Docs/Color/Separation Studio

Separation Studio

Separate colors into individual layers for rotary and screen printing. Advanced color clustering with halftone support and PSD layer export.

Credit Usage

Options & Settings

SettingTypeDescription
Number of ColorsSliderHow many color separations to create.
246812
HalftoneToggleApply halftone screen pattern to separated layers.
Export FormatButtonsOutput format.
PNG LayersPSD

When to Use

  • Preparing files for rotary screen printing
  • Creating spot color separations for screen printing
  • Generating individual color layers for engraving

Pro Tips

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Start with fewer colors and increase if needed

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PSD export preserves each color as a separate layer

💡

Halftone is essential for screen printing workflows

What to Expect

Best Results

  • Designs with distinct, separable colors
  • Flat color areas (spot colors)
  • Clean edges between color zones
  • 2-8 color designs
⚠️

Limited Results

  • Photorealistic imagery (too many tones)
  • Very subtle color variations
  • Designs with 15+ colors
  • Anti-aliased edges (may create extra colors)

Real-World Examples

Screen Printing Separation

A 6-color paisley pattern was separated into individual color masks, each ready for screen exposure in rotary screen printing.

Halftone for Gradient Effects

A watercolor floral with soft gradients was converted to 4 screens using halftone dots at 55 LPI, making continuous tones printable as flat screens.

PSD Export with Pantone

A layered PSD was created with each color as a separate layer, plus a color manifest mapping each separation to its nearest Pantone TCX code for dye matching.

Ready to try Separation Studio?

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