Expert: Nick Putthoff - 2/23/2008

Question
I am struggling with a placed monotone (cyan) vignette in an Illustrator file.
The vignette is a soft fade on my screen and desktop printer output, but on
film the transition is too harsh. The photo I'm placing is actually a one-color
duotone eps (cyan and black, with black at 0%) Is the eps the problem?
Originally I made the vignette by hand with a brush eraser for an intentional
meandering soft edge. Is the eraser tool a problem? I'd appreciate any insight!


Answer
Carol,
When you go to film you are looking at the gradation in black and white. On our monitor and printer the image is displayed in a light blue. So the film is probably accurately reflecting the contents of the image file. It may look fine when it is printed in the chosen color but it is hard to overlook what you find disturbing in the film.
So try remaking or editing the image - but do it in grayscale mode instead of duotone mode. Anything objectionable will be much more prominent when viewing your image in grayscale mode. Also try inverting the grayscale image to view it as a negative. Depending on the percentages in your gradient banding and brushing artifacts will become very apparent when viewed inverted.
Keep in mind that Photoshop's duotone mode contains the same data as the same image in grayscale mode. The duotone/monotone mode simulates the way the grayscale image will look in the color you have chosen. The duotone mode displays the effects of the grayscale image printed in two colors over one another. So create or modify your image in grayscale mode and convert it to a duotone after you are satisfied with the look of the gradient. It will save you the cost of another film.

Good Luck

Nick