Expert: Amy - 6/25/2004

Question
How do you color separate in illustrator? Illustrator 10, running on mac os 9, I cannot get the option to allow me to color separate the document.  I want to separate plates for a two color print job.

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Renee,

In order to print seps, you need to have a PostScript printer driver installed on your Mac. Sep setup will remain grayed out until you do.

It's available on your Illustrator installation CD - I think it's found in that first splash screen menu when the CD autoplays - install Adobe PS???? - or something like that.

If you aren't near your installation disc, the same "generic" PS printer driver is available at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=44&platform=Macintosh

You must download this and go through the installation procedure.

You'll also need to download and unstuff its matching PPD file at
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=141

Once you've unstuffed this little file, you can place the file anywhere - just remember where you put it.

Then in Illustrator, go to File > Print Setup and choose the new [virtual] Adobe PS printer and click OKAY.

Then in File>Separation Setup, choose Open PPD and locate that PPD file you downloaded and unstuffed.

All your separation options will now be available to you.

Printing seps is fairly straightforward - but saving them is a bit kludgy in v9.  I thought they improved it in 10 but I do not have that version.  Use the Illustrator Help file that's installed with your application.  Under Contents, there's a whole section called Producing Separations that goes into more detail than I can here.

Good Luck!

Amy