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printing out separations from Quark4
- Thread starter benjomax
- Start date
Who said it doesn't? The settings are in the Print dialog box. One of the tabs has a check box labeled 'Separations', and when ticked, other tab allows you to specify exactly which separations you'd like to output. Depending on your print driver, there may also be a 'Reverse Output' setting somewhere too.
However, it's rare that anyone would need any of these features these days, even if you are involved in prepress: normally you just use an appropriate PPD to create a PostScript file that's passed onto a specialist RIP for your particular device. It's not wrong to use the print dialog box, just a little outdated and inflexible, especially when it comes to imposition.
If you're not involved in prepress, then why do you want to do these things? If your printer can't read a Quark file, I'd go somewhere else. You're not getting paid to do their job for them.
However, it's rare that anyone would need any of these features these days, even if you are involved in prepress: normally you just use an appropriate PPD to create a PostScript file that's passed onto a specialist RIP for your particular device. It's not wrong to use the print dialog box, just a little outdated and inflexible, especially when it comes to imposition.
If you're not involved in prepress, then why do you want to do these things? If your printer can't read a Quark file, I'd go somewhere else. You're not getting paid to do their job for them.
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks for the info, I know the tabs that should work to separate, but they dont work on mine??
maybe it's got something to do with the driver?
Yet as I said it works fine on Corel.
I do artwork for businesses and then farm out the printing to a local printer, that'ts why I need to print out each colour separately (in black) to enable the printer to make plates for each colour. The printer I use has no computer system, that's why I print out the artwork, he is very cheap and I make a decent profit.
maybe it's got something to do with the driver?
Yet as I said it works fine on Corel.
I do artwork for businesses and then farm out the printing to a local printer, that'ts why I need to print out each colour separately (in black) to enable the printer to make plates for each colour. The printer I use has no computer system, that's why I print out the artwork, he is very cheap and I make a decent profit.
Just to be clear: in the Print dialog box, you are selecting the 'Separations' checkbox in the 'Document' tab, then in the 'Output' tab there is a list of all the plates that can should be output, each with a tick beside them. Then you press the 'Page Setup...' button, change from 'Page Attributes' to 'Postscript Options' in the drop down list. Select 'Flip Horizontal', press OK, then click Print.
Does that sound right to you, or are there any changes in your particular setup? Perhaps you are printing to a non-Postscript printer? If that's the case, you may want to export your document as a separated PDF, and print from that instead.
Does that sound right to you, or are there any changes in your particular setup? Perhaps you are printing to a non-Postscript printer? If that's the case, you may want to export your document as a separated PDF, and print from that instead.
blueark mentions a PPD or PostScript Printer Description. You may need to install the PPD file in your Quark program folder in order for all of the printer functions to appear in the print dialog. Check the printer manufacturer's web site for the most recent PPD.
- - picklefish - -
- - picklefish - -
- Thread starter
- #6
- Thread starter
- #7
QuarkXPress is a PostScript based page layout application. It can be quite fast, as it doesn't store every bit of data needed for the page. Instead, it refers to external files, and a PostScript print driver knows where all the pieces are to assemble it. Your first step, therefore, would be to get your hands on a PostScript print driver. You may have some already installed on your system, but failing that, you can download generic ones from
You then print using that driver, only print to a file rather than to an actual printer. This should give you the extra capabilities required. To turn that PS file into a PDF, you will need a third party utility, such as Adobe Acrobat Distiller. There are also a few free utilities available, so do a search on Google for 'free pdf converters' or something like that. Quark 6 can export directly to PDF without having to buy third party tools.
You then print using that driver, only print to a file rather than to an actual printer. This should give you the extra capabilities required. To turn that PS file into a PDF, you will need a third party utility, such as Adobe Acrobat Distiller. There are also a few free utilities available, so do a search on Google for 'free pdf converters' or something like that. Quark 6 can export directly to PDF without having to buy third party tools.
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