Expert: LizaL - 4/20/2005

Question
Lisa:I have Photoshop 6, and have been struggling with this: I want to create a photoshop file for print output (will prob. bring into Quark as EPS), but I want to avoid having all layers in doc. have the same curves. IE, part of photo to use spot color (1 of 2 colors in duotone though).
I am on a Mac G4.
 When I try to bring in spot color (ie 80% of one color), it changes to match curves set in other existing layers.
THANKS!
Lois

Answer
Hi Lois,

I need a little more information -- are you creating a duotone, or is this a regular RGB image? Your subject line says duotone, but it also says channels, and with a duotone, you'll only have one channel.

So are you saying you use black for your first color in your duotone, but when you introduce another color, like 80% of that color, it changes?

And what's on your other layers? Is this going to be a composite photograph?

I'm sorry but I just don't understand. Can you post back and give me some more details? I'd really appreciate it.

I will be out of my office tomorrow, but back tomorrow evening. If you like, you can send me an email at lizal@little-works.com, and if possible also send me the image you're working on.

If you hadn't mentioned duotone -- that is, if you were working with a straight CMYK image that you're preparing to be printed from Quark -- I'd suggest editing the curves in each channel, separately. Then I'd say you should use the Merge Visible command, which is found under the Layer pulldown menu (but save a copy of the straight Photoshop file first), and then save the file as an EPS.

But my theory goes out the window if you're working on a duotone, since those only have one channel!

So please post back or write to my email address, and give me some more details.

Thanks!

Lisa