How to Create Color Separations for Screen Printing in Inkscape

This project will go through the steps for preparing and outputting color separations for screen printing in Inkscape.
Here is the link to the Watermarks extension that we used to copy and center the graphic onto separate pages inkscape.org/~inklinea/%E2%98...
0:00 Creating color separations with Inkscape
0:50 Selecting and customizing a vector t-shirt graphic
3:27 Opening Inkscape and setting up a page
4:14 Setting up the graphic for color separations
4:52 Importing a color separations template with registrations marks
5:21 Creating multiple pages and copying the graphic to each page
6:07 Creating color separations, one color per page
7:24 Creating a white under base for printing on dark substrates
8:32 Trapping colors to create overlapping ink to hide gaps between colors
9:00 Creating and printing a PDF with color separations

[@doctormo]

Thanks for the walk through of this workflow. I can now see better how we would add this functionality into Inkscape itself in the future.

[@GraphicsFlow]

In my opinion, InkScape lacks some important features to make an efficient color separations workflow for screen printing. Both CorelDRAW and Illustrator will automatically produce and output colors separations from spot color artwork. These steps would be unnecessary in either program. I just wanted to show that it could be done in InkScape. I am a big fan of InkScape and would love to see additional development for screen printers.

[@clintquasar]

@@GraphicsFlow Looks like we are finally going to have it on 1.4

[@rogerdean3834]

Thank you so much for sharing, you have made this so easy to follow. I have been using illustrator, but I find using the separation so complicated. This is so much easier.

[@user-ve8dk5kf7d]

This is an excellent video. Got into screen printing for about a year but used Coreldraw. Had to take a break from doing it for about another year and decided to give Inkscape a try this time around.

[@GraphicsFlow]

Honestly, CorelDRAW is your best option for simple spot color separations for vector art. All you would have to do is color your graphics with spot colors, for instance Pantones. InkScape is quite a bit of extra work, but it can be done.

[@sebbosebbo9794]

great help...
there is no add on or script extension for this S.A.C. workflow?
.maybe a topic for the dev. Martin... Danke ...
p.s questions me ...
.. respect the program S.A.C. cmyk color space ...?
sry..another question why a complett black seperatation with all parts are black for a white shirts as last page,...?
p.s. I dont get ,..Il interested in that topic for a printing ,..a 3 foil print ...
So I want to help friends as Web artist with color culling , c. seperation tasks for the first time...
But it looks more complicated then I thought... Puhh....
maybe you have some other tuts out there yi will look... DANKE ...

[@GraphicsFlow]

This is not an easy process in InkScape, this capability for spot color separations is native to both CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator, there are videos for both in this playlist

[@dsulvadarius]

Wow! this is not a beginner video.

[@Post_lewi]

No not at all

[@memorialbaptistchurch-colu6682]

Do you know of a way to do the duplication of pages on a Mac?

[@GraphicsFlow]

This is a windows only script, you would have to manually create pages in a Mac. In Illustrator or CorelDRAW, this step would not be necessary, because the programs will just print pages for each spot color in the design

[@ignacioherrero9374]

HI...Regards dude!!! One question it's posible separate two colored fonts outline one and the other one fill in separate layers for "Old School" screen printing, thx for your support mate, best regards from Spain, Ignacio.

[@GraphicsFlow]

You would need to convert the outline/stroke to a vector/contour line. I am not sure if this is possible in InkScape, but it is routine in CorelDRAW or Illustrator. All of these steps in InkScape are unnecessary in CorelDRAW or Illustrator as both applications can output a black image to a film positive as long as the colors in the graphics are converted to spot colors. We did the InkScape video to show that it is possible in InkScape, but it is manual color separations compared to automated separations using the print function in AI or Corel. Watch the other two videos in this series for context.

[@imaniaustin58]

How did you make a separation mark template?

[@GraphicsFlow]

I created a separate page with vector registration marks and imported it into the graphic.

[@user-yx3ww6mq9y]

Please let me know this app is on Android or pc

[@user-yx3ww6mq9y]

Please let me know this app is on Android or pc?

[@jackiewatkins1830]

pc... its called Inkscape

[@user-yx3ww6mq9y]

Please let me know this app is on Android or pc?

[@benzeautocad2910]

It's windows or mac like Illustrator but they are others for phone