May 2006
The first time you create a document for print, the color settings need to be set to CMYK Color.
Here we see the default color swatches.
Click on the little arrow in the upper right corner and choose Select All Unused.
You should see all the swatches selected except for black and white and gray.
Throw them in the trashcan to delete them.
Answer Yes.
The Swatches palette should now resemble the one below.
We now need to open a Pantone library and as you can see I have chosen PANTONE process uncoated.
By selecting the arrow in the corner you can choose how you want to view the colors. This view shows you the actual Pantone name. These are ink colors that are available to the printer so staying within these color boundaries will allow you to create a graphic while staying within the limits set by the printer. The printer will not have to come back to you and say what color is this. You'll write down each color and submit those colors along with the graphic to be printed. There won't be any surprises.
Going through the swatches, we can drag and drop the Pantone colors directly onto the Swatches palette. Notice the little triangle at the right corner. This tells you that you have a legitimate Pantone color. Hover over the swatch and the name will appear.
Using the Split Into Grid option, first create a rectangle then apply.
I've told the program how many rows and columns I want and told it to Add Guides.
When that was completed, I selected one column at a time and clicked on a color swatch.
I then created a star above the boxes.
Select Divide Objects Below. I have set up a keyboard shortcut for this option.
See how it's divided up my design.
We can then proceed to change colors.
I typed in some text and found that they were connected to the grid lines so I threaded the text to another position and then placed it back where I wanted it. I did this twice and then I decided I did not want to use the grid lines so now I could delete them without deleting the text. I converted the text to outlines. At this point I would call this graphic finished and would save it as an .ai file and as an .eps file. It's ready to be used anywhere you need and can be submitted to the printer without problems because we've stayed within the boundaries of color.
Copyright (c) 2006, Jacquelin Vanderwood, All Rights Reserved
