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AI drop shadow effect

hi guys,

i am totally new to digital print and i need some advice from you here.

alright here is my little info:

OS: Win 7 64 bit Ultimate Edition
Software: Illustrator CS5.5
Machine: VS420 (updated to latest version)
RIP : Versaworks (updated to latest version)

i created a new doc with CMYK mode and added a drop shadow effect using AI, all colors assigned with roland spot color. Flatten the whole artwork and saved as eps (refer to image attached)

sent to VW and the print result was bad on the effect area. it looks like washed out! (refer to image attached # flatten transparency)

Any ideas what is going on? thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Josh Duncan on March 13, 2012 at 4:48pm

You probably also need to adjust you "Document Raster Effects Settings..." under the effect menu. The file you uploaded is currently set to 72 ppi and can be upped to whatever you feel you need. Here's an article that explains setting both the Flattener Resolution (EPS Save Options) as well as the Document Raster Effects Settings to achieve the best printed results when using Raster Effects in Illustrator. Also, you may want to convert the text to outlines and maybe even beef up the blur effect since it's surrounded by so much black ink. Just a thought...

http://rwillustrator.blogspot.com/2006/02/resolution-confusion-is-t...

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Permalink Reply by Catalyzer on March 14, 2012 at 6:48am

Thanks for the link.

I have just tried to flatten and set the ppi to 300 and still the same problem.

Could it be the problem on my printer?

Could you help test my file at your end and see how it goes?

thanks.

Attachments:

TEST-EFFECT-flatten-300ppi.eps, 463 KB

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Permalink Reply by Josh Duncan on March 14, 2012 at 10:23am

I'll run a test on QuickPrint for you today and I'll let you know how it looks...

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Permalink Reply by Josh Duncan on March 14, 2012 at 11:26am

See the attached JPEG for my sample print on QuickPrint... I ran two copies:

Copy 1: Used original file you uploaded yesterday, the only change I made was converting the text to outline and changing the Document Raster Effects Settings to 300 to 72 ppi.

Copy 2: Used the same file as Copy 1 I just doubled up the text by selecting all the letters and doing copy then paste to back... This beefs up the blur effect and helps counteract all the black surrounding the blur.

As you can see in Copy 1 the blur effect is less visible but both look pretty good on my end...

Attachments:

testing_01.jpg, 113 KB

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Permalink Reply by Catalyzer on March 14, 2012 at 5:44pm

You mean 300ppi from 72ppi right?

The image you uploaded was taken from you camera or capture from your lcd screen?

I will try to doubled up the text like you've mentioned and let you know the result.

Can you upload the Copy 2 eps file here? So that I can test print on my side.

thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Josh Duncan on March 14, 2012 at 8:05pm

Yeah sorry about the typo, I did change it from 72 to 300... Also, the image I uploaded was an actual print out onto QuickPrint that I then scanned into my computer so I could upload it here. I deleted the actual print file earlier today but I recreated exactly what I used and have attached it to this response for you to test on your machine. Remember if you don't get the amount of blur you want you can double it with the copy to back. Let me know if this helps.

Attachments:

TESTEFFECT-PRINT.eps, 1016 KB

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Permalink Reply by Catalyzer on March 14, 2012 at 11:52pm

I just have a quick check on your eps file,

I didn't see you've flatten the artwork. Do I need to do that? or just leave it as it is and run a test print?

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Permalink Reply by Catalyzer on March 15, 2012 at 3:41am

here is my print result.

1st- followed your instruction to beefed up the blur effect

2nd- straght from your file without any modification

the black background became lighter....the bk21a should be dark black..

your print result looks much better than mine. what printer did you use to print that?

Attachments:

test-001.jpg, 94 KB

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Permalink Reply by Josh Duncan on March 15, 2012 at 9:57am

Well your latest test print looks better than the first go round so that's a start, and I printed the sample I uploaded on a VersaCAMM SP-300. One thing you may want to try... you'll find lots of posts on here about this... would be to change your document color profile to RGB, pick a rich black within Illustrator and then make sure to use MAX IMPACT in your VersaWorks Quality > Color Management settings. That should give a much richer/darker black.

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Permalink Reply by Catalyzer on March 15, 2012 at 5:11pm

Do you mean change the whole document from CMYK to RGB ?

then pick rich black from RGB color swatches?

Will it afffect my other color (Cyan which is Roland Spot color)?

Permalink Reply by Butch on March 15, 2012 at 3:05pm

if you want a good black use c80m80y80k100 - richer deeper not faded like the roland black and no need for max impact