A window appears containing several controls opens:
- Click Make. This turns each activated layer into a preview layer. This is shown in the Layers Palette by a small icon:
Note: If you close the Advanced Colour window prior to completing the separation, all of the settings within it will be remembered when you re-open it.
The slider
Values from 1 - 100 can be used. As the scale number decreases, the range of colours included in the separation is increased. This has two effects: more movement on the layer and more overlap with other layers.
Values in the region of 1 to 30 give good tonal movement and quite a lot of overprint. Values in the region of 45 to 55 give closer tonal movement of the colour targeted and create less overprint. Higher values than these reduce the coverage and give less overprint between layers.
The snapshot below compares the original image with two different settings used in the separation. The middle view is being previewed on a scale of 30 and the view on the far right is previewing on a scale of 60.
The colour block
If you decide the colour you have picked at the start of the separation is not the correct tone, this should be corrected. In the example below, you can see the darkest area in the original artwork on the right is not being achieved in the separation on the left. This indicates that the darkest tone was not selected at the start of the separation, and therefore is impacting the result of the separation.
The Gamma Pane
When you have made any necessary changes to the colour which is being separated (as per above), you can continue to balance the tones within the separation using the Gamma. To learn more about using Gamma Panes, click here.
Clear proof cache
This removes the view which is currently remembered by AVA. When you click Make, AVA takes a snapshot of the artwork being separated (in the background) and stores it in memory. This enables the user to work in one screen, with only the layer you are separating visible and active, while you are working on the separation. To remove this snapshot from the memory, you need to clear the proof cache.
When you are happy with the overall separation you can click Fix Layer. This confirms the separation and changes the preview layer to a standard 8 bit layer, moving that icon shown earlier. The fix will only be applied to the active layers. This introduces flexibility to the separation process because you can work on individual layers by only activating the layer you wish to fine tune, and Fix it independently of the other layers.
Separating individual layers
The Separate Colour window can be used to edit all layers at the same time, but the same separation value is applied to all active layers. It is useful if you want to get some information on each layer quickly, but in most cases, each layer will need to be tweaked slightly, resulting in a different separation value for each layer.
If you wish to work on each layer separately there are two methods you could use.
- Follow Steps 1 – 6 in The Instructions tab.
- Once you have separated each layer with a starting value of say 50, you can then edit each layer individually by activating only the layer you want to edit in the Layers Palette. When you activate a layer, the separation window will automatically update to show you the value the active layer was previously separated with.
- Activate the first layer you wish to fine tune and edit the slider bar and gamma until you have the required separation of that colour.
- Repeat these steps for each colour in your design.
- When you are happy with the separation of all the layers in your design, activate them all, and click Fix Layer.
As with all tonal separation methods in AVA, you can further adjust the results of the overprinting layers using Combine to Layer. You may also want to try more advanced methods of separation to improve the results of some of the layers. For example Spot is a very powerful separation method, and is perfect for separating dark colours.
The Movie
Creating a Separation Palette
Thanks to Palettes and Automated Tasks, you can create bespoke separation buttons, taking the process of quick separating to the next level and saving you valuable time. HiFi Separations are for the most part based on a variation of CMYK and additional spot colour layers.
The idea is to use a set of clean, saturated spot colours and apply the separation of these to designs with similar colour schemes in order to get a head start when separating.
HiFi separations using Advanced Colour
- Using your Pipette Tool, pick clean, saturated colours from your design and add them as 8 bit layers (alternatively, you can use the shortcut ⌘ + ⇧ + click). Tweak the colours if necessary.
- Go to Separate Menu > Advanced Colour. If you have an AVA Technical Separations license, you can also include automated CMYK separations in your Palette.
- Make your image visible but not active and activate all your layers. You can split the views if you wish, so you can display your original image on one side and the separation on the other.
- Click on the ‘Make’ button in the Advanced Colour Window. An icon will appear on the layers indicating they are now in separation mode.
- Adjust your separation using the slider bars and Gamma Pane in your Advanced Colour window. Do not fix the layers. Concentrate on getting good colour balance and coverage rather than creating the perfect separation for the specific design as we are aiming to make a universal button.
- When you are happy, go to File Menu > New > Palette.
- Activate all the spot layers and double click on the Document handler in the Design Window. Drag the option ‘Create Layers’ to the palette. This will create an initial button.
- You can hold down ⌥ (option key) and click on the button to reveal the list of actions.
- Double click on the handler in the Layers Palette and drag the option ‘Select Layers’ to the action list. Drop it beneath ‘Create Layers’.
- Click on the spanner icon to reveal the Editor and set the following:
- Make Matching Layers - selected.
- All - of the following are true
- Index is in the last 8 layers
Simply put, this will select all your spot layers (minus the image).
- Go to AVA Menu > Settings > Menus. Click on the disclosure triangle for the Separate Menu to reveal the drop down list of functions.
- Drag the settings handler for Advanced Colour into the Palette twice. Once to create a ‘make’ action and once to add a ‘fix’.
- Finally, double click on the handler in the Layers Palette and drag the option ‘Visible Layers’ to the Palette.
- Click on the spanner icon to reveal the Editor and once again set the following:
- Make matching layers - Visible
- All - of the following are true
- Index is in the last 8 layers
This will show only your separation (minus the image).
- Rename this button by typing the new title in the text box and create a custom icon if desired.
- The final list of actions in the HiFi button should look something like this:
FAQ: How can I edit the separation after applying the HIFI button?
If you wish to apply a HiFi Separation button to one of your tonal designs and would like to carry on editing the separation of the layers, please follow the below steps:
- Apply the HiFi Button to your Image.
- Go to Separate > Advanced Colour.
- Make sure all of your spot layers are active (they should be as the button includes an action to select the spot layers).
- Edit > Undo Separate Colour Fix (or alternatively use the shortcut ⌘ (command key) + z).
- The icons will now appear on your layers indicating you can use the slider bar and Gamma Pane in the Advanced Colour window to edit the separation.
Coming soon in AVA 5.9 - A new way to create Palettes
For more information on these changes please click here.
HiFi separations using Advanced Colour
- Using your Pipette Tool, pick clean, saturated colours from your design and add them as 8 bit layers (alternatively, you can use the shortcut ⌘ + ⇧ + click). Tweak the colours if necessary.
- Go to Separate Menu > Advanced Colour. If you have an AVA Technical Separations license, you can also include automated CMYK separations in your Palette.
- Make your image visible but not active and activate all your layers. You can split the views if you wish, so you can display your original image on one side and the separation on the other.
- Click on the ‘Make’ button in the Advanced Colour Window. An icon will appear on the layers indicating they are now in separation mode.
- Adjust your separation using the slider bars and Gamma Pane in your Advanced Colour window. Do not fix the layers. Concentrate on getting good colour balance and coverage rather than creating the perfect separation for the specific design as we are aiming to make a universal button.
- When you are happy, go to File Menu > New > Palette.
- Activate all the spot layers and search for Create Layers. Drag this option into the centre to create an action
- Search for Select Layers in the action list. Drag and drop it beneath ‘Create Layers’.
Click on the spanner icon to reveal the Editor and set the following:
Make Matching Layers - selected.
All - of the following are true
Index is in the last 8 layers
Simply put, this will select all your spot layers (minus the image). Search for Advanced Colour and add this to your action twice - once for making the separation and once for fixing it. To change the mode click the icon next to Advanced Colour
Search for Visible Layers in the Palette Window and add this to the action. Set the settings as below to show your separation.
