Version 2.

REFERENCE MANUAL
Plug-in for Photoshop 6.0 all the way to the latest CS6
Compatible with:
Mac older PowerPC and OS9 to OSX and the latest Mac with Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion.
Windows/PC including Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Both versions run in either 32- or 64-bit mode depending on the version of Photoshop you are running.
If you are running Photoshop CS5 or CS6 in 64-bit mode on a Mac you need to run the special 64-bit Mac Installer.

© 2009-2013 All Rights Reserved Manual revision July 13, 2013

Distributed by
T-Biz Network International, LLC
Scottsdale, Arizona USA
Toll Free in USA 1/888-801-1561 Main Phone 480-212-1078
info@tbiznetwork.com
www.T-BizNetwork.com www.T-Seps.com
 Welcome to T-Seps
In 1999 I developed one of the first automated color separation programs for screeners
called FastFilms. FastFilms was based on my many years of teaching how to do high-
end color separations first in the camera (yes – a LONG time ago), and then in
Photoshop. The program evolved out of my frustration in not being able to give the
separator my years of experience. FastFilms has evolved into my new program T-Seps.
T-Seps has all the great features and functions of FastFilms but with many
improvements, enhancements, and new routines.

T-Seps is the most powerful separation software available for T-shirt screen printers.
With just the push of a button you will be able to do industry specific separations for
simulated process color on light and dark shirts, index color on light and dark shirts, real
process color, basic spot color, and sepiatone.

Unlike other programs that only do one thing, T-Seps is a suite of programs in one.
Certain designs are perfect for index separations where specific Pantone colors are
needed, or where a high contrast bright image is required. Other images that are very
photo-realistic need to be separated as true process color (CMYK) for light shirts, or
simulated process color for dark shirts. Other images work better if a graphic treatment
is given to them like the stunning “old photo” routine.

And for those of you who need a little artistic help, T-Seps has built in edge effects and
does the distressed look! In fact, T-Seps even does basic spot color separations right in
Photoshop!

T-Seps was created as a way to automate the color separation process. It is the
culmination of dozens of years of teaching the process to large and small companies
and quite literally contains the knowledge gained from thousands of hours spent doing
color separations and high-end printing. What has taken years to learn and perfect is
now at your fingertips and just a push button away.

It is my hope that printers will no longer need to spend hours learning intricate computer
moves and can now focus on the artistic aspects and challenges of simply running a
business. T-Seps is a very powerful tool to help you become more proficient, do higher
quality work and increase profits.

If you are new to Photoshop and high-end computer separations, don’t let the power of
Photoshop and T-Seps intimidate you. Read the manual, view the training videos online
- and dig in. In no time you will be a master of both!

I hope you enjoy the program as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Scott Fresener, T-Seps developer

1
 T-Seps Reference Manual

Copyright Notice
©2009-2013 Distributed under license by T-Biz Network International, LLC
Scottsdale, AZ USA All Rights Reserved

The use and copying of this product is subject to a license agreement. Any other use is
prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed,
stored in a retrieval system or translated into any language in any form by any means
without the prior written consent of T-Biz Network International, LLC. Information in this
manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the
part of the vendor.

Federal copyright laws permit you to make a backup copy of this software for archival
purposes only. Any other duplication of this software, including copies offered through
sale, loan, rental or gift is a violation of law and subject to both criminal and civil
penalties.

Credits
Created, programmed and developed by Scott Fresener

Trademarks
T-Seps is a trademark of T-Biz Network International, LLC.
All other trademarks and trade names are acknowledged. Brand or product names are
the trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders.
Pantone is a registered trademark of Pantone, Incorporated. Adobe, the Adobe logo and
Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Windows is a registered
trademark of the Microsoft Corporation. Mac and Macintosh are registered trademarks of
Apple Computer Inc.

A WORD ABOUT THIS MANUAL

This manual has details about the key routines in T-Seps. There are a number of
optional routines and buttons that are not covered in this manual. When you run any of
the routines in T-Seps, you are shown simple “help” tutorial menus that tell about the
routine. It is VERY important to not brush by these menus. They explain the routine and
the steps necessary to make it run correctly. Please take time to read the tutorial menus
to minimize problems or questions.

ON-LINE VIDEOS
This manual is very detailed but there is often nothing better than seeing something in
action. If you own T-Seps you got a DVD with over 20 videos. If you are just trying the
program there are over 25 videos online at www.T-Seps.com. Click on Training Videos.
Please take time to watch some of the videos – especially the ones on Installation and
Quick Start.

T-Biz Network International, LLC

14747 N. Northsight Blvd. Suite 111-402
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 USA
1/888-801-1561 480-212-1078
Email: info@tbiznetwork.com
Internet: www.T-BizNetwork.com

2
 Software License and Warranty Agreement
Please carefully read all the terms and conditions of this Agreement before installing T-Seps. Installing T-Seps indicates your acceptance of
these terms and conditions. T-Biz Network International, LLC, Scottsdale, Arizona USA give the license set forth below, with respect to a
program called T-Seps.

YOU MAY NOT ASSIGN, SUBLICENSE, RENT, LEASE, CONVEY, OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER, TRANSLATE, CONVERT TO ANOTHER
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE, DECOMPILE OR DISASSEMBLE SUCH PROGRAMS. YOU MAY COPY THE PROGRAMS ONLY FOR
BACKUP PURPOSES AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED BELOW.

1. License: You have the limited non-exclusive right to use the enclosed program on no more than two computers. You may physically
transfer the program from one computer system to another provided that the programs are used on no more than two computers at a time.
You may not provide copies of the Software to others. If the program is to be used by multiple users across a network or on more than two
computers you must purchase additional licensed copies for each additional computer.

2. Copies and Modifications: The Software is copyrighted. You may make one copy of the program solely for back-up purposes. You must
reproduce and include the copyright notice on the back-up copy. You may not copy the program except for the back-up copy. You may not
modify the Software.

3. Confidentiality: Copyright, trade secret and trademark law protects the Software. By accepting this license you acknowledge that the
Software is proprietary in nature, and that the Software contains valuable confidential information developed or acquired at great expense,
including data processing algorithms, innovations and concepts. You will not disclose to others or utilize such trade secrets or proprietary
information except as provided herein. This obligation shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

4. Term: This license is effective from the day you install T-Seps until terminated. You may terminate this license by destroying the Software
together with any copy thereof. If you fail to comply with any term of this Agreement, T-Biz Network International, LLC may terminate this
license upon notice to you and you must then promptly return the Software. In addition, T-Biz Network International, LLC may enforce their
legal rights.

5. Limited Warranty and Liability: It is your responsibility to choose, maintain and match the hardware and software components of your
microcomputer system. Thus, T-Biz Network International, LLC does not guarantee uninterrupted service or correction of errors and the
programs are licensed on an “AS IS” basis.

No implied warranty (or condition)* as to the quality or performance of T-Seps, including any warranty (or condition)* of merchantability or
fitness for a particular purpose, is given for T-Seps and all such warranties are expressly disclaimed. No other warranty or guarantee given by
any person, firm or corporation with respect to T-Seps shall bind T-Biz Network International, LLC or anyone else who has been
involved in the creation, production or delivery of the program (some states or provinces do not allow limitations on how long
an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations may not apply to you).

Neither T-Biz Network International, LLC nor any other person, firm or corporation is responsible for the loss of revenue or profits, expense or
inconvenience, or for any other special, incidental or consequential damages caused by the use, misuse or inability to use T-Seps, whether on
account of negligence or otherwise, or by failure to conform to any express or implied warranties or conditions (some states or provinces do
not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you). This
limited warranty shall not extend to anyone other than the original user of the Software.

In no case shall T-Biz Network International, LLC’s liability exceed the purchase price of the Software. The disclaimers and limitations set forth
above will apply regardless of whether or not you accept the Software Agreement.

This limited warranty gives legal rights and you may also have rights, which vary according to state, province or country.

6. Technical Support: Tech support is provided to the original purchaser free of charge for T-Seps for one year from the date of purchase.
Support is via email at support@tbiznetwork.com and T-Seps Support Forums at www.T-BizNetwork.com. See the support section of this
Reference Manual for support specifics. Support does not include free training on the program. The end user is expected to read and follow
the Reference Manual as it pertains to the installation and running of the program. Free support also does not mean training on other third
party programs such as Adobe Photoshop.

7. Severability: In the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be held by a legal court or other tribunal of component
jurisdiction to be unenforceable, the remaining portions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

8. Acknowledgement: By opening this Software package, you acknowledge that you have read this Agreement, understand it, and agree to
be bound by its terms and conditions. You also agree that this Agreement is the complete and exclusive statement of Agreement between the
parties and supersedes all proposals or prior Agreements, verbal or written and any other communications between the parties relating to the
subject matter of this Agreement. No amendment to this Agreement shall be effective unless signed by an authorized officer of T-Biz Network
International.

9. Modifications to Agreement: This Agreement is governed by the laws of The State of Arizona. This Agreement may only be modified by a
license addendum, which accompanies this license, or by a written document which has been signed by both you and an authorized officer of
T-Biz Network International, LLC. Should you have any questions concerning this Agreement or if you desire to contact T-Biz Network
International, LLC for any reason, please write: T-Biz Network International, LLC, Customer Sales and Service, 14747 N. Northsight Blvd.
Suite 111-402, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 USA.

*Applies to software used in Canada

3
 Table of Contents
Welcome to T-Seps 1
Credits, Copyrights & Trademarks 2
License & Warranty Agreement 3

Section 1 – In a hurry? T-Seps Quick Reference Guide 6

Section 2 – T-Seps Overview 9

About T-Seps 9
Types of Separations 10

Section 3 – General Information 11

T-Seps and Photoshop Versions 11
About This Manual 11
Prerequisites and Assumptions 11
A Word About Photoshop 11
A Word About Screen Printing 11
Technical Support 12

Section 4 – Installation and Program Setup 13

Installation From CD and Free Trial 13
Unlocking the Program 17
Load T-Seps Into the Actions Panel 19
Photoshop Setup 20
Photoshop Color Settings For T-Seps 20

Section 5 – Original Art and Photoshop Adjustments 22

About Original Art 22
Photoshop Tutorial 22
File Formats 24
Two Versions of Art 31
Image Masking 32

Section 6 – Running T-Seps 34

Choosing the Best Routine 34
General Running of the Program 36
Work File Formats 37
About the Work Files 37
Previewing Images on the Screen 39
Working With Channels 39
Adjusting Individual Channels 40
Moving Channel Print Order 40
Printing a Paper Proof 41

Section 7 – Simulated Process Color Separations 42

What is Simulated Process? 42
Specific Color Set 42
Running Simulated Process Color 43
Discharge and Waterbased Ink Separations 45
Optional Flesh and Brown Routine 45
Custom Spot Colors 45
Choking Underbase White 45
Combining Two Channels 46
Knockout Under Colors 46
Knockout Shirt Color 46
Outputting Simulated Process Color 47
Screening Simulated Process Color 47

4
Section 8 – True Process Color Separations (CMYK) 48
What is Process Color on Shirts? 48
The Problems of CMYK on Shirts 48
Process Separations With T-Seps 49
Custom Ink Values 49
Outputting Process Color 49
Screening Process Color 49

Section 9 – Index Color Separations (Stochastic or “Square Dot”) 50

What is Index Color? 50
Image Resolution 50
Index Color Tables 50
Custom Index Colors 52
Previewing and Printing Index Color 53
Outputting Index Color 53
Screening Index Color 53

Section 10 – Black & White & Sepiatone Separations (“Old Photo” Look) 54
About Black & White and Sepiatone Effects 54
Outputting B&W/Sepiatone 54
Screening B&W/Sepiatone 54

Section 11 – Basic Spot Color Separations 55

Creating Spot Color Separations 55
Underbase and Trapping 55
Running Spot Color Separations 55
Outputting Spot Color 56
Screening Tips 56

Section 12 – Special Effects 57

About Image Graphic Effects 58
Sawtooth Edge 58
Brushstroke Edge 58
Hand Stipple Edge 58
Stucco Edge 58
Pond Ripple Edge 58
Vignetted Edge 58
Distressed Look 58
Convert Photo to Black and White Drawing 59

Section 13 – Outputting Images 60

Printing Directly From Photoshop 61
Printing Channels 62
Registration Marks 62
Printing Media 63
Printing Without a RIP 63
Exporting Files to Other Programs 64
DCS2 Files For Quark and Illustrator 64

Section 14 – Dark Shirt Screen Printing Techniques 65

Quick Tips for Successful Dark Shirt Printing 65

Section 15 – Important Terms 67

Section 16 – Troubleshooting and Technical Support 69

Reference Card 77

About the Developer 78

5
 Section 1
In a Hurry? T-Seps Quick Reference Guide
Who Is This Section For?
For those of you who wish to get up and running fast and don’t want to have to wade
through the manual….. this section is for you. If you are experienced with Photoshop
and have already done separations in this program or other similar programs – or if you
are familiar with “channel” separations in Photoshop, this section will give you the basic
steps needed to start doing your first set of separations in just a few minutes! If you are
new to Photoshop and color separation it is highly recommended that you go through the
entire manual to get familiar with T-Seps.

T-Seps is very easy to use. There is much more of a learning curve to Photoshop or
Corel Draw. Those programs do thousands of things. T-Seps does just a few things
(very well!) and only has a couple of dozen buttons that are important.

Once you get up and running please take the time to read this entire manual. Even if you
are a seasoned pro you will find little tips and tricks that will help you run the program
and produce better separations.

1. Installation in Adobe Photoshop

Read and follow all the steps in Section 4 – Installation and Program Setup.

2. Open The Channels Panel in Photoshop

Go to Window and select Channels or Show Channels. Place it next to the Actions Panel
(these use to be called Palettes). T-Seps will separate each color into a separate
channel to be printed and you will need to see the channels to make any final
adjustments and print them out correctly.

3. Create Two Versions of the Artwork

You will need two versions of the artwork to create the separated channels correctly. If
you do not understand this brief explanation, please see Section 6 – Original Artwork
and Photoshop Adjustments for more detailed information. Some people are initially
confused about creating these two files though it is actually quite simple. A “masked” file
is one that has black in the background - just exactly as the art would look on a black
shirt. An “unmasked” file is the same except with white in the background. These two
files must be flattened and have no additional channels or layers and also be in RGB
Mode.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All files that are loaded for any T-Seps separation MUST have
the following attributes:

A. In RGB mode. (Check by going to Image/Mode)

B. Flattened with ONLY a Background layer (the easiest way to ensure this
is to save the files in .JPG format – Photoshop will automatically flatten
the visible layers.)
C. Have NO additional channels other than RGB: Red, Green, Blue

If these things are not correct then you WILL have errors during the routines.

6
4. Use the Correct Resolutions
The file resolutions need to be between 250 to 300 DPI, in RGB Mode and with no
additional channels or layers. For most of the separation routines, 300 DPI is as high as
you will ever need to go for a crisp separation and is the norm in this industry. For any of
the Index routines, use files that are between 150-225 DPI. The image needs to be
already adjusted for proper color balance and sharpness. (See Sections 5 thru 11 for
more specific information.) If your file is not the correct resolution you need to
“upsample” it by going to Image/Image Size and make it the correct physical size and
resolution.

5. Close the Work Files Before Running Separations

The work files need to be closed before running any of the T-Seps routines. T-Seps will
prompt you to open the files during the routine. The exception is for any of the Edge
Effect routines - the files should already be open.

6. Run Any of the Main Separation Routines

If you are in doubt about which routine to run when starting out, run the Simulated 9
Color + 2 Whites routine. This routine gives you the most control over the separation and
will be your “bread and butter” routine. Even if you cannot print all of these channels on
your particular press, you can pick and choose the channels that you need and preview
them on the screen.

After separation, you may also adjust individual channels and how much ink will be
printed through that screen (Image/Adjustments/Curves), lighten and darken channels,
delete channels that you do not need, combine certain channels together on one screen
and much more.

7. Follow the On-screen Help Messages Exactly!

Each routine will have messages throughout the process that will help you to select the
correct settings (if any) for that particular type of separation. Once you do the routines a
few times, these things will be second nature.

If you get ANY errors that say “can’t find T-Seps” the program is not installed correctly
and no matter how many times you say “OK” to these errors, the final routine will not be
correct. Go back and make sure the key .8li files are in the Plug-ins folder in Photohsop.

8. Adjust the Separation

Very Important Tips:
It is not uncommon for the image to NOT match the original exactly when the separation
routine is first run. Keep in mind that we are trying to separate an image with thousands
of colors into just a handful of colors. Don’t get discouraged with your first job. T-Seps is
a tool that will get you very close to where you want to be. You will learn after doing a
few sets of separations that all it takes to make a good set of separations GREAT is to
do minor adjustments if necessary. This is where the training DVD comes into play. You
can see exactly how to adjust an image after the routine is run.

The program will automatically use Black as the shirt color as default (Except the Real
Process routine). You can easily change the shirt color by double-clicking the on the
Shirt Color Channel. When viewing an image on a black shirt you should take the
Photoshop “eye” off of the Black Channel, since you would not need to print that color.
When you do this, the image will often look a little washed out. THIS IS NORMAL. T-
Seps displays the image with Dot Gain applied. Even if you have little 1% dots in
Highlight areas, Photoshop will make them brighter when they print (you probably won’t
even be able to hold them on a screen). A simple tweak with the Tone Curve to the
Underbase channel will help make it a higher contrast.

7
The same thing applies to light shirts. The Black channel may seem weak. Remember,
the color that will get darker more than any other at press is black. The image will print
correctly but may not display quite as dark.

Remember that you can also use a Tone Curve to any of the color channels as well,
allowing more ink through the screen at press. Also remember that T-Seps likes files that
are bright to begin with. If the original is dark and muddy, so will be the separation. The
important thing is to start with a bright, clean original. This will allow the program to get
sufficient color information on each channel, if there are adjustments to be made, the
information will be there to work with.

After the image is separated, try to eliminate colors, combine channels and tweak
individual color channels. Don’t let the number of colors fool you. If you only have a six-
color press it is easy to get most designs down to six or eight colors. You can also try to
use the Simulated 5-color + Two Whites routine (You don’t print the Black channel on a
black shirt and you don’t need the two White channels on a light shirt).

Some designs separate better if you pick the actual colors to be used (Custom Index
separations). Other images look better on light shirts if you use the Real Process
(CMYK) routine and add additional spot colors. You will not have nearly the control over
the result though as with Simulated Process.

The beauty of T-Seps is that you aren’t stuck with just one routine. This is why we have
thousands of users (of FastFilms) in over 70 countries doing work for companies such as
Disney, Harley, Walmart, Warner Bros., and more, plus thousands of small shops doing
award winning work that would not have been possible before FastFilms and now T-
Seps. Yes, there may be a slight learning curve to understand how to adjust the
separations but the reward will be well worth it. To see samples of the type of work being
done with T-Seps, go to www.T-Seps.com.

9. Output the Image

Print out the image to vellum, film, acetate or whatever you normally use. Select the
Outputting Images button (at the bottom of each separation type section in the Actions
Panel) to see what the recommended frequency (LPI) and angles are. For true
imagesetter quality output, we recommend using special software called a RIP (raster
image processor) that tells a “dumb” inkjet printer how much black ink to lay down (a lot),
and how to create a halftone dot (inkjet printers do not come with a RIP to create
halftone dots.

Plan B for film output: T-Seps has a built in routine that will AUTOMATICALLY convert
each separation to a separate file that already has the grayscale information converted
to a halftone dot! This process is very close to what you can get from an expensive
software RIP. The only difference is that a software RIP will generally have more control
over the ink deposit and will give you darker black images on film.

10. Make a Print on a Shirt

Screen print the image using the recommended mesh counts from the Screening
Images button (at the bottom of each separation type section in the Actions Panel). You
can use your normal off-the-shelf plastisol for the colors and your favorite high-opacity
white for the Underbase White and Highlight White. For Real Process (CMYK) prints,
use your favorite brand of process inks.

8
 Section 2
T-Seps Overview

About T-Seps
T-Seps is a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop that enhances the abilities of Photoshop and
enables the printer to do automated color separations in a matter of minutes. T-Seps
works in the Actions Panel in Photoshop and has dozens of routines that analyze the
image for the correct colors and color intensities based on very specific garment printing
requirements, apply proper levels and curves, take into account garment ink dot gain
and ink impurities and many more behind the scene functions.

The program separates images into the proper colors and builds Alpha Channels.
Separations done like this are called Channel separations. These Alpha Channels can
then be printed out to film or vellum and exposed on to screens to screen print high
quality, multi-color images on light or dark shirts. If the images have gray levels then the
final output on film will need to be converted to halftone dots where there are shades of
a color. T-Seps does NOT convert images to halftones. This is typically a function of a
software RIP that is either built into a graphics large format laser printer or is third party
software used with inkjet printers. For more details on a RIP go to www.T-
BizNetwork.com and click on T-RIP.

The reason the program works in the Actions Panel (this use to be called a Panel and is
often referred to as a “panel” in the video tutorials) is that this panel in Photoshop is
easily accessible and provides a user-friendly interface for the program. In most cases
the program does EVERYTHING for you because it separates for a specific ink color set.

9
The only time it needs minor user input is when it asks for the file to load and also when
you specify custom colors in the Custom Index and Spot Color routines.

Not Just For T-shirts

The program will also work with non-textile and graphics screen printing applications. It
is simply a matter of changing the dot gain characteristics before running the routines.
Certain areas of the program are specific to T-shirts. It is also so easy to use that you
will be doing color separations almost the minute you install the program.

It Does More Than Separate

Not only does the program separate, it determines color sequence and tells you what
halftone frequencies and angles to use PLUS indicates ink colors, types of ink and mesh
counts. All the guesswork is taken out of the process. Artists can now be artists rather
than separators!

Types of Separations
T-Seps separates a variety of ways depending on the end goal and type of original
artwork that you have. It will do normal RGB to CMYK conversions including building
additional spot color channels (bump plates) and creating Underbase and Highlight
whites for dark shirt printing. It also creates very high quality Simulated Process color for
light and dark shirts.

The program has an excellent Index Color routine (square dot or stochastic) that uses
your own custom color panel and creates Underbase and Highlight channels. The
Underbase and Highlight channels can be either standard index channels, or Simulated
Process channels that can be adjusted for more brightness using Tone Curves.

Another nice feature is the ability to do basic Spot Color separations. While this is
normally done in a vector based program, it can be done with T-Seps including trapping
and choking colors!

Special Effects Too!

Along with its excellent separations, T-Seps also creates special effects for images.
There are a number of graphic edge effects that can keep an image from being a plain
rectangle on a shirt. You can also make an image look like it has been washed and worn
with the Distressed Look.

To give the image an old photo look, there’s a very effective Black and White routine and
a stunning Sepiatone routine too.

T-Seps is a Tool
Think of T-Seps as a tool allowing you to reach new levels of print quality. It will separate
most designs in less than 2 minutes and saves you hours of art and production time!

10
 Section 3
General Information
T-Seps and Adobe Photoshop Versions
T-Seps is an Adobe Photoshop plug in that runs under the Actions Panel. It will run in
Photoshop versions 6.0 to 13.0 (CS6) on either Macintosh OS9 or OSX (including older
PowerPC and newer Intel base Mac computers) all the way to the newer Mountain Lion
OS, or Windows/PC compatible computer running Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and
Windows 8. It will work in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Photoshop. If you are
running Photoshop CS5 or CS6 in 64-bit mode on a Mac you need to run the special 64-
bit Mac installer. T-Seps 2.0 will not run in Adobe Photoshop’s CC version.

About This Manual

This manual is designed to work with version 1.0 and 2.0 of the program. Most support
calls are from first time users who have not read the manual at all. Please take time to
review this entire manual first. If you are an experienced computer user and want to get
up and running in a short amount of time, go to Section 1 – Quick Reference Guide
section of the manual.

Prerequisites and Assumptions

T-Seps is a separation program. It is designed to work with the quality of the images that
it is given. In other words, if you ask T-Seps to separate a very flat, muddy image that is
not sharp, the image on the shirt will be something that is not very sharp. It’s
TITO….Trash In, Trash Out, also known as GIGO….Garbage In Garbage Out. Try to
brighten the original with Saturation and Hue to get color information on many channels
during separation – then you will have more to work with and choose from.

It is almost impossible for any program to “just know” that you don’t want the image to
have a color cast or dust specks from the scan as a part of the final print. Photoshop is a
very powerful program that can be used to enhance the quality of the original image. It is
your responsibility to make the original look as good as possible, nice and vibrant, and
be at the correct resolution in order for T-Seps to generate a high-end separation. The
program has Color Adjustment and sharpening features, but you must determine the
degree of adjustment for each file. The cleaner originals will produce the best
separations. Using high quality files should be a priority.

A Word About Photoshop

The Reference Guide assumes that you know the basics of working in Photoshop since
T-Seps is a program designed to work in Photoshop. If you do not know how to use the
basic tools and moves in Photoshop please take the time to read the Photoshop manual
or purchase the T-shirt Graphics in Adobe Photoshop DVD’s from the T-Biz Network
International at www.T-BizNetwork.com/store/. Section 5 – Original Art and Photoshop
Adjustments of this manual details how to adjust the image and work with the original
art. The good news is that if you do a good scan at a high enough resolution, only minor
adjustments may be needed before simply running a T-Seps routine. There are also a
number of short Photoshop Tutorial videos at www.T-Seps.com.

A Word About Screen Printing

It is often assumed that you have a good grasp of the screen printing process. Other
than simple Spot Color separations, the program produces very high quality separations
that will require good screen making and good screen printing skills to look like the
original. This means high tension screens, the ability to hold fine halftone dots, a good
printing press, sharp squeegees, proper inks, and good printing technique.
11
Obviously some will have better success than others. For the best initial success, try
using the software on a non-critical image such as a cartoon type image. You will be
surprised at how great the image looks. Next, use T-Seps on one of the sample images
with flesh tones. Reference colors such as flesh are harder to reproduce and will require
better overall printing technique.

Film Output
T-Seps creates color separations in Photoshop that end up with solid areas where
needed and grayscale areas where there are tones and shading. These grayscale areas
of the image need to be printed on films as halftone dots. T-Seps does NOT create the
halftone dots. Typically a screen printer uses a software program called a RIP (raster
image processor) that converts the file to halftone dots and also controls the ink volume
when printing to a low priced inkjet printer. There is more detail on this later in the
manual. You can also go to www.T-BizNetwork.com and click on T-RIP to learn more
about a RIP.

Technical Support
Technical support is offered free.

Email: support@tbiznetwork.com
Phone: Toll Free in the USA 1/888-801-1561
Main Phone 480-212-1078
Internet: www.T-Seps.com Click on Support

Support hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm M-F Mountain Standard Time USA. Arizona does
not observe daylight savings so between mid-March and mid-October Arizona is on the
same time zone as Pacific Standard Time (the same as California).

Please allow sufficient time for a support member to respond. Response is generally
within 24 hours. If you have an immediate job deadline please make sure to note in the
Subject Line of your email “Urgent.”

If you have a problem with the program please re-read the manual to make sure you are
following the on-screen prompts exactly before you email support. There are excellent
Training Videos online at www.T-Seps.com. Basic technical support is offered to T-Seps
trial users.

In many cases better support can be given if the file is available for inspection. If you are
having problems with a file or need assistance with what routine to use you can e-mail
the file to support@tbiznetwork.com. DO NOT EMAIL A FULL SIZE FILE. The file must
be low resolution (72 DPI) and saved as a JPG (JPEG) file format. This should make the
file size no more than 200 – 500 Kb that is easy to e-mail. For some files the support
technician may request a higher resolution file though please wait to see if the technician
requests a larger file.

You can also send files via one of the free online services like www.YouSendIt.com.
Send files to support@tbiznetwork.com with details about your needs or questions.

12
 Section 4
Installation and Program Setup
You must read and follow these steps for the program to run correctly. If you follow and
understand these steps it will eliminate unnecessary support emails. There is also short
video called Installation at www.T-Seps.com. Click on Training Videos. In fact, all of the
information covered in this manual is covered in the over 25 videos online.

T-Seps is very easy to install. The installation will place a number of key files on your
hard disk. The next section assumes you have downloaded the Free Trial version of the
program and have placed the download file in a download folder of your choice, or that
you have a CD with both Mac and Windows versions of the program.

During installation T-Seps will create a new folder on your hard disk called TSeps. You
may be asked if you want to change the location of this folder. No NOT change this. The
T-Seps routines will often look to key files in the TSeps folder and if it can’t find that
folder you might get errors. The Installer will also install a number of additional folders
and files in the TSeps folder. These include ink company ink values, the most current
manual, special ReadMe files, sample files, license files and more.

Installation in Adobe Photoshop

The following section is for both Mac and Windows users. This section assumes you
have downloaded the Free Trial version of the program and have placed the download
file in a download folder of your choice, or that you have a T-Seps CD. The T-Seps
installer will create a new folder on your hard disk called TSeps or TSeps64 (for the 64-
bit Mac version). This will be on your C: drive for Windows, and on the Mac Hard Disk for
a Mac.

You will need to have full administrative rights or privileges for your computer during
installation. You may be asked for your computer password if you do not have full rights.
Typically if you are the owner of the computer then you obviously have all rights. But, if
you are in a corporate environment or on a network you may need to have an IT or
network administrator give you full access during installation.

32- and 64-bit Versions

T-Seps uses TWO plug-ins to operate. One is called TSeps and one is called
TSepsCustom Index. On Windows computers there are two versions of each plug-in
because older computers are 32-bit and newer computers are 64-bit. On Windows if you
are using Photoshop CS4, CS5 or CS6 both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Photoshop are
automatically installed as part of the Photoshop installation routine.

On a Mac, versions prior to CS4 are only 32-bit. On CS5 you can run Photoshop in
either 32-bit or 64-bit mode. Photoshop CS6 on a Mac will ONLY run in 64-bit mode.

Why 64-bit? With 32-bit programs you are limited to use only 1.7 gb of RAM on your
computer. With the 64-bit version of Photoshop you can access almost as much RAM as
you can put on your computer. RAM is the temporary storage area that Photoshop uses
when working on files. It is not uncommon with larger files over 200 mb for Photoshop to
make temporary work files far over 1 gb. The more available RAM the better.

13
Windows Computers
Locate the downloaded file called TSeps20.exe or file on the CD called TSeps20-
32.exe. (This file may also be called TSeps20Installer.exe.) You should have other
programs including Photoshop closed when you run the installation routine. Double-click
on this file. Follow the instructions on the screen. This is a normal Windows installer
program that will show progress screens as it installs the program.

32- and 64-bit Versions

T-Seps uses TWO plug-ins to operate. One is called TSeps and one is called
TSepsCustom Index. On Windows computers there are two versions of each plug-in
because older computers are 32-bit and newer computers are 64-bit If you are using
Photoshop CS4, CS5 or CS6 both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Photoshop are
automatically installed as part of the Photoshop installation routine.

The plug-ins are named accordingly. The main T-Seps plug-in is called TSeps32.8li and
TSeps64.8li. The Custom Index plug-in is named TSepsCustomIndex32.8li and
TSepsCustomIndex64.8li.

The installation routine should install the appropriate plug-ins in the proper Photoshop
Automate folder. If it did not, these files can be found at C:/TSeps/Actions. You will need
to copy these files to the appropriate Automate folder in the Plug-ins folder in the Adobe
folder that is found under your C: drive Program Files or Program Files (x86) which is the
32-bit version.

Mac Computers
Locate the following appropriate downloaded file or the file on the CD. There are THREE
different Mac Installer filed depending on the type of Mac computer you have and the
version(s) of Photoshop you will be using. Make sure to install the correct version.

One is for the older PowerPC Mac computers OR if you are running Photoshop version
CS on an Intel based Mac. The download file name for this version is
TSeps2Installer.dmg.zip. If you have a CD, the file is in a folder called Mac.PowerPC
and the file is called TSeps2Installer.dmg.

The second version is for newer Intel based Mac computers. The download file is called
TSeps2Intel.Installer.dmg.zip. If you have a CD, the file is in a folder called Mac.Intel
and the file is called TSeps2Intel.Installer.dmg.

The third is a special installer for Mac running Photoshop CS5 or CS6 in 64-bit mode.
(You can only run the 64-bit version of Photoshop CS6 on a Mac.) The download file is
called TSeps20-64.Installer.dmg.zip. If you have a CD, the file is in the Mac.Intel folder
and is called TSeps20-64.Installer.dmg.

If the file is a download it is a standard ZIP file that needs to be unzipped before you can
run it. Once unzipped simply click on the file to run the installer. This is a standard Mac
installer package with various screens telling the status of the installation. If the file is on
a CD simply click on the file to install it.

Important note: If you have multiple versions of Photoshop on your computer (Intel
based) including 32-Bit versions of Photoshop and 64-Bit versions of CS5 and CS6 -
then you MUST install BOTH Intel installers.

14
Make Sure Plug-Ins are installed correctly
The installation program for T-Seps attempts to install all the files in the proper location
for the program to be run from the “actions” panel in Photoshop. If you have previous
versions of Photoshop or have multiple versions installed on your hard disk, the
installation program may not place the files in the correct folders.

In order for T-Seps to run correctly, the T-Seps Plug-In files MUST be in the Photoshop
Automate folder. There are TWO main plug-in files. One is called T-Seps and one is
called T-SepsCustomIndex and there are various versions of each depending on if you
are running a PowerPC or Intel Mac with either Photoshop CS2 to CS5, or Photoshop
CS6.

If for some reason T-Seps does not start when you open Photoshop, you will need to
manually place the T-Seps Plug-In files/folders in Photoshop’s Automate folder.

Depending on the version you installed your Macintosh Hard Drive/TSeps/Actions folder
should have the correct files for either the Intel or PowerPC version. Remember – there
are Intel versions that work for CS2 to CS5 32-Bit and then an Intel version that works
only for CS5 and CS6 64-Bit.

For the PowerPC versions there is a typical “extension” of .8li. For the Intel version plug-
ins are called “plug-in packages” and have an extension of .plugin.

Here are the various plug-in names. You may or may not have all of these versions
depending on which version of T-Seps you are installing.

T-Seps.plugin (for Intel based Mac with 32-bit version of Photoshop)

T-Seps64.plugin (for Intel based Mac running Photoshop CS5 or CS6 64-bit version)
T-SepsCustomIndex.plugin (for Intel based Mac with 32-bit version of Photoshop)
T-SepsCustomIndex64.plugin (for Intel based Mac running CS5 or CS6 64-bit version
of Photoshop)
TSepsOSX.8li (for older PowerPC or for use with Photoshop CS),
CustomIndex.8li (for older PowerPC or for use with Photoshop CS).

Mac and Windows

OPTIONAL INSTALLATION OF PLUG-INS

Every now and then Photoshop will simply not find plug-ins even when they are in the
correct folder. It can be a permissions/administration issue or if Photoshop has moved
the Automate folder during upgrades. A good example of this is the upgrade from
Photoshop CS5 to CS5.1. Adobe changed the name of the folder and the current T-Seps
installer will not find the correct location.

To make it real simple for Photoshop to find the plug-ins you can simply point Photoshop
directly to them. This can be done within Photoshop.

On a Windows version go to the Edit menu and Preferences. On a Mac, go to the

Photoshop name in the upper left of the screen and then Preferences.

In Preferences click on Plug-Ins. Next, check the box Additional Plug-ins folder.

Click Choose and drill around to your C: drive on Windows or your Mac Hard Disk on a
Mac. Find the folder called TSEPS and the sub-folder called ACTIONS. Choose Actions.
Exit Preferences and re-start Photoshop.

15
How to Know if the Plug-ins are Loaded?
It is simple to know if the plug-ins are in the correction location and that Photoshop finds
them. If Photoshop finds and loads the plug-ins when you start Photoshop you should
get a T-Seps windows that allows you to Try T-Seps as a free trial or allows you to
Authorize it for permanent use. If you don’t get a T-Seps windows when you start
Photoshop then it has not loaded the plug-ins.

A word about Photoshop CS6

Adobe made some major changes with CS6. One of the more obvious is the default
darker screen color. If you are a current Photoshop user you may not like this new look.
If you go to Preferences in Photoshop you can change the look back to the more normal
light gray color scheme.

Adobe has a new default color palette called Pantone Solid+Coated. This palette is not
available in older versions of Photoshop. If you create a set of separations using T-Seps
in CS6 and want to bring the file into an earlier version of Photoshop you may get a
“missing color palette” error. You will need to change the assigned color for each
channel in your CS6 T-Seps separations to Pantone Solid Coated and then save the file.

16
Unlocking the Program
T-Seps has a security feature that locks the program to a specific computer. If you
bought just one copy of this program then it is designed to be installed on no more than
TWO computers. If you wish to have the program on more than two computers you will
need to purchase additional licenses for the program. If you are a trial user of the
program or are waiting for your unlock, simply press the TRY button to run T-Seps
for 20 days. (You may be asked to click on “try” a number of times.)

If you have a computer crash or need to move the program to a newer computer simply
follow the unlocking routine and we will unlock the program again.

The unlock feature does not activate until you open Photoshop. Click on Authorize in the
T-Seps window that you get when you open Photoshop. You will either be given a
Request Code. This number is specific to your computer. If you install T-Seps on a
different computer you will get a different set of numbers. If or when you upgrade to a
new computer or replace or format the hard drive on your existing computer simply give
us a call for another unlock.

17
Send unlock requests to support@tbiznetwork.com and make sure to also include your
company name and order number. If you bought T-Seps from a dealer, give us details
about the purchase and dealer name.

The windows in your version may or may not look exactly like those shown here.

You will generally be issued the Activation Code within 24 hours. We do NOT unlock
Free Trials for users who don’t own the program. We will often grant additional trial time
in which case send the Request Code to use and tell us that you want a few more days
to try T-Seps. We will issue a temporary unlock.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If for some reason you do not get the T-Seps Welcome
Screen either when opening Photoshop or when you start to run a T-Seps routine,
please refer back to the Installation in Photoshop steps and make sure you have
not missed something. If you still don’t get the T-Seps window refer to the
Support section at www.T-Seps.com or send email to support@tbiznetwork.com.

You also have the option to Quit or Try the unlock routine and still use Photoshop while
you wait for the Authorization Code. T-Seps will run for 20 days as a trial version without
being unlocked though it is recommended to send in your unlock request well before the
trial version expires so that you are not waiting for your unlock at the last minute.

Load T-Seps Into the Actions Panel

This step is very important!!
There are two parts to installing T-Seps. The first part we just covered. The plug-in files
need to be in the correct location. These files are the heart of T-Seps. The actual
running of T-Seps is done with scripts that are called “actions” in Photoshop. Actions call
various Photoshop commands and open the plug-ins. The installation covered earlier
can’t load the T-Seps Actions in the Actions Panel because there is no way to automate
that process. It must be done manually.

18
Open Photoshop and open your Actions Panel (Window/Show Actions or Actions).

With the Actions Panel open, click on the drop down menu (it's a small round button with
an arrow on it in the upper right hand corner of the Actions Panel window) and select
Replace Actions.

Find the TSeps folder on your hard disk. Users often get confused with this step. When
you click on Replace Actions you are taken to a Photoshop Actions folder where it keeps
the default Photoshop actions. This is NOT where you want to be. You need to find your
C: drive on a PC or the Mac Hard Disk on a Mac and find the folder called T-Seps and a
sub-folder called Actions.

In the new TSeps/Actions folder on your hard disk, you will select the correct action set
(.ATN file). The Action file you load depends on your computer and your version of
Photoshop. You may NOT have all three of the following files available depending on
which installer you run. If you are a foreign language user these files are also available
in a variety of languages.

TSeps20W-English.ATN – All Windows versions of Photoshop. 32- and 64-Bit.

TSeps20-English.ATN - Mac – Intel processor 32-Bit versions of Photoshop.

TSeps20-64English.ATN Mac only 64-Bit version of Photoshop on CS5 and CS6.

TSeps20-CS-English.ATN Mac PowerPC only for the older CS version of Photoshop.

When you load the T-Seps Action the “buttons” need to be in color. If they are in black
and white then you are looking at the raw scripts. To turn the buttons on go back to the
small upper right arrow in the Actions panel and make sure Button Mode is checked
and that the buttons are in purple and yellow.

Stopping An Action During a Routine

If for some reason you stop an action during a routine
(before the on screen prompts tell you that “the separation
process is complete”) you MUST reset the menus. If you do
not reset the menus, the last action will pick up where it left
off the next time you select it and the routine will not run
correctly. You will know that a routine has been stopped
before it finished because its button in the Actions Panel
will turn RED. To reset the menus, click on the yellow
button named Reset Menus at the top of the Actions Panel.

Reasons for Stopping the Program

There could be a number of reasons for stopping the
program in the middle of a routine. If you are low on hard
disk space you may get an Out of Memory error. Also, you
might have loaded the wrong file by mistake, or selected
Stop rather than Continue on one of the help menus.

19
The following setups are VERY IMPORTANT.

Photoshop Setup
Prior to running T-Seps you will need to do some basic setups to Photoshop. These are
small changes to certain program settings that will have an effect on how T-Seps
operates. The following routines need to only be done once. Photoshop remembers
these settings for future sessions.

General Settings
All of the default settings in Photoshop will work with T-Seps but there are some settings
that have an effect if you change them.

Dot Gain
Screen printers typically get 30% to 40% dot gain at the press. This means that the ink
that comes through the screen will “gain” or grow in size compared to the size of the dots
that are burned into the screen. In order to preview separations on the monitor the way
that they will look when printed, it is important to apply the correct dot gain settings to
Photoshop.

Photoshop Color Settings For T-Seps

Most of the under-the-hood settings are made by going to Edit/Color Settings.

Change RGB to Apple RGB.

Change the CMYK Setup: This is very important if you will be doing Real Process
(CMYK) separations. T-Seps comes with specific ink values for the most common
brands of process inks. If you do not see your brand during this setup, please contact
your ink supplier for specific values. These can then be entered manually.
20
Drop down the CMYK list in the Working Spaces window. Select Load CMYK. Browse to
the T-Seps folder on the hard disk and open the Inks folder. Select the folder for your
brand of ink. The brands that are pre-loaded are Wilflex, Union and Excaliber. (If you do
not see your brand and cannot get the custom values for your brand, it is OK to select
SWOP Newsprint for the default.) At the bottom of the Load window, change Files of
Type to CMYK Setup (*.API). You will now see a list of files that you must choose from.
The numbers “305” or “355” denote the mesh counts you will be using. Generally most
printers should be using the “305” files unless you are doing very detailed work on high
mesh screens. If you are unsure, select a “305” file. The letters “A” or “M” denote an auto
or manual press. So if you had a manual press and were using 305 screens with Wilflex
ink, you would select the file Prpl305m.api.

Drop down the CMYK list in the Working Spaces window again. This time select Custom
CMYK. Input the following values:

Dot Gain: Standard 30-35%

Separation Type: GCR
Black Generation: Medium
Black Ink Limit: 85%
Total Ink Limit: 250%
UCA Amount: 0%

Change Gray to Dot Gain 30%

Change Spot to Dot Gain 30%

Now your color settings are correct for the most accurate display of your separations as
they will print on your T-shirts. If you would like to save all of these settings in a file so
that you can easily restore them at a later date, before you close the Color Settings
window, select Save. This will allow you to save a “.CSF” file that will remember all of
these settings. Photoshop will also allow you to enter a detailed description of your color
settings (.CSF file) that will display when loading them.

A Note About Color Profiles:

In the Color Settings window, there is also a section about Color Management Policies
that many people ask about. This is Photoshop asking you what you want the program
to do when opening files that were saved under a different profile – such as files that you
may get from customers that have the default settings or files that were saved before
you changed your color settings. Depending on these settings, Photoshop may ask you
what you would like to do when you open a file – either:

1. To change the profile to your workspace profile (Apple RGB)

2. Use the embedded profile
3. To not color manage at all. You will want to always change the profile to your
working space profile.

21
 Section 5
Original Art and Photoshop Adjustments
About Original Art
The problem today is that everyone is an artist. Typically you
don’t get a great photograph or image. Customers think they
can take a web graphic and it will look great on a shirt. Or,
they think they are doing you a favor by providing a JPG file
and they make it a Low Quality JPG so they can email it.
They just screwed up what might have been a great piece of
artwork.

The problem is they don’t know this and they think you can
perform miracles. OK, T-Seps can perform miracles when
doing separations but it can’t do much for a bad piece of
artwork. Over the years a majority of support phone calls for
FastFilms and now T-Seps are about how to fix a bad piece
of artwork.

In general ALL artwork can use a little tweaking to make it better. Photoshop is excellent
for adjusting images and making them look better than the original. T-Seps will give you
a very high quality set of separations but only if you give it a very high quality image. If
you tell it to separate a low resolution image that has no detail, expect the same of your
separation.

The program has an excellent help section that will guide you through many of the
important points of scanning and image manipulation. Do not ignore this section of the
program. If you are unfamiliar with Photoshop you should go through the Help, Tips and
Troubleshooting section step-by-step.

A common problem with new Photoshop users is they take what artwork is given to them
(even if from a graphic design studio), and they assume that is all they get. With a few
simple adjustments the artwork can go from very poor to outstanding.

Photoshop Computer Graphics Tutorial

If you are experienced in computer graphics you may want to skip this section. Better
yet, skim over it…… you might find something you didn’t know.

Photoshop is the flagship product of Adobe Systems at www.adobe.com. It retails for

around $650 and as of this writing version CS6 is the most current version. It is often
sold as a bundle called a Creative Suite that includes Illustrator and In Design. It is
always nice to have the latest and greatest version, but frankly, you can do everything
we show here with version 6.0 or higher. If you are a student, teacher, or work for a
school, you may be eligible for an "educator version" from places like
www.academicsuperstore.com. You can even download a FREE trial of the latest
version from www.adobe.com.

In mid-2012 Adobe changed how they sell Photoshop. You can now subscribe to their
www.CreativeCloud.com service and pay around $50 per month to have access to ALL
of the Adobe’s more than 17 programs. This includes updates. A common
misconception is the program is provided to your computer from cloud computing. That
is not true. The Creative Cloud service actually allows you download all the Adobe

22
programs to your computer and each month they are authorized to work as your
payment is processed.

Photoshop Basics
Let's start with some basics. We will assume
you have installed Photoshop and followed
the steps in their excellent manual. The
program also comes with tutorials and there
are many excellent articles on Photoshop at
www.T-BizNetwork.com.

Photoshop is a pixel/raster based program.

That means that images in Photoshop are
made up of tiny square dots of color. These
dot/pixels/raster (call them what you like), are
a fixed size/resolution. If you enlarge an
image the pixels get bigger.

A Word about Vector Programs

Programs like Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Freehand are Vector based
programs that are great where the image has more of a cartoon or hard edge graphic.
With a vector image, as you enlarge the image the resolution (sharpness) of the image
does not deteriorate.

Most GREAT pieces of artwork combine the best of both programs. T-Shirt artists
typically use Corel or Illustrator for the text and hard edge portion of the image and they
us Photoshop for the photorealistic portion. T-Seps ONLY works with Photoshop. If you
are dealing with an artist who uses more than one program you need to tell them that
when all is said and done, you need a Photoshop PSD file type (more on this later) if at
all possible.

You can easily create files in your favorite vector program and then separate the file with
T-Seps in Photoshop. Files from these programs can be exported as EPS, TIF or PSD
files. Make sure to export from these programs at the final image size and a resolution of
at least 200 - 300 DPI. If you can, export them with Anti-Aliasing turned OFF to maintain
edge sharpness. If you have control, set the Fountain Fill steps as high as possible. Files
should be exported as RGB, 16 bit or higher color.

If you want to use a vector file on separate Layers in Photoshop, ALWAYS export the file
as an EPS file format. The file will have a transparent background that works well on
Layers.

23
The Photoshop Main Screen
You will notice Photoshop has a variety of items on the right of the screen that have
divider tabs on top. These are called Panels and you can "hide" them or "show" them. If
you go to the Window pull down menu you will see the Panel list. You don't need all of
the Panels open for basic work. In fact, the ones we like to "show" are: Layers,
Channels, History, Actions, Info. The rest you can close by clicking in the upper right X
in each Panel. You can group Panels together by "docking" them. You can also click and
drag on a Panel name and "undock" it. The idea here is to keep the working area clear
of clutter. Keep the Panels docked and to the right of the page.

The top Menu Bar has lots of Pull Down menus and there is a typical Toolbar on the left.

The key thing to remember is to NOT get too bogged down with all the bells and
whistles. You will find that with most graphic programs you will use 20% of the program
80% of the time (the old 80/20 rule).

File Formats
Photoshop will let you open a wide variety of files including, TIF, JPG, GIF, EPS, PSD,
AI and others. If you open a file that is vector based like one from Adobe Illustrator,
Photoshop will convert the file from mathematical vectors to small pixels. This is called
Rasterizing a file (converting it to pixels). The important point here is to keep the file
resolution high enough for the image to remain sharp. It is generally taught that a file
needs to be at 300 dpi at the final size in order for it to remain crisp. In T-Shirt printing,
you can get away with file resolutions of 175 to 225 dpi at the final size BUT IF
POSSIBLE STAY AT 300dpi. In fact, if you want to have “vector quality” edges to type
you can even work at 500dpi or higher. The default setting for opening vector files in
Photoshop is 72 dpi. REMEMBER to always change the resolution setting when opening
a vector file in Photoshop.

The most common file type is called a JPG. This is typically a file that someone has
made using their digital camera or from a website. JPG is a popular “compression”
format that will make a large file small enough to email. When a JPG file is made there
24
are different qualities. A quality of “1” is very low and is almost impossible to use. The file
has been compressed so much that areas of gradations have “boxes” and averaged
areas. Areas that have hard edges now have “artifacts” around these edges.

One solution is to use JPG

Enhancement programs.
These will soften areas with
excessive compression to the
file size and will help eliminate
artifacts. The image on the
right shows a very low quality
JPG file with a lot of artifacts
(unwanted garbage in file). T-
Seps 2.0 has an Improve
JPG Quality feature that is
excellent. The image below
shows a “before and after”
comparison.

Photoshop Test File

To Open a file. Go to the File
menu and then to Open.
Search your hard disk for a
test file, or if needed, find the
Samples folder that comes
with Photoshop or the
Samples folder that came
with T-Seps. Open or load a
file. There is a file with
Layers in the
TSeps/Samples folder called
PhotoshopTestFileLowRes
.psd. This is a good file to
use for learning.

This file started off as a scan

of a photograph from a travel
guide of a picture of a
monument called Tikal. The
original picture was no larger than 6” x 8”. The sample test file has a resolution (more
about this later) of 72 dpi which is typical of what a customer will give you. The rest of
the elements are from stock clipart (royalty free artwork available online). The text was
added in Photoshop and the soft edge was created using the Edge Effect routine in T-
Seps.

If you have your Layers Panel open then you can see that this image is made up of a
variety of Layers. There is a Layer for each key element. You will see as you play
around a little that you can select a Layer (click on it) and then use any of the Photoshop
tools tore-size, lighten, darken, blur, and more. This is how all great images are built in
Photoshop. When you see a HOT magazine ad with a lot going on – the ad was “built” in
Layers in Photoshop using a wide variety of graphic elements.

Check File Size and Resolution

You MUST know the actual resolution and size of the image. Otherwise you could be
working on a very small file and not know it. Go to Image/Image Size. If you are using

25
the test file you will see it is 72 dpi and 8” x 9”. This is not very big physically and a pretty
low resolution. The resolution should be 175 to 225 dpi or higher in pixels-per-inch.

If it says pixels per CM, change this to inches. The physical size should be the final print
size. Many graphics coming from customers are often very low resolution and off of a
website. Stock graphic images that are downloaded from the web are typically only 72
dpi and physically small in size. Even though a file like this will work, it will not be as
sharp as an image that is higher resolution at a larger physical size. You must know
what you are working with.

The image on the right shows a magnified view of a file

that is 200 dpi and one that is 72 dpi. Obviously, the 72
dpi file will be softer. And, if the physical size of the file
is small, when you enlarge the image to print full-size on
a shirt, the image will be softer yet.

What if the file size and resolution is not correct? This is

where it gets hard. Let's say your file is only 5 inches in
width and 72 dpi, AND you want it to print 10 inches
wide. In the Image Size window, under Document Size,
if you uncheck Resample Image, you will see that all
three windows are now "locked" together. If you change
the file size to 10 inches notice that the resolution
changed to 36! 36 dpi is a LONG WAY from 200.

The problem you have is the file is very low

resolution. Your only real choice is to check
Resample Image and change the width to 10
inches and the resolution to 200. Photoshop
"upsamples" the image. But, it has to guess at
where to place all the extra pixels and what color to
make the pixels. Images can get softer when
upsampled. If this is the only thing you have to work
with then so be it. If you can get a higher resolution
file from the client, by all means do it.

For our sample file change the physical width to 13”

and let the height change by itself (proportional).
Make sure Resample Image is checked and that
only the Width and Height are locked together. Make the Resolution 200 dpi. When you
say OK, the image on the screen will now be much larger.

There are a number of Photoshop plug-ins on the market that are designed to upsample
a file without losing detail. These range from free to hundreds of dollars. Some use very
complete math formulas to make a very low resolution file look sharp at high resolutions.
T-Seps 2.0 had an excellent routine called Upsample Image. Notice the improvement in
the edge detail on the upsampled image at the top of the next page! The left image was
72dpi and the right upsampled image is 200dpi. We use a complex algorithm that really
works.

26
Check File Mode
This is where beginners go wrong. You
open a file and don't bother to learn about
the file. At this point, the file should be
RGB and not CMYK. Yes, Photoshop will
do process color separations for screen
printing called CMYK, but for file
manipulation and adjustment you should
work in RGB mode. To see the Mode of the
file go to Image/Mode. If CMYK is check,
click on RGB. The file should also be 8-bit.

Check file Saturation

Most files from customers are flat and need
a color boost. Always check a file to see if
it needs a saturation boost by going to
Image/Adjustments/Hue Saturation Don’t
be shy here. You can boost the color
saturation of the overall file or you can
select key colors to saturate. Remember -
when you reproduce the image with screen
printing, heat transfers or inkjet-to-garment
printing techniques, the file will often print
flatter and less saturated.

Using the Tone Curve

Images tend to get muddy when printed
which is why boosting color saturation
helps. But, another excellent way to make
images pop is to brighten them a little. You
could use the Brighten slider, but a better
method which gives you more control over
the different tonal areas is to use the Tone
Curve. If you have a file with lots of detail in
the shadow areas, this will probably be lost
when printed. Go to the Image pull down
menu and then to Adjustments/Curves.
The Tone Curve is a very powerful tool. It lets you adjust specific tonal areas from the
lightest highlights to the darkest shadows.
27
By placing your cursor in the middle of the curve "midtones" and dragging the mouse up
or down, you can lighten and darken the medium or midtones in an image. By clicking on
the very top corner and dragging the mouse in, you can make the highlights lighter. Play
around with the Tone Curve and see what happens. A good curve for flat images is a
slight “S” where you lighten the highlight 25% area and darken the 75% shadow area.

Sharpening Images
Typically, an image can be made sharper.
Even if the file came from an agency or large
licensed job, don't assume that their artist
knew your needs. Images that are printed, not
only get darker but they get softer. You MUST
make them as sharp as possible.

Go to Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp Masking. Don't

let the "unsharp" term fool you. This term
came from the old process camera days and
basically means it only sharpens areas of high
contrast. It sharpens but keeps it less
apparent that you have sharpened the image.

Set the Amount slider to 200, the Radius to 1

pixel and the Threshold to 8. How does the image look? To compare the original to the
sharpened version, uncheck the Preview check box. Click it on and off and compare the
results. If you can't see much difference, move the Amount slider higher. Go all the way
to 500% if you need. Don't get the image too grainy. Remember, Photoshop displays
images a little sharper than they really are which means you can go a little too far and be
OK.

Selecting Areas
If you want to apply a Tone Curve adjustment or apply Unsharp Masking to select areas,
you can choose these areas with one of the Selection Tools on the Toolbar. Click on the
tool that looks like a Lasso - yes it is called the Lasso Tool. Now, simply hold the mouse
button down and draw around an area you want to change. When you release the
mouse, you will have little moving dashes, commonly called "marching ants". You have
just selected an area. Now, anything you do ONLY happens to this area. Think of this
like "selecting" an object in Corel or Illustrator. To remove the marching ants, go to the
Select pull down menu and to De-Select. If you want to select square or round areas, the
top left tool is called the Marquee Tool. It does the same thing as the Lasso tool only it
does it to square or round areas.

Channels and Layers

For most of your work, make sure to have the Layers Panel and the Channels Panel
showing - and separate. People always get these confused because they look very
similar. Here are the rules. The Channels Panel shows whether the image is RGB or
CMYK. T-Seps uses the Channels Panel to create color separations that can be output
(often called Channel Separations). Channels can be printed individually for color
separations. If you are printing directly to a heat transfer or inkjet-to-garment printer, the
file needs to be in RGB channels.

The Layers Panel is used to create or build the image. You use the Layers Panel to put
various components together including adding type to an image as with our sample file.
Layers don't print. Simple.

28
You will notice that your Channels Panel shows four channels. RGB, R, G and B. If you
opened a graphic from a digital camera or web JPG file, it should only have one Layer
called Background.

When you click on a Layer, you make it "active" and available for changes. You can
also select areas for adjustment using the Marquee or Lasso tools.

Removing Backgrounds
In order to apply effects to objects
on Layers they need to have a
transparent background (this shows
up as “checks” on a Layer). The
easiest method is to have an image
with very simple backgrounds. If
you are in charge of taking the
photo, take it with very uniform
backgrounds that are of the same
color. If the photo is of a car, park it
with just sky behind it and nothing
else. OK, if you can't do that, park it
in front of a solid colored building.
Make sure to take the photo at as
high a resolution as possible. If your
"old" digital camera is only 2 megapixels,
about the best you are going to get is an
image that is 10 inches wide at 150 dpi. On
the edge of being too low resolution. You
should try for full image size with a resolution
of 250 to 300 dpi.

Use Magic Wand and Click and Delete

They don't call it the Magic Wand for nothing.
This tool is hot. With the Magic Wand you
simply click on the neutral areas around the
image. It works best if the background color is
slightly different than any of the edges of your
image. Just click and watch the Magic Wand
make a selection around the image. If the
"marching ants" selection goes into the main
design, change the Tolerance on the Property
Bar. The default is 32 pixels.

Making Your Selection a New Layer

You need to get your main image on a layer
with a transparent background. In Photoshop
this will show as checks all around the image.
With a transparent background you can add
additional elements to the image including type
behind the image, drop shadows, glows and
more.

29
Using Extract
Photoshop also has a Filter called Extract where you draw around an image and then fill
the center with color and Photoshop removes all the areas around the image leaving you
with a transparent background. Extract is used to remove backgrounds. Extract works
OK but is not the magic bullet for removing backgrounds.

Finalizing a File before Separating

If you built the file using Layers, you MUST always remember to save the file and name
it so you know it has Layers. Call it something like TestFile_Layers.psd.
BEFORE you run a separation routine with T-Seps the file must NOT have any Layers.
The file must be Flattened. Click on the small upper right arrow in the Layers Panel and
click on Flatten. Once Flattened and saved you can’t come back and adjust the Layers
(they are gone). That is why you always have two versions of the final artwork…. one
that has Layers (for future use), and one that is Flattened (for separating).

This concludes the short Photoshop tutorial. For additional help consult the
Photoshop manual and view some of the excellent Photshop DVDs online and
from the Store at www.T-BizNetwork.com.

Image Resolution and T-Seps

In the past due to slow computer speeds we often suggested resolutions of 175 to
200dpi for normal T-Shirt images. With faster computers that is no longer an issue and
you should try to keep images around 300dpi – especially if the image has a lot of type
or hard edges. Re-sampling up will often put soft edges around areas of high contrast
and these areas become shadows and garbage in the image when printed. Always be
mindful of the resolutions of the files you are working with. You can check the resolution
of the image by going to Image/Image Size in Photoshop. Also make sure that you are
working with files that are already at the size that they will be printed. It is a good idea to
always show the Rulers in Photoshop so that you are aware of the DPI as it relates to
the Image Size. Request high resolution files for your jobs as often as possible.

A beginners mistake when creating artwork is to take a graphic off of the internet that is
72dpi and use it as the basis for a design. Beginners leave the resolution alone and start
to add other graphic elements like text. When they are ready to separate the image, the
upsample the image to the final print size and wonder why the text is jagged. When you
add type to a graphic in Photoshop the type will end up the resolution of the file. In this
case 72dpi.

TIP: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS take the original graphic file and upsample it to
the final print size and final resolution you want – around 300dpi. THEN start to
add text elements and build the design! The text will be high resolution and not
jagged. If you feel that 300dpi is not high enough to keep your text razor sharp
then use a higher resolution.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You CANNOT re-sample the resolution or make color

adjustments of an Index Color separation after you have run the routine! Make
sure all size and color adjustments have been made before running an Index Color
routine! Changing either will ruin the separation! (Exception: you may adjust the
Underbase and Highlight channels of the Index Color - Halftone Base routine.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When running Index Color routines, the actual dot size that is
put onto the media directly correlates to pixel size and you may not be able to
hold these smaller square dots on your screens! 225 DPI is considered the
maximum for high detail Index Color separations. See Section 9 for more about
Index Color separations.

30
File Types for T-Seps
Photoshop supports a wide variety of file types, including TIF, JPG, PSD, EPS and
more. A JPG or JPEG file is a compression that will lose quality as you open and save
as a new file name. It is OK to save a file in JPG for sending over the internet or as an
archive backup but you are much better off working with the file as a PSD (native
Photoshop format). Files in a PSD format open and separate faster. Once you have run
a separation routine you MUST save the file as a TIF or PSD file. These are the only
formats in which Photoshop can maintain the color channels that T-Seps creates. Other
formats such as JPG will not save the channel information.

The following is a very important concept!

Two Versions of Art

If your image is going on light AND dark shirts, T-Seps will need to have TWO versions
of the art. The main version will be the image as it should look on a white shirt. This is
called the Unmasked file. The second version will have black around the image so that it
looks the way it should print on a black shirt. This is called the Masked file. This does not
mean to have a black box around the image. It means that the image MUST have black
that goes all the way to the edge of the image. It should look EXACTLY how you would
expect it to look on a black shirt. If the image does not have a canvas around it, just load
the same file twice.

If you are ONLY making black shirts, you may load the Masked file twice (black
background). In this case, the black channel will be incorrect, though you will not be
printing it on a black shirt.

If you are ONLY making white shirts, you may load the Unmasked file twice (white
background). In this case, the white Underbase and Highlight channels will be incorrect,
though you will not be printing them on a white shirt.

If you need to print an Underbase and or Highlight channel AND a black channel (for a
blue, or green shirt for example) then you MUST have both files!
31
Image Masking
Many people call support and ask how to create their Masked and Unmasked files. Most
of the files you will get will already have a white background, it is creating the masked
file that often poses a problem.

There are a number of ways to place black around the image. The more skilled you are
in Photoshop, the easier this will be. Make sure that your main file is the correct size first
and has any color adjustments already made to it. This will ensure that both files are
identical except for the backgrounds. Next, duplicate the file. It will be the one that you
will mask with black and it will be saved with a different file name than the main file.

Using Layers
If you are familiar with layers (or if your image was created using layers) you can simply
make the Background layer black on one version and white on the other. If at all you
have an opportunity to get a layered file
from your artist or customer then by all
means do so! This is by far the easiest
way to create your Masked and
Unmasked files – especially if the edge
of the image fades into the background,
whereas it may be nearly impossible to
create the masked file without
completely redoing the edge effect.

Using the Magic Wand Tool

Another easy way to give an image a
black mask is to first change the
Background color on the Photoshop
Toolbox to black. You will see two small
swatches in the Toolbox and by default,
the Foreground is black and the Background is
white. Click the small two-way arrow to switch
them. Next, select the Magic Wand Tool and
make sure it’s Tolerance (at the top of the
screen) is set to 32 pixels (default). This
number determines how many pixels of similar
color range the Magic Wand Tool will stop at. If
the image has a soft edge or very light colors
blending into the edge, you may need to lower
this number.

Next, simply click on the white area around the

image with the Magic Wand Tool. After it
makes its selection around the image, simply
press the Delete key. You will have selected
the white around the image and replaced it
with black, since Photoshop deletes to
whatever color is in the Background thumbnail.

If the Magic Wand Tool selected too much or

not enough of the outside edge, change the
Tolerance setting until you get just the right
selection that you need. Also, you may add to
the current selection by holding the Shift key

32
and subtract from the current selection by holding the Alt (Option on a MAC) key. This is
especially helpful if the areas that you wish to fill do not touch each other. You may also
select the area with the Magic Wand Tool and simply use the Paint Bucket Tool to fill in
the area with black – or go to Edit and select Fill and choose black.

Work On a Duplicate File

It is always safest to work on a duplicate image. The program will not harm or change
the Masked file (it is loaded, analyzed and then closed). T-Seps will add channels to the
main file. These channels can be deleted if you want, but for safety, work on a duplicate
of this file. Many of the Special Effect routines and Distressed Look routines the will
automatically create a duplicate of the file for your protection. The easiest way to create
a duplicate file is to go to the Image menu and select Duplicate.

RGB Mode and No layers

The image(s) you load MUST be in RGB mode and have no layers (Background layer
ONLY). If you have problems with a separation, check this first by going to Image/Mode.

Remember, time spent adjusting artwork before you separate it will give you a much
better set of separations. You will find that “tweaking” original artwork becomes
automatic. You will find yourself immediately checking the resolution and upsampling the
resolution and the physical file size. You will then use a Tone Curve to boost the file
contrast and next boost the Hue/Saturation to boost the color intensity. You will become
very proficient at using Unsharp Masking.

It is IMPORTANT to note that you may feel you need to maintain the file integrity –
meaning to match the shirt print to what the customer gave you to work with. Our
approach is that you need to not be shy about improving the file so it will print
bright and sharp. Yes, if there are key colors or critical flesh tones you don’t want
to deviate too far or have the file “glow” with color saturation. Use your instincts
and give the customer an excellent print!

33
 Section 6
Running T-Seps
Choosing the Best Routine to Run
There are a number of ways and methods that can be used to separate a design. If the
image is only going on light colored shirts, it could be separated as Real Process Color
(CMYK), Simulated Process Color, or even Index Color. If you are not familiar with these
processes it can be difficult to determine which is the best method to use.

Often, the method used is dictated by the customer’s demands and/or the artwork style.
The following section should help greatly in making the correct decision. Since T-Seps is
easy to run and very fast, you may want to try separating an image in a variety of ways
to see the final outcome for each routine. There are specific sections of this manual that
detail how to use each separation method.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is very common for new users to email support only to ask
what type of separation they should run on a certain image. Since T-Seps runs
separations so quickly, it is recommended that you at least try one or two different
types and see the results and take a few minutes to experiment before contacting
support.

Simulated Process Color

This method works well on light and dark shirts. Although this routine creates eleven
channels of color, many of them you will not need – especially on light shirts. If your
image has a lot of standard colors such as red, yellow, blue, purple, green and brown
then this routine should be run first. In fact, even though this routine is designed for
images with a lot of color gradations, you may be surprised at how well it does on simple
spot color images.

Simulated Process Color is also called tonal spot color. Because all-purpose plastisol
inks are used, the image will print very bright and be more wash-fast than Process Color.
Simulated Process prints use an Elliptical halftone dot.

When in doubt, run Simulated Process Color FIRST.

The Simulated Process Color routine gives you the MOST freedom and control over the
separation, allowing you to eliminate colors, combine colors, boost colors and much
more. The Simulated 9-color plus Two Whites gives you a lot of color choices.

Process Color – RGB to CMYK Conversion

If the image is very photo-realistic and needs to go only on light or medium color shirts,
this may be the method to use. It will give somewhat of a softer look to an image and will
not work as well on dark shirts. The program does create an Underbase and Highlight
white plus the CMYK channels, with the option to create additional spot colors if there
are Pantone matches or problem colors – though Process Color on an Underbase of
white may be somewhat dull looking.

This routine should be run where absolute photo-realism is a must and where you are
trying to come as close as possible to the original. Process Color prints are not as bright
as Simulated Process Color and because of the high mesh counts used they may fade
slightly when washed. Process Color uses an elliptical halftone dot with varying screen
angles to eliminate possible moiré patterns (screen angle interference) in the final print.

34
Index Color
Index Color separations are great for light and dark shirts. They print easily and very
consistent because you are printing a square stochastic dot next to a dot and not a
halftone on top of a halftone dot. Indexing works well for many designs but for close
accuracy on colorful designs, Index Color separations like a lot of print colors. It is not
uncommon for a great index print to be eight colors or more.

T-Seps has an optional routine to separate the file and have the Underbase and
Highlight white channels output as halftoned channels that may be adjusted with tone
curves after separation, unlike the previous standard Index Color routines. This is called
a “hybrid” Index Color routine and will be covered in more detail in Section 9 of this
manual.

By choosing your own colors, you can tell the program specifically what colors to use
although you may need six or eight colors to get a more accurate match. With Index
Color separations, the more colors, the better. The downfall is that you lose the option to
curve channels to increase color information (as with halftones), eliminate certain
channels, combine channels, or resize the image after separation. For these reasons,
you may want to run the Simulated Process Color routine first and the Index Color
routine second to find the appropriate method.

Much has been written about square dots and round dots and there is great confusion
about Index Color. It can be an excellent method of reproduction and also fall short if the
colors are not correct. Even though competing programs tout that square dots are far
superior to (round) halftone dots, if you simply look at all the great award winning shirts,
75% of them are done using halftone dots. Also, since some complex images require so
many colors to reproduce with Index Color, smaller shops that do not have the ability to
print so many colors gain greater control over the quality of their garments with the
Simulated Process routines because of much increased ability to manipulate the color
channels after separation, thereby keeping the number of screens to a minimum.

If you run an Index Color routine, you have NO control over the image once it is
separated – other than to put a different color of ink in the actual screen on the press or
to rearrange the print sequence. Index Color uses a diffusion dither (stochastic) dot that
is a bitmap and not a grayscale. For this reason you do not need to specify lines per inch
or angle for Index Color since the square dots are determined by original file resolution.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once Index Color is run, you CANNOT apply tone curves or
eliminate colors because an Index Color routine places dots side by side and the
image is like a puzzle. If you remove a color there will be “holes” in the design.
Changing these WILL ruin the separation. (This does not apply to the halftoned
Underbase and Highlight channels in the Run Index Color – Halftone Base routine
since these channels are created as grayscale channels and still require you to
set the frequency and angle. You can still use Tone Curves on the Underbase and
Highlight channels in these routines See Section - 9.5 – Hybrid Custom Index
Routines for more information.

Spot Color
The Spot Color routine should be used for very simple designs (solid color) that don’t
have gradations. Spot Color is better separated using a vector based program such as
Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator. The Spot Color routine in T-Seps is available for those
occasional jobs that are already finished in a pixel based painting program (such as a
JPG) and can’t be reconverted to vectors.

35
General Running of the Program
T-Seps is very easy to use. The T-Seps Actions Panel is divided into color-coded
sections. The YELLOW buttons tell about the buttons that follow them. Clicking on these
buttons produces help screens for those sections. The VIOLET buttons are actual action
programs. Clicking on these buttons run the actions that analyze the image and create
separations. Don’t let the number of buttons confuse you. Also, make sure that the
Actions Panel is viewed in a SINGLE column, or the buttons will all be out of order.

Most of the program is

designed to separate to a
specific color set, such as
Lemon Yellow, Scarlet Red,
Light Blue, etc. This is to your
benefit. You no longer need to
mix custom colors for each
job, unless you need a
precise Pantone spot color
match.

Just Push a Button

To run a routine simply push
the appropriate button. Make
sure to have the file ready but
CLOSED before starting any
routine. Each routine is
started with a help message
screen that explains what is going to happen and tells you exactly what to do. The
program contains over 100 help screens. In fact, these help screens are like an on-line
manual.

It is VERY IMPORTANT to read these help screens. They give specific instructions that
need to be understood and followed.

36
Each help screen contains either both Continue and Stop buttons or a single Stop
button. If the screen contains BOTH buttons and you press the Stop button you will have
stopped in the middle of a routine and will need to reset the buttons. You can do this by
pressing the Reset Menus button at the top of the T-Seps action list. When you stop a
routine in before it is finished, its action button will turn red.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you get errors during running a routine then the plug-in is
not installed correctly. It is ONLY the first error that is important and it is usually
“can’t find T-Seps” which means Photoshop has not found the main plug-in. After
you get this error you will get dozens and dozens of other errors – all created
because the plug-in is not installed correctly. If this happens refer back to the
Installation and Program Setup section or the Troubleshooting section.

Work File Formats

Other than the Special Edge Effects, Image Adjustments, and Optional Flesh and
Browns, all other routines start with the image CLOSED. The routines will ask you for
the file names when needed.

The work files MUST also be in RGB Mode and have no layers. Many of the
support calls received from new users of the program are because the files are in
CMYK mode or have unflattened layers.

About The Work Files

As you know from Section 5 – Original Art and Photoshop Adjustments, if the final films
need to work on both light and dark shirts you will need TWO working files. One version
needs to have a white canvas around the design and the other needs a black canvas.
This version is also called the masked file. If the image is only going on a light shirt
(where you don't need an Underbase or Highlight white) then a version with a white
canvas is all you need. This is covered in Section 5 – Original Art and Photoshop
Adjustments. For T-Seps to run correctly the image MUST be at the final resolution and
be adjusted for optimum quality (sharpness, good tonal range, etc.). If the image is dark
in the mid-tones and shadows, apply Tone Curve adjustments.

Opening the Working Files

When you press a Run button, the separation routine starts and a help message screen
will tell you that you need to load the masked version first. You can use whatever
naming convention you want. Some users call these files “black” and “white.”

37
The program will take you to the Open File screen of Photoshop and you simply select
the correct file. After the masked version of the file is loaded, the program creates the
Underbase and Highlight white channels. The program then tells you to load the next
file.

You will again be taken to the Open File screen and simply select the proper file. T-Seps
will now separate the individual colors, place them in the correct print sequence, place
the color name and Pantone number on each channel, adjust for dot gain and ink
interaction, adjust for the opacity of each color, adjust for shirt color, and do hundreds of
other behind-the-scenes calculations.

38
Previewing Images on Screen
After you have run a specific routine, you will need to preview the image to see how it
will look on a shirt. Photoshop allows you to see a channel by placing the eye in the
small box next to the thumbnail of each channel. This means that the channel is visible.
If only one channel has the eye next to it, the image will be in black and white grayscale
on the monitor. If more than one channel has the eye, Photoshop will display the image
in the correct color. T-Seps has a very accurate on-screen display which allows for dot
gain that will get when you print the image on a shirt.

Working With Channels

You can also preview a single channel by placing just one eye next to the channel
(making it visible) and removing the eyes from the others. If you want to adjust a specific
channel it will need to be selected.

39
Don't confuse SELECTING a channel with placing an EYE next to it and PREVIEWING
it. These are two separate commands. You can have channels set for preview (with
eyes) and have only one selected for adjustment. In the above example, the Underbase
White channel has the “eye” next to it (visible channel) but the Light Blue channel is
SELECTED. Any adjustments would affect the Light Blue channel.

Adobe Photoshop CS4 and CS5 Channel Display

There is a quirk which many think is a bug in Photoshop CS4 and CS5. It may not
preview the channels with dot gain applied (brighter) unless you go to View/Gamut
Warning and check Gamut Warning. If your images look dull when you put the “eye” on
them, check Gamut Warning and see if they change.

Adjusting Individual Channels with Tone Curves

Once a channel is selected it's possible to apply curves, sharpen or erase sections and
much more. There are times when image touch-up will be necessary if you find that a
color is not intense enough. If the preview of the image is close but maybe just not dead
on, don't be afraid to adjust channels. Good separators run the program first and then
tweak individual colors. You can double-click on the Shirt Color channel and see a
preview on different color backgrounds. You may find that the black shirt looks great but
on a white shirt the Black channel needs a curve. Don't be shy. Go to extremes to see
where adjustments need to be done.

The best place to start is with the Tone Curve (Image/Adjustments/Curves). Put your
cursor on the center of the curve a pull it up or down. If you have the preview eyes on all
the channels but only have the channel you are adjusting selected you will be able to
see the effect the adjustment has on the overall image.

40
Moving Channels to Change Print Order
Some images may need a different print order than T-Seps recommends. Simply click
on a channel name and hold the mouse down while moving the channel to a different
location. This is especially important when you run the Optional Flesh and Browns
routine. This routine is run after separation and the new channels will be placed after all
of the existing channels, and need to be placed in print order to preview correctly.
Generally, the print order will be light to dark. For example, a light flesh tone channel
would need to be placed between lemon yellow and scarlet red to display correctly.

Changing the Shirt Color

You can easily preview the image on a different shirt color by double-clicking on the Shirt
Color Channel and then clicking on the colored square box. This will bring up the Color
Picker. Select any color you choose and you will see an immediate on-screen change to
the new shirt color.

Deleting Channels
Channels that you don't need can also be deleted by dragging the channel to the Trash
Can at the bottom of the Channels Panel. This can simplify the file to make and also
make the file size smaller when saved to conserve disk space.

Changing Channel Header

You can also change the wording in the channel header by double-clicking on the
channel name. This feature will allow you to put the color sequence, mesh count or other
information here. This information will print on the actual individual separation films if you
check the Labels option in the Print With Preview window.

Printing a Paper Proof by

Merging Spot Channels
T-Seps allows you to merge all
Spot Color channels with the
original RGB image and print a
composite paper proof! Simply
select each channel you want to
merge (don't forget the shirt
color!) by holding down the shift
key and clicking on each
channel. Once they are all
selected, simply go to the upper
right horizontal arrow in the
Channels menu and select
Merge Spot Channels. All of the
channels will now be part of the
RBG image. If you DO NOT
select the shirt color, the original
RBG image will show through
and change the look.

The merged channels will merge in the order they are stacked and the shirt color will
block the original RBG from showing through. Make sure to work on a duplicate of the
separated image because once merged, the image is now a composite and the
individual channels do not exist any more! Once merged you can print out a composite
ink jet proof of what the image will look like on the shirt.

41
 Section 7
Simulated Process Color Separations
What is Simulated Process Color?
Generally a Real Process job is a photo-realistic image that is printed with the colors of
cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). This process only works well on a light shirt.
The term Simulated Process Color has evolved to mean an image that is photo-realistic
but does not use CMYK. Simulated Process colors generally are made up of specific
spot colors that are halftoned. From the distance they look like Real Process Color but
upon examination are not CMYK. In the old days Simulated Process applied only to
black shirts. In recent years it has also been applied to photo-realistic images on light
shirts that are not printed with CMYK. The beauty of Simulated Process color images is
that they look vibrant on black shirts because other than the Underbase, they are printed
with all-purpose inks. Simulated Process prints are generally at least six colors and if
going on a dark shirt almost always have an Underbase white and a Highlight white. In
the past, doing separations for Simulated Process color was an art that took a very good
understanding of Photoshop and screen printing. T-Seps has changed all of that. A
complete set of separations can be done in just a few minutes with very little intervention
of the user.

Simulated Process or Index Color?

A common question is whether to use Simulated Process Color or Index Color for an
image. Index Color has gained popularity because it was easy to let Photoshop do the
separations without much knowledge of the process. Simulated Process has always
been harder to separate because the separator needed to have more knowledge.
Simulated Process Color has a smoother look to gradations because you are printing a
halftone dot rather than one size pixel. If the image is critical use Simulated Pocess
Color.Indexing can tend to have a posterized and grainy look to the images. This is OK
for some graphics but may not work where you need true photo-realism. Now that you
have T-Seps do all the thinking for you, Simulated Process Color may be the better
choice for a more photo-realistic look.

Specific Color Set

To make separating and printing easier, T-Seps was designed with a very specific color
set. The program will analyze the image for these colors and separate according to what
it finds. It also applies the proper Tone Curve and Levels adjustments based on the ink
color, amount of coverage, dot gain expected from each color and other industry specific
parameters. The beauty of the program is that you can eliminate unnecessary colors and
reduce the color panel down. The program is designed to pull seven colors (Run 5-
colors + Two Whites) or eleven colors (Run 9-colors + Two Whites), plus additional spot
colors and Optional Flesh and Browns. Without the flesh plates, T-Seps generates
excellent flesh tones using the yellow and red plates. If the image has large and/or
important flesh areas the optional flesh plates will help enhance the flesh. The following
section has a listing of the ink set that is used. Other than the Underbase which is a high
opacity, the rest are just off-the-shelf all purpose inks and in some cases very basic
colors that should be found in every shop.

42
T-Seps Simulated Process Color Ink Set,
Suggested Mesh Counts and Sequence

Inks Mesh Counts

1. High Opacity White 180-230 (70-90cm)

2. Lemon Yellow - Pantone 102 280-355 (110-140cm)
3. Scarlet Red - Pantone 185 280-355 (110-140cm)
4. Blue - Pantone 286 280-355 (110-140cm)
5. Purple - Pantone 219 280-355 (110-140cm)
6. Green - Pantone 361 280-355 (110-140cm)
7. Light Blue - Pantone 306 280-355 (110-140cm)
8. Gray - Pantone 421 280-355 (110-140cm)
9. Brown - Pantone 167 280-355 (110-140cm)
10. Highlight White - all purpose 180-230 (70-90cm)
11. Black 280-355 (110-140cm)

Optional Flesh & Brown Routine

12. Light Flesh - Pantone 475 280-355 (110-140cm)

13. Dark Brown - Pantone 161 280-355 (110-140cm)
14. Medium Brown - Pantone 181 280-355 (110-140cm)
15. Orange - Pantone 150 280-355 (110-140cm)

* Bold type colors are those used in the Five Color plus Two Whites routine.

Running Simulated Process Color

To run the program, have two versions of the original art as mentioned earlier. Have the
channels and Actions Panel open at the same time if you have room on the screen.
Don't be confused by the number of buttons under the Simulated Process Color routine.
Many of them are for special effects. The main buttons are Run 5-Color + 2 Whites and
Run 9 Color + 2 Whites. The program will make twelve new channels, including one for
the shirt color if you run the 9 Color + 2 Whites routine. Before you panic....... examine
the image. If it is going on a black shirt you will not normally print black as a color. If it is
going on a white shirt you will not need any of the whites (you may print just the
Highlight). By taking a quick second to eliminate unneeded colors you will see that it is
not hard to reduce the number of colors.

43
After the program is done, analyze the image. Try rearranging color sequences and if
necessary select specific channels and boost or decrease the intensity of colors with
Tone Curve. If you have a limited number of print heads, now is the time to determine
what colors are not necessary or that you can live without. Use the visible channel
“eyes” to turn colors in the channel display on and off. The program selected two blues.
Chances are you don't need two. In fact you might try combining the two blues using the
Combine Channel routine. For this example it wasn't too hard to reduce the number of
colors for a black shirt to just SIX! To eliminate channels simply drag them down to the
trash container.

44
Six Color Press Routine
If you really don't feel comfortable with your ability to reduce the number of colors, we
have included a 5-Color + 2 Whites routine that will create separations that will work on a
six-color press. Even thought you have seven separations, you generally don't print
black ink on a black shirt and you can eliminate the Underbase white on white shirts or
the Highlight white on medium colored shirts.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When in doubt, run the 9-Color + 2 Whites routine and reduce
it down to the best six printable colors. This will give you many more colors to
work with.

Discharge Waterbased Ink Separations

Color separations for printing with Discharge ink or waterbased inks are very different
than traditional Simulated Process separations. With Simulated Process you print an
underbase white ink below colors to make them brighter. With Discharge ink each ink
color has a discharge agent in it that removes the dye color in the shirt and replaces it
with the ink color. This means you don’t need an underbase. The white separation only
prints white discharge ink where it needs this color. And, there is no highlight white with
this process. Each color is also knocked out so there is little to no color printing on top of
color.

These separations are ONLY designed to work with Discharge ink for ALL the print
colors. If you are using a Discharge ink for an underbase and printing the rest of the
colors with normal plastisol ink, then run the Simulated Process routine and boost the
underbase using the Tone Curve.

Optional Flesh & Brown

If a design has large important flesh or brown areas run this routine. This routine only
works after T-Seps has created the basic color channels first and will only work on an
image that is open. To preview the flesh or browns, move these channels above the
Highlight (earlier in the print order) and turn the "eye" next to each new channel on and
off to see what colors improve the overall design.

Custom Spot Colors

Certain jobs have colors that are hard to separate from a design. If the program has not
found a very specific color or if there is a critical Pantone color, simply use this routine to
"pull" the color. Follow the screen prompts very closely. This routine only works after you
have run the other main separation routine. When it is done, you will need to move the
channel to the correct channel preview order – usually from light to dark in the
sequence.

Heat Transfer Base and Clear Coat

If you screen print hot split (hot peel) heat transfers then this is for you. The program will
make ten channels (no Highlight white) that are flipped horizontally and have the ink
opacities adjusted so the image displays the way it will print. This includes a Clear Coat
plate to be used as a backing for the transfer. You can delete unnecessary colors,
combine channels and do other adjustments to enhance the image.

Remove Black from Underbase Button

This is a GREAT button. It can help increase the detail and contrast of the Underbase.
The Black channel often has the most detail in it. When creating an Underbase white,
this detail is often lost. By pressing this button you will be removing any areas of image
that are on the Black channel from the Underbase white. You can run this routine more
than once to increase the contrast of the Underbase.

45
Choking Underbase White
Certain designs have solid text areas with a solid Underbase of white. For these images
to print better it is often helpful to choke back the Underbase. Choking an Underbase
makes it "skinnier" where the solid top colors print over it. This allows for better
registration and less of the white peeking around the top colors. This routine will choke
the solid areas of the Underbase white by 1 or 3 pixels (approx.5 to 3 point choke at 150
to 200 dpi). This may help designs with a lot of heavy text that need to have the
Underbase choked.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT CHOKING:

This routine DOES NOT work properly on low resolution test images. The amount
of choking is based on pixels. If the image is low resolution the choking will be
greatly exaggerated. This routine does not work on halftone images. It only works
on solid areas of color. You can run this routine as many times as you want.
Follow the on-screen message prompts very closely!

Combining Two Channels

If you have a limited number of printing heads this routine will help you combine
channels in order to eliminate the number of colors. FIRST, select the channel you want
to copy another channel into. Then click on Finish Combining Channels. It is also
possible to combine a channel with more than one other channel. Try combining the
Green channel with the Yellow and Lt. Blue. You will now be making the green with
those two colors and you can eliminate the Green channel!

Knockout Under Colors

Sometimes there is a lot of a top color (such as brown) that prints over the yellow and
scarlet halftones. Also, when pulling custom spot colors, they will print over other colors
that the program has already created. For a job to print cleaner, it is helpful if you can
knockout or remove the colors that are under other solid colors. To do this run the Select
Colors to Knockout first and then follow the on-screen prompts.

Knockout Shirt Color

This routine is designed to let you knock out any areas of a separation where you want
the shirt color to be part of the image. For example, if you do race cars you might want
the car to be the color of the shirt. This routine will alter the look of each separation. The
program will make a duplicate of the image first. If you don't like how the knockout
routine worked, simply close the duplicate and run the routine again. To run this routine,
follow the on-screen prompts.

Outputting Simulated Process Color

Print the individual channels out using a 55lpi frequency, angle of 25 degrees for ALL
channels and Elliptical dot. Any channel with the "eye" next to it will print. Change the
settings by going to File/Print With Preview and click on the Screen button. Note: Adobe
removed the Screen button in CS5 and CS6 and you need to rely on your software RIP
for the halftone settings or use the optional T-Seps Halftone Converter available from
www.T-BizNetwork.com. For more detailed information about outputting images refer to
Section 13 – Outputting Images. Certain laser printers and dry film image setters have a
hard time using elliptical dots. They produce a slight moiré pattern on the film. You may
have better luck using a Round dot. In general, films/separations are output to an inkjet
printer, laser printer, or dry film image setter that uses software RIP (raster image
processor) that converts the image to halftone dots (in the RIP) before the file gets to a
printer. A typical desktop inkjet printer does NOT have a RIP and will NOT create a
halftone dot.

46
Plan B for film output: In order to make outputting film more affordable for small shops
that can’t afford a RIP, T-Seps has a built in routine that will AUTOMATICALLY convert
each separation to a separate file that already has the grayscale information converted
to a halftone dot! This process is very close to what you can get from expensive software
RIP. The only difference is that a software RIP will generally have more control over the
ink deposit and will give you darker black images on film. Once separated using the
Convert to Halftone Dot routine, the file can be printed out to any laser printer (to clear
film) or to any inkjet printer. A RIP does tell a printer to lay down more ink or toner but for
everyday jobs, the Convert to Halftone routine will work fine.

Screening Simulated Process Color

For best results use retensionables screens at 30 newton or higher. Put the Underbase
and Highlight on 180 - 230 (70 - 90 cm) and the top colors on 280 - 355 (110 - 140 cm).
Flash only after the Underbase white. Use lower mesh counts for basic images. For
more detailed information on screening Simulated Process Color refer to Section 14 –
Dark Shirt Screen Printing Techniques.

47
 Section 8
True Process Color Separations (CMYK)
What is Process Color on Shirts?
True Process Color (also known as four-color process) is where an image is separated
from its RGB component on the computer to the pigment colors of CMYK. These images
are then printed through very high mesh counts using special process plastisol ink. In
most cases, Process Color is more than four colors of ink. It is impossible for just four
colors of ink to reproduce the millions of colors that may be in a design. Important design
colors that cannot be reproduced are often printed as additional spot colors or touch
plates. Also, since many images are printed on light colored or pastel shirts, white is an
additional color that may be printed. This white is generally not an Underbase but what is
called a negative white printer - it just puts white where there is white in the image.

The Problems of CMYK on Shirts

In shirt printing we manage to take a great image and then make it look poor by
converting it to halftone dots, putting it on a woven screen mesh and then printing it on a
knit shirt. The quality of the original degrades all the way down the line. On top of that, it
is hard to hold the very fine dots on the screen - causing dot loss AND the dots in the
mid-tones and shadows grow in size, causing dot gain.

Process Separations with T-Seps

T-Seps automates doing Process Color separations using industry specific numbers and
standards. It also compensates for weaknesses in Adobe Photoshop and does
calculations that help the image print clean and sharp. The program will automatically
make two white plates. One is a negative white plate and the other is an Underbase
white plate for medium and dark colored shirts. You can choose the one you want to
use. The program will also ask what spot colors you want and allow you to sample the
spot colors from the image and will then build a channel for these spot colors. You will
be prompted to verify the CMYK Setup settings when the program runs. Follow the on-
screen prompts carefully.

48
After the initial routine is run, the image will be separated but will still be what Photoshop
calls a composite. When in composite mode you can't move around the channel
sequence. To preview the image the way it will print on a shirt click on Process Final
Display. T-Seps will place the CMYK channels in the correct print order and make a Shirt
Color channel and move the white channels their proper location. This routine is only for
your display and preview and has no effect on the files.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are going to export this file into Adobe Illustrator DO
NOT do the Process Final Display routine. Adobe Illustrator will want to see the
composite image and not a multi-channel image.

Custom Ink Values

For a better reproduction of the original, install the ink values from the CD during the
setup routine, or use ink values from your favorite ink company. Most ink companies will
provide the ink values for their process colors for free. Most of the major ink companies
values are on the CD or downloadable from the T-Seps User's Arena. See Section 4.7 –
Photoshop Color Settings for T-Seps for more information.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember that the Run Process Color RGB to CMYK routine
makes your shirt color a tan color by default. To display the result correctly, make
sure to change the shirt color accordingly by double clicking the Shirt Color
channel thumbnail, then clicking on the Spot Channel Color Swatch to get the
color picker.

Outputting Process Color

To output the process separations select File/Print With Preview and click on the Screen
button. Note: Adobe removed the Screen button in CS5 and CS6 and you need to rely
on your software RIP for the halftone settings or use the optional T-Seps Halftone
Converter available from www.T-BizNetwork.com.

You should use a Frequency of 65 LPI for automatic printing and 55 LPI for manual. Use
an Ellipse dot shape for all screens. Use the following angles to avoid moiré:

Cyan 15 degrees or 22.5 degrees

Magenta 45 degrees or 52.5 degrees
Yellow 75 degrees or 82.5 degrees
Black 75 degrees or 82.5 degrees
Both Whites 15 degrees or 22.5 degrees
Spot Colors 15 degrees or 22.5 degrees

These may seem odd, but work great! And, users have had good luck simply
using 25 degrees for all CMYK colors.

For more detailed information refer to Section 13 - Outputting Images.

Screening Tips
This is where a great set of films can make a poor print. You need to be a good printer,
use retensionable screens if possible and good technique. For best results have all
screens at 25 to 30 newtons. Use a specific brand of ink that goes with the ink values
you installed. Print with a medium hard, sharp squeegee on a good press with low off-
contact on the screens. Use a good quality shirt too! Your mesh selection should be 305
to 330 for manual printing and 355 for automatics. The white can go on lower meshes if
necessary. The printing sequence should be YMCK. The white will obviously go first and
if it is the negative white printer - do not flash. Any spot colors should be printed after the
similar color (i.e. spot red after magenta).

49
 Section 9
Index Color Separations
What is Index Color?
Index Color is a term that generally means to reduce the number of colors in the color
panel. Photoshop has an Index Color routine that has been used for years in internet
web graphics to make images have a smaller file size. The process was adapted to T-
Shirt separations a number of years ago. When indexing, Photoshop is told what colors
to use to index and then tries to make the other non-index colors from those chosen.
Generally a color panel is made up of the dominate colors in the image. Index Color
separations are made up of small
random pixels called a diffusion
dither (stochastic). Unlike halftone
dots that have different dot sizes,
all of the pixels in an Index Color
separation are the same size.
Because of this, Index Color
images are very easy to print.
You are not printing a dot on top
of a dot, but rather square dots
next to square dots. This is why
you do not need to set the angles
and line counts for Index Color
channels.

Index Color prints are also very

forgiving. The prints can be done
with all-purpose inks on light and
dark shirts (if underbased
properly), and all the prints look
the same. Other than a flash after
the Underbase (if on dark shirts),
Index Color images can be
printed wet-on-wet. This
technique actually helps blend the colors and
gives very smooth gradations. T-Seps did not
invent Index Color. Photoshop does the
indexing. T-Seps simplifies the procedure and
automates the task of converting an index
image into individual channels that can then be
printed out.

Image Resolution
The image resolution is much more critical for
Index Color. Since there is no halftone dot, the
size of the pixel is determined by the resolution
of the image. A 200 DPI image has a very small
pixel that is equivalent to a 10% 65 LPI halftone
dot. A 60 DPI image has a very large pixel and
if indexed, will give a hand stippled look to the
print. For general work, scan the image at 150
to 175 DPI - at the final print size. For high-end work, go to 200 or 225 DPI at the final
print size. Try to keep from sampling up. The Index Color routine has a hard time
knowing what to do with unwanted shadow areas around the image. It is also helpful to
50
 have your original index image higher contrast and use the hue/saturation menu to
increase the saturation slightly. Try to make the black areas dead black.

Index Color Tables

Although index separations have been normally done from custom color tables that were
created specifically for each design, T-Seps has developed a number of stock color
tables that will work with most images AND allow you to once again use a stock ink set.
The following color tables are menu selections for T-Seps. You may find that less is
more with indexing. A common belief is that you need a lot of colors. This is true if you
are picking your own color table. But, it you choose a table that is made up of primary
colors, plus other standard colors you will be pleasantly surprised at the results. You can
do a very respectable index job just using the five color table below!

All of the stock tables below show the number of colors you would print on a light shirt.
Each routine also creates an underbase white and a highlight white. If you pick one of
the routines that does not have colors similar to those in your design the final
separations may look very pixilated. For best results use the Custom Color Index
routine.

Eight Color Index Table Seven Color Index Table

Lemon Yellow - Pantone® 102 Lemon Yellow - Pantone® 102

Scarlet Red - Pantone® 185 Scarlet Red - Pantone® 185
Royal Blue - Pantone® 286 Royal Blue - Pantone® 286
Purple - Pantone® 219 Purple - Pantone® 219
Green - Pantone® 361 Green - Pantone® 361
Lt. Blue - Pantone® 311 Lt. Blue - Pantone® 311
Orange - Pantone® 716 Black -
Black - Plus Two Whites
Plus Two Whites

Six Color Index Table Five Color Index Table

Lemon Yellow - Pantone® 102 Lemon Yellow - Pantone® 102

Scarlet Red - Pantone® 185 Scarlet Red - Pantone® 185
Royal Blue - Pantone® 286 Royal Blue - Pantone® 286
Green - Pantone® 361 Lt. Blue - Pantone® 311
Lt. Blue - Pantone® 311 Black -
Black - Plus Two Whites
Plus Two Whites

Four Color Index Table

Lemon Yellow - Pantone® 102

Scarlet Red - Pantone® 185
Lt. Blue - Pantone® 311
Black -
Plus Two Whites

51
Custom Index Colors
T-Seps will let you pick your own colors for jobs that are more critical. When in doubt you
should run this routine for Index Colors. This is actually a much more accurate method if
you are trying to match the original artwork. This routine builds an Underbase and
Highlight white and then lets you pick a Custom Color Table. You can pick as many
colors as you wish. When you are done selecting the colors the program automatically
makes the channels, assigns the correct color, and puts them in the correct print
sequence.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is VERY important to follow the on-screen prompts very

closely during this routine.

Custom Index Routines

The problem with index color is that when you are done running a routine you no longer
have any control over the density (lightness or darkness) of any of the channels. They
are now fixed as small square dots. You are pretty much done. Photoshop tools work on
grayscale images and these channels are no longer grayscale. You can use the erase
tool. About all you can do is change the ink color for the channel preview or change the
ink color or color sequence on the printing press to change the look.

This is not normally a problem for the colors, BUT, sometimes you want to apply a Tone
Curve to the Underbase channel to boost it. With that in mind, there are TWO different
Index Color routines. One routine makes all channels small square dots. The other
routine makes the color channels square dots but the Underbase and Highlight channels
grayscale (like Simulated Process Color). This means you can apply a tone curve or use
other Photoshop tools to adjust the Underbase or Highlight channels. This is a GREAT
feature and one you should use.

52
IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not forget that when using the new Index Color – Halftone
Base routine, that you still need to set the angle and line counts for these white
channels! Do this as in other routines by going to File/Print With Preview and
clicking on the Screen button.

Discharge Index Separations

There is also and index routine that makes separations that work well when printing with
discharge ink. See this part of the Simulated Process routine for more details.

Previewing and Printing Index Color

Index Separations can be previewed and channels moved around to see what color
sequence works best. Remember, even if the image is only going on a black shirt you
MUST make black one of your colors. You will just not print this plate. Also, it is much
harder to eliminate index channels because there will be a hole where the color is
missing from. This is not the same as in Simulated Process Color where you can delete
certain minor colors. Photoshop tends to preview indexed images very grainy until you
zoom in to see what the image looks like close-up. Once indexed you can also convert
the image back to RGB mode to improve the preview and it will have no effect on the
individual channels. The individual channels will preview correctly when the Photoshop
“eye” is placed next the each channel image. Another area of concern is that once the
image is indexed it is no longer in Grayscale mode. You cannot apply curves, sharpen,
etc. (Unless it is the new Index Color – Halftone Base routine – then you can adjust the
Underbase and Highlight channels. You can still use the eraser to remove random dots
and clean up images on all channels.)

When the Index Color routine is finished, each color that you chose during the routine
will show up named Spot Color 1, Spot Color 2, etc. To change each channel to a
specific Pantone color, first double click the Channel Thumbnail, click on the Spot
Channel Color Swatch and then click Color Libraries to see the Pantone swatch list. You
should use the Solid Coated Pantone list for Book. (In some versions of Photoshop, the
Color Libraries button will be named Custom.)

Outputting Index Color

Index Color does not have a changeable frequency of dots. The size of the dot is
determined by the scan resolution (DPI). For best results use a scan resolution of 175 to
200 dpi. When printing Index Color films, you do not need to specify a frequency, angle
or dot shape (except for the Underbase and Highlight channels on the Index Color –
Halftone Base routine). The indexed image MUST be the correct resolution before
running the routines. You CANNOT up-sample an indexed image to a higher resolution
after it has been separated. For additional information refer to Section 13 - Outputting
Images.

Because an index color separation is converted to tiny square pixels, you do NOT need
a software RIP to output these films.

Screening Index Color

For best results use retensionable screens at 30 newtons or higher. Put the Underbase
and Highlight on 180 - 230 (70 - 90 cm) and the top colors on 280 - 355 (110 - 140 cm).
Flash only after the Underbase white. Use lower mesh counts for basic images. For
additional information refer to Section 14 - Dark Shirt Screen Printing Techniques.

53
 Section 10
Black & White & Sepiatone Separations
About Black & White and Sepiatone Effects
These routines are almost like a special effect. They convert a full-color image into either
a high-quality black and white image, or they give the image an old photo sepiatone tint.

The routines are very straight forward. They actually create six channels including an
Underbase white, Highlight white, three gray or sepia levels and black. As with the other
routines in T-Seps, the program asks for a masked file and an unmasked file. You can
also rearrange the channel sequence, change the colors, etc. For a very stunning effect,
replace the various shades of gray (or sepia) with shades of another color like blue or
red.

Outputting B&W/Sepiatone
Print the individual channels out using a 55lpi frequency, angle of 25 degrees for ALL
channels and elliptical dot. Make these changes under File/Print With Preview and click
on the Screen button.

Screening B&W/Sepiatone
For best results use retensionable screens at 30 newtons or higher. Put the Underbase
and Highlight on 180 - 230 (70 - 90 cm) and the top colors on 230-255 (110 - 100 cm).
Flash only after the Underbase white. Use lower mesh counts for basic images.

54
 Section 11
Basic Spot Color Separations
Creating Simple Spot Color Separations
T-Seps will create simple Spot Color separations. Generally, these images are
separated in a drawing program and not in Photoshop, BUT if you have a simple image,
this is the place to do it. Also, this is the place to pull additional spot colors for your
Simulated Process Color images. Just run this routine AFTER you have completed
doing the main Simulated Process separations first. The secret to having good luck with
this in T-Seps is to make sure the image resolution is high enough to give hard edges. A
resolution of 175 to 220 dpi will work well for most designs. Simply create the design in
your favorite drawing program and export the image at the correct resolution at the
correct size. This routine will also work with images that have been scanned and have
very specific solid colors. The image should also have solid well-defined colors. You can
separate images with gradations, but may find doing even these jobs in the Simulated
Process or Index Color routines will work better.

Underbase and Trapping

The program will allow you to create basic underbases that can also have a slight choke
(made skinnier). You can also apply a trap to the spot color images to allow for easier
setup and printing (especially if using vellum paper on wooden screen frames).

Running Spot Color Separations

This part of the program requires a fair amount of user intervention.

You will need to read and follow the on-screen prompts.

55
Outputting Spot Color
For solid spot colors simply print out each channel. If the image has gradations, go to
File/Print With Preview and click the Screen button. Select the proper channel from the
menu. Use settings of 35 to 45 LPI, angle of 25 degrees, Ellipse dot shape.

Screening Spot Color

You can use a wide variety of meshes for Spot Color. Simple designs can go on 125 to
180 (48 - 70 cm). Images with halftones can be on 180 - 230 (70 - 90 cm). The
Underbase can be on 86 - 125 (34 - 48 cm).

56
 Section 12
Special Effects
About Image Graphic Effects
In order to make an image more appealing on a garment, T-Seps has a number of
special Edge Effects that give designs interesting and very graphical edge treatments.
These effects can make a simple rectangular design take on life and graphically jump
off the shirt. The program also can make the image look like it has been washed and
worn. This effect works best on simple text images and is called the Distressed Look.
These routines do not harm the original image. The special effect routines make a
duplicate and close the original.

Before running any of these effects the image must be the original RGB with no layers
AND no additional channels. Run these routines BEFORE you do the separations. You
must use the Marquee Tool and make a rectangular selection approx. 1/2" from the
outside edge of the image all the way around. (except for the Distress Routines – these
run just like separation routines, with the files closed and with a masked and/or umasked
image(s) ready) For a more interesting edge effect, use the Lasso Tool and make a
more freeform selection about 1/2” to 1” in from the edge of the image. Make sure to
carefully follow all of the on-screen message screens.

Different settings will give different results. The remaining canvas around the images can
be black or white and the program allows you to run the routine twice without losing the
original marquee selection. This means you can run the same effect on the image twice
to give you the two versions you need to run most of the separation routines, or prepare
the files for the Distressed Look routines.

Sawtooth Edge
This effect will give the design a special edge treatment that looks like a sawtooth.

57
Brush Stroke Edge
This effect will give the design a special edge treatment that looks like brush stroke.

Hand Stippled Edge

This effect will give the design a special edge treatment that looks like it has been hand
stippled.

Stucco Edge
This effect will give the design a special edge treatment that looks like a stucco wall.

Pond Ripple Edge

This effect will give the design a special edge treatment that looks like a ripple in a pond.

Vignetted Edge Effect

This effect will give the design a soft “vignetted” edge effect.

Distressed Look - Washed and Worn

This is not an edge effect. You do not need to
make a marquee selection on your image before
running these routines – just make sure to follow
the on screen prompts closely. It gives the entire
image a distressed or washed and worn look. You
have probably seen this effect before on sports
shirts in the mall. If you want the image to have a
soft edge AND distressed look, run one of the
Edge Effects first and then run this routine.

This routine runs on masked files, unmasked files

or both at the same time to create new files for
multi-colored shirts. Just have your masked and

58
unmasked files ready and flattened and follow the on screen prompts. The Distressed
Look routines also incorporate many new texture files that have not been seen on the
shelves since the printing of this manual. You can even create your own distressed
patterns. Just use the provided files in the Distressed folder on the disc as examples

Convert to Black and White Drawing

A new routine in T-Seps 2.0 lets you convert a photograph or full-color image to a black
and white drawing. Keep in mind that this routine works well on most designs and OK on
some. If your image has a lot of dark shadow areas, these will be solid black on the
conversion and may not be what you want. For best results use high contrast images or
use the Tone Curve and make the image high contrast before running this routine.

59
 Section 13
Outputting Files
Printing Directly from Photoshop
T-Seps has been designed for ease of output. Many graphic designers are taught to take
Photoshop images into Quark Express, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw or other programs
for additional graphics and printing. This is great if you are proficient with all those
programs and want to spend the extra time exporting and importing individual channels.
But, the majority of T-Seps users print directly from Photoshop to a software RIP like T-
RIP (for better ink deposit and halftone dots) to an inexpensive inkjet printer. More on
this later.

A Word About Halftone Dots

When a file is done being separated in
Photoshop the channels either have solid
information where you want to print solid ink
colors or they have grayscale information for
shades or blends of colors. These parts of the
image have to be converted into halftone dots in
order to burn them on a screen. Photoshop will
NOT convert a channel separation to halftone
dots. You can split the channels apart and then
using the Image/Mode/Bitmap routine to convert
each individual file into halftones but the final
output is not a very clean dot.

Getting Halftones from an Inkjet Printer

The most popular printers today for film output
are inexpensive Epson inkjet printers. They print
in perfect registration on specially coated inkjet
receptive film. The problem is these printers are
designed to print in color and they have no idea
what a halftone dot is.

There are a number of software products on

the market called RIPs (raster image
processor) that convert a Photoshop file into
halftone dots and also tell an inexpensive
inkjet printer to do more passes of the head
to lay down more ink. The most popular of
these products is a program called T-RIP
(formerly called FastRIP) available from
www.T-BizNetwork.com. Click on T-RIP.
With a software RIP and an inexpensive
inkjet printer you are able to print out very
high quality films that burn great screens!

60
Printing Channels
To print directly from Photoshop either to a printer that will print halftones or to a RIP that
then prints to an inkjet printer, simply select or put the Channel Visibility “eye” on a
channel. You can send all of the channels to your printer at once by simply putting the
“eye” next to all the channels you would like to print.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have the Channel Visibility eye on the RGB channels -
your print will be as a composite (all channels on the same page). Also, if you
have the eye on the Shirt Color channel, that channel will print as solid black on
your film or vellum and waste a lot of ink! To print a channel(s), first go to
File/Print With Preview and click on the Screen button. This is where you will tell
Photoshop about the Frequency (LPI or line count) and Dot Shape. You have to
input the Frequency, Dot Shape and Angle for each individual channel.

You should also put a check on Registration Marks, Labels (will print each Channel
Name on each film), Caption (will print the File Name on each film). These items will
print on the films and make setting up the press and analyzing a job easier.

Outputting Films from Photoshop CS5 and CS6.

Adobe made a MAJOR change to CS5 and CS6 that now makes it much harder to
output films directly from Photoshop. If you are using Adobe Photoshop CS5 or CS6 the
“Screen” button has been removed from the Print Output window. You can no longer
specify the halftone line count, angle, or dot shape.

Photoshop CS6 also does NOT have the “Screen” button in spite of complaints
from the T-Shirt screen printing community.

Halftone Converter Software

An option for the missing screen button is the T-Seps Halftone Converter. This small
program takes a standard channel separation and converts each channel into a separate
file that is halftoned to your specified frequency, angle and dot shape. You can purchase
this program from www.T-BizNetwork.com/store/. Click on Software.
61
Registration Marks
The standard registration targets/marks in Photoshop are often hard to
burn on a screen because they are so small. T-Seps 2.0 has a feature
that allows you to place bolder registration marks on the corners of the
films. You have three sizes to choose from ¼” ½” and 1”. You MUST run
this routine on a design that still has the original RGB composite above the
shirt color.

If you have created a CMYK separation and gone to the Final Display, then there is no
longer an RGB composite above the Shirt Color. Simply name three new channels and
drag them above the Shirt Color and then go to Image/Mode/RGB. The separations
won’t change but the file is not an RGB composite and the registration mark routine will
work on it.

Make sure to follow the on-screen help menus exactly. If you plan to use the T-Seps
Convert to Halftone routine, run this routine FIRST.

If you are on a Mac there can be an occasional problem where the Registration Mark
routine will not find the actual graphic files that contain the marks. If you run this routine
and an Open window appears, go to your Mac Hard Disk and the TSEPS folder and
choose the appropriate mark file.

Printing Media

Inkjet Output
This technology has come a long way in just the last few years and that's why we list it
first. Inkjet printing on clear film was the first step in creating the perfect, economical film
positive. Your films are dense black, in perfect registration, and output very quickly. All of
this, and much more cost effective than even the most inexpensive laser printer or
imagesetter. Most inkjet printers use pigment based ink which is not as dark on film as
dye based ink. You can normally replace the pigment ink with dye ink from most screen
print supply companies.

Vellum
For non-critical jobs you can use vellum or translucency, and many screen printers still
use vellum for simple spot color jobs. It is not as stable as inkjet film and may not hold
tight registration but will be adequate. Vellum will have a hard time holding a 5% dot
without getting burn-through when exposing the screen.

Laser Acetate
This is a matte finish acetate product that goes through a laser printer and is more stable
than paper vellum. It should be used for jobs that are a bit more critical.

Darkening the Image

Both vellum and laser acetate benefit greatly by spraying the printed images with an
artist's matte finish spray or fixative (make sure it doesn't have a UV block in it). This
spray makes the black toner almost twice as dark and helps the material hold a finer dot
during exposure.

Dry Film Image Systems

For Process Color, high-end Simulated Process Color and high resolution Index Color, a
good choice of media would be a dry film imaging systems such as an imagesetter from
OYO Industries. The material is much more stable than acetate or vellum and holds a
harder, denser dot. These systems are very expensive.

62
Printing without a RIP from T-Seps
Printing to a software RIP is certainly the standard, and will give a darker and crisper
halftone dot, but for most average work this might be overkill. And, some companies
simply can’t afford a RIP.

In order to make it less expensive to printout films (or vellums to a laser printer), T-Seps
has a built in routine that will AUTOMATICALLY convert each separation to a separate
file that already has the grayscale information converted to a halftone dot! This process
is very close to what you can get from a software RIP. The only difference is that a
software RIP will generally have more control over the ink deposit and will give you
darker black images on film.

You can convert Simulated Process Color, Old Photo, and Real Process Color using this
technique. Since Index Color is already converted to a square dot, you do not need a rip
or to convert the file to halftone dots.

When running these routines you must have your separations already run and tweaked.
Once this routine is run the file will be converted to a Bitmap with halftone dots BUT you
won’t be able to make any changes to the file/film.

63
Make sure to save your channel separated file before using this routine. The conversion
routine will split each channel out to its own separation and you won’t be able to put the
job back together again if you want to re-run the routine or make tweaks to a channel. If
you need registration marks on your films, run the Registration Marks routine first.

Simply click on Convert to Halftone Dots button and follow the on-screen prompts VERY
CAREFULLY.

When the file is converted you will have a separate JPG file in your Samples folder. The
files will be named Separation1, Separation2, etc. You should make note of the color
sequence so when you output films you know what film goes with what color. The
sequence is numbered from the top color down – meaning the Highlight White channel
will generally be Separation1.

Print these files to any non-RIP printer and the halftone dots will already be done. These
converted separations are pre-set for a halftone line count of 55 lpi with the correct
angles. You will not be able to change this.

To get the darkest black image from and inkjet printer without a RIP, use the highest
resolution setting possible or the highest quality possible. The higher the dpi you print on
an inkjet printer the more ink it lays down. The printing may be slow but the image will be
denser.

Many third party companies also carry special dye based ink for Epson inkjet printers
that prints darker than the standard Epson pigment based ink.

Exporting Files to Other Programs

It is possible to take a T-Seps separated image into Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, Quark
Xpress or Freehand to either output or add additional graphic elements. For Corel Draw
and early versions of Adobe Illustrator and Freehand the channels will first need to be
split. Simply click on the horizontal arrow at the top of the Channels Panel and select
Split Channels. (Once split you CANNOT put them back together!) Each channel is now
a separate file that can be saved, named and imported into the other programs and
graphic elements added.

DCS2 Files for Quark Xpress and Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop 5.0 and later supports DCS2 files with alpha channels that you can bring into
Quark Xpress or Adobe Illustrator version 8.0 and newer (many MAC users who print to
imagesetters need to print through a program like Quark Xpress). To create a DCS2 file
(for the Simulated Process and Index Color routines only), simply convert the main RGB
or Index image to grayscale (Image/Mode/Grayscale). For CMYK images from the
Process Color routines you do not need to convert to a grayscale. You should be doing
this on a duplicate file so you will not lose the original image colors. Next, simply do a
Save As a DCS2 EPS format.

64
 Section 14
Dark Shirt Screen Printing Techniques
Quick Tips for Successful High-End Dark Shirt Printing
Printing Simulated Process Color and Index Color on dark shirts can be very rewarding
and also very frustrating. If you have never done this type of printing you might be
shocked at the high mesh counts and type of ink used. If you normally print spot color
and heavy athletic printing this will be MUCH DIFFERENT. In order to have great results
with T-Seps you may need to change your thinking on how you print and make screens.
It is important to try to follow these guidelines.

1. All screens should be properly tensioned. At best, use retensionables that are at 30
Newtons or use rigid aluminum screen frames with well tensioned fabric. If you have
wood frames, use the tightest ones you have. Yes, these images will work with wood,
but you will lose some detail and not have as good an Underbase.

2. Use medium-hard squeegees that are sharp. Triple durometers are better (70/90/70).

3. The Underbase white plastisol should be designed as an Underbase or if not, should

at least give a smooth deposit of ink. Some of the low-bleed whites tend to bubble
slightly when heated and do not make a good Underbase.

4. The Underbase should be printed through 180 to 230 (70-90cm) meshes. Try to do
one good stroke. If necessary a second stroke may help coverage. Try to hold the fine
detail in the image. You ARE NOT really looking for the white to jump off the shirt. This is
the job of the Highlight white! Flash cure after the Underbase. This is the most critical
print.

5. The Highlight white can be the same as the Underbase white, but IDEALLY should be
a standard mixing white (semi-opaque). This will let it blend better when laid on top of
other colors. Print the Highlight white through a 180 to 230 (70-90cm) mesh and keep
the stroke to one firm pass. The Highlight white is printed last in the sequence.

6. The top colors (other than Highlight) should be all-purpose plastisol. They should be
smooth and creamy and printed through 280 - 355 (110-140cm) mesh with one good
stroke, wet-on-wet. Again, do not kill these prints. A fast stroke is better to clean off the
screen and hold the halftone dots. DO NOT PANIC until the last color is printed. Often, it
is the Highlight that brings it all together. It brightens areas and lightens other colors.

7. If a design does not look like the original art, modify an ink color and try different color
sequences. This is normal when printing on dark shirts. It generally takes more than one
shirt for an image to settle in and print correctly. There are many variables that affect the
final print, from screen tension to quality of the printing press, and technique of the
printer or machine. Adjustments at the screen press are commonly performed by high-
end printers who have often spent thousands of dollars on separations. T-Seps takes
into account the crushing of inks wet-on-wet.

8. Print on a good shirt. DO NOT use a test square - other than for lining up the screens.
The print needs to have the absorbency of the shirt AND the tighter the knit the better.
100% cotton is obviously better than a 50/50 Cotton/Polyester blend because of the dye
migration from the shirt.

65
9. For stencil systems, we recommend a dual-cure or pure photopolymer direct
emulsion. Use thin coats and try to hold all the halftone dots. It may mean adjusting
exposure times and doing a test exposure. Use dyed mesh in order to hold better
halftone dots. Also, denser, crisper film positives will obviously have a positive effect on
variance in exposure times.

66
 Section 15
Important Terms
The Most Misunderstood Computer and Art Terms –
All About Halftones, DPI, PPI, LPI, SPI

Quick Screen Printing Glossary:

Halftone
A series of large and small dots that represent image areas of a continuous tone image.
Continuous tone artwork can be converted into printable halftone dots using a process
camera or by scanning into a computer and outputting onto film or paper as a series of
dots. Even the photos in this manual are printed as a series of halftone dots. They are
just smaller than we use in garment printing.

LPI - Lines-per-inch
This actually refers to the number of dots-per-inch in a halftone but the term is LPI and
NOT DPI. You can see where LPI and DPI can get confused. This term is also known as
the frequency in computer graphics (frequency of lines-per-inch). The standard LPI of a
screen printable design is 35 LPI to 45 LPI for cartoon type work and from 55 LPI for
manual process prints to 65 LPI for automatic process prints. The higher the number the
smaller the dot and the harder it is to put on a screen. The LPI's are higher for automatic
presses because the mechanized squeegee pulling systems can pull the squeegee
harder and more consistently than the human hand, enabling the printer to use higher
screen mesh counts and therefore higher LPI's.

Percentage
The amount of coverage in a halftone dot is called Percentage or Tint. A 10% dot is
much smaller than an 80% dot - but if the LPI was at 45, there would still be 45 halftone
dots per inch no matter what the percentage. When screen printed, a dot grows in size.
This is called dot gain and it can be as much as 30% when printing on an automatic
press and 40% when using a manual. For this reason you should try not to apply any
tints in designs above 70% (they will just grow and be a solid). It is also important to take
into account dot gain when using tints. Always use a smaller tint percentage than you
think because in most drawing programs you cannot specify the dot gain (you can in
Photoshop).

Shape
Dots are also used in various shapes that range from diamonds, to squares, circles and
ellipses. An elliptical dot is the best to use no matter what program you are printing from
because it tends to chain together and is easier to burn on a screen and the dot gain will
not be as noticeable in the mid-tone range.

Angle
The angle of the dot is the angle at which the dots chain together. The problem with
most computer graphics programs is that the angles of the halftones are generally great
for offset printing but not good for screening. The recommended angle for Simulated
Process Color for all color channels is 25 degrees. For Real Process Color (CMYK or
True Process) try Cyan 15, Magenta 45, Yellow and Black 75, or Cyan 22.5, Magenta
52.5 and Yellow and Black 82.5 (alternate angles - you notice that each one is 7.5
degrees higher).

67
Moiré Pattern
A moiré is an interference of two patterns. It generally has a checkerboard pattern to it. If
you have ever looked through a chain link fence and it momentarily looked closer than it
actually was, you could say that the angle difference between your two eyes was
causing moiré. You get moiré patterns when using patterns on patterns - as you do
when you put halftone dots on screen mesh and/or halftone dots on screen mesh on a
shirt pattern. Moiré patterns can be reduced or even eliminated by using a different
angles for each plate and using a higher mesh count in relation to the LPI of the
halftone. The default CMYK angles in most graphic programs are just fine for things
such offset printing though we have found that our recommended angles are best for
garments. The general rule of thumb has been that to reduce moiré patterns use a mesh
that is 4 to 5 times the LPI. For example, when using a 55 LPI halftone frequency, a
mesh count of 230 would be a good start. There have been lengthy articles written about
moiré.

DPI - Dots-per-inch
Generally used to describe printer resolution and often used to describe scanner
resolution. Obviously the higher the number the better the resolution of the image. By
doubling the number the resolution actually becomes four times larger. In the old days (a
few years ago) 300 dpi was normal for a laser printer. Unfortunately, at 300 dpi, the
edges of the image were still a little ragged and at 300 DPI a halftone will only generate
around 16 gray levels. A 600 dpi halftone will give you over 300 gray levels. DPI is also
used as the designation for a scan. Like printers, the higher the number, the higher the
resolution. Most scanners default to 300 dpi when they should really be set much higher
when scanning line art.

PPI - Pixels-per-inch
This is actually what a scanners resolution should be referred to. PPI is the same as DPI
and you see the terms used interchangeably.

SPI - Samples-per-inch
This is the same as PPI or DPI and again is really how we should talk about a scanner’s
resolution. You see SPI used for some older scanners. It is the same as PPI and DPI.
This may be much more information than you need but you must get the vernacular
down. You know……. "I scanned the job at 600 DPI and printed it on a 250 mesh with a
45 LPI ellipse at 20 degrees and didn’t get any moiré."

68
 Section 16
Troubleshooting and Technical Support
Please read this section before calling for technical support.

T-Seps is a GREAT program that is an improved version of FastFilms – which is being

used by thousands of printers in more than 70 countries. It is very "clean" and should run
totally without errors. If errors are encountered it generally means that the program was
not installed properly, being run properly or the files are not set up correctly. If you
continue running a routine after getting an error, the separations will not be correct. If
you encounter problems please read all of the following section before emailing for
technical support. For the best success with the program, please take time to view the
training videos and re-read this Full Reference Manual.

Technical Support
If you have a problem with the program, please re-read the manual and make sure you
are following the on-screen prompts exactly. Please read the following Problems and
Solutions before you email for support.

Support is free to the original purchaser of the program. Support is available via email at
support@tbiznetwork.com and by phone at 1/888-801-1561 (toll free in the US) or 480-
212-1078.

Support hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm M-F Mountain Standard Time USA. Arizona does
not observe daylight savings so between mid-March and mid-October Arizona is on the
same time zone as Pacific Standard Time (the same as California).

When emailing support please allow 24 hours for a response. If you are up against a
deadline we will do everything we can to resolve your problem quickly. Please put
URGENT in the Subject line of your email if you need immediate help.

E-Mail Support
In many cases better support can be given if the file is available for inspection. If you are
having problems with a file or need assistance with what routine to use you can e-mail
the file to: support@tbiznetwork.com. DO NOT E-MAIL A FULL SIZE FILE. The file must
be low resolution (72 - 100dpi) and saved as .JPG (JPEG) file format. This should make
the file size no more than 200 to 500 Kb that is easy to email.

Adobe Photoshop Support

Generally, we will help with minor Photoshop issues or problems as they relate to T-
Seps. If you are having technical problems that are only Photoshop related you will need
to contact Adobe Photoshop support. Adobe customer service: 206-675-6303. Adobe
Expert Support 1/800-915-9425.

69
Problems and Solutions
Problem: I keep getting a “can’t find T-Seps” or “can’t find FastFilms” error.
This is the most common error you will get if the program is not installed properly. When
you get this error, you will get dozens of errors after it. Users often say “they are getting
all types of errors” when in reality it is just the first error that is the problem.

Solution #1: (MAC Only)

There are two Mac versions. One is for the older PowerPC and one for Intel based
Macs. With Apple walking away from the PowerPC platform we were not able to make
one plug-in that worked on both. And we had to use the older “FastFilms” core
separation engine for the PowerPC version. There is NO difference in the function or
routines because it is the “actions” script that controls the main functions. But, it means
that you MUST load the correct T-Seps ATN file into the Actions Panel in Photoshop.

For an Intel based Mac this action is TSEPS20-English.atn. For a Power PC it is

TSEPS20-CS-English.atn.

BUT…. due to the changed both Adobe and Apple made – if you are running an Intel
based Mac with CS or CS2 Photoshop you will need to install the PowerPC version and
load the “CS” ATN file.

Solution #2: (MAC and Windows)-

T-Seps must have the proper T-Seps and TSepsCustomIndex files in the Adobe
Automate folder. If you have multiple versions of Photoshop or possibly are installing on
a drive letter that is unusual or external – then the installer may not find the correct
folder. Refer back to the installation section of this manual and make sure you have the
plug-ins in the Automate folder. If the files are not in the correct Automate folder, then
they must be moved from the TSeps folder to the Automate folder. Simply copy and
paste these files to the new folder before starting Photoshop.

Solution #3: (MAC and Windows)

For some reason Photoshop CS4 and CS5 will not find certain plug-ins even though they
are in the proper Plug-ins/Automate folder. And, if you have upgraded to CS5.1, Adobe
decided to change the installation path. During the installation of T-Seps a folder is place
on your Local C: drive (Windows) called TSEPS, and on you Mac Hard Drive called
TSEPS. In this folder is a folder called Actions. You can point Photoshop to this folder.

On Windows go to the Edit menu and then Preferences. On a MAC go to the Photoshop
logo/name and then Preferences. Select Plug-ins. Check on Additional Plug-in Folders.
Click Choose. Find the folder called TSEPS/Actions and select Choose (or OK). Click
on OK in the Preferences window and then close and re-start Photoshop. This forces
Photoshop to find the T-Seps plug-ins regardless of the version of Photoshop you
are running.

Problem: The channels do not look right when separated.

Solution:
The image MUST be in RGB mode and there cannot be any layers except a locked (lock
symbol on the layer) or any additional channels besides RGB, Red, Green, Blue. This is
the most common support issue. Check the mode of the image (Image/Mode) and open
the Layers Panel to verify that the image is flattened. It MUST say Background in the
Layers Panel. Make sure the program was not stopped in the middle of a routine. If ANY

70
action button is RED, the program was stopped and the Actions Panel must be reset. In
this case, click the yellow Reset Menus button near the top of the T-Seps action list.

Also, this could be caused by memory errors. Photoshop has a "memory leak" that
allows it to build very large temporary files that are not always deleted as you close work
files. If certain channels do not look correct, close and re-start Photoshop and/or re-boot
your computer.

Problem: I can’t change the halftone line count or angle in CS5 or CS6. The
“Screen” button is missing.
Solution:
For years Adobe Photoshop has had a feature called “Screen” where you were able to
change the halftone line count and angle before printing to a software RIP. Adobe chose
to REMOVE this feature from CS5 and CS6. Outlandish! They now force printers to take
a separation done in CS5 or CS6 and place the image in In-Design or Adobe Illustrator
to print. Or, you need to have a software RIP like T-RIP that allows control of the
halftone dots in the RIP.

If you are upgrading from an earlier version of Photoshop to CS5 or CS6, keep the older
version installed for film output. We are working hard to let Adobe know that they have
removed a key part of the program.

An option is to buy the inexpensive T-Seps Halftone Converter. Go to www.T-

BizNetwork.com/store/ and click on Software.

Problem: The final separations look dull in Photoshop CS4 and CS5.
Solution:
There is a quirk which many think is a bug in Photoshop CS4 and CS5. It may not
preview the channels with dot gain applied (brighter) unless you go to View/Gamut
Warning and check Gamut Warning. If your images look dull when you put the “eye” on
them, check Gamut Warning and see if they change.

Problem: The routine stops in the middle and Photoshop gives me "Out of
Memory" errors.
Solution:
The program greatly increases the file size. Try to have at least 1gb and preferably more
free hard disk space. Because of Photoshop's memory leaks, try re-starting Photoshop
or re-booting your computer to eliminate as many temporary files as possible.

Problem: The separations are not dead on - the job doesn’t look like the original.
Solution:
It is very difficult to take an image with thousands of colors and have them print with only
a handful. Many designs will be extremely close. Other images may need a little
"tweaking" to bring them around to match the original. Sometimes your first few jobs will
be a learning experience - especially if you have never done this type of work. You will
learn to trust what the monitor shows you and to trust your screen printing experience
when "tweaking" the separations.

Color Settings can affect this as well. Refer back to the Installation section and review
the Color Settings. Most of the time, one or two minor adjustments with the Tone Curve
is all it takes. T-Seps will generally get you within 95% of where you want the
71
separations to be. Without a program like T-Seps it can take hours and hours of work,
even for a Photoshop professional, to do the separations and many failures at the
printing press. With T-Seps as a tool, it generally takes less than one minute on most
modern systems to run a basic routine and then just a few more minutes to do minor
adjustments.

Problem: The separations on the monitor look great when the Black Channel is
turned on but when I turn it off, the image looks flat.
Solution:
This is not uncommon. If you have areas of solid black in the image, they must not have
any color. This means if you use the Info Panel and do a reading, they should be at 0
levels for RGB. If these areas are NOT dead black, T-Seps will "think" you want color
where you actually want it to be the color of the black shirt. When you display the
Underbase Channel without the Black Channel on, you will be seeing a small 1% or 2%
dot pattern. Obviously you won't be able to burn this on the screen, but it will show on
the monitor.

To clean up the Underbase, simply press the button marked Remove Black from
Underbase. This removes all areas on the black channel from the Underbase and helps
the image display better. You can also take a Tone Curve (Image/Adjustments/Curves)
and adjust the Highlight end slightly give the Underbase a higher contrast.

NEW CS5/Mac Bug – Problem: When running the Custom Index routines there is
no way to pick colors from the design.
Solution:
This is a bug in Photoshop CS5 on a Mac. It is documented in online forums but there is
a fix for it. When running a Custom Index routine there is part of the routine that tells you
to choose a Custom Panel and then select the key colors from your design. When you
go to click on the actual image with the eye dropper – nothing happens. You can select a
color from Color Picker but to do it right you MUST select colors from the image.

The simple fix – when you are at that point and Color Picker is open is to FIRST click on
the gray area of the color picker and THEN select the color from the image. Here is a
link that explains this problem and the fix in more details.

Problem: The Underbase and Highlight channels are blank.

Solution #1:
There is a known issue with Photoshop occasionally turning off the “copy/paste”
command due to low memory or conflicts with other programs. T-Seps uses this
command to copy and then paste the underbase and highlight channels into the final
separations. The only known solutions are to free up hard disk space, assign a larger
“scratch disk” to an external drive in Preferences or shut down Photoshop and re-boot
the computer – to remove any temporary files that take up hard disk space.

Solution #2:
Photoshop allows you to show the channel thumbnails images in the actual color you
have assigned to them. You do NOT want to do this. In Preferences/Interface you can
check or uncheck “Show Channels in Color.” Turn this off. If you have white as an ink
color then if you have this option checked you will think the white channel is blank –
white on white.

72
Problem: The prints at press look muddy and are not bright.
Solution:
It is critical that you have a good clean Underbase. Low tension screens will give a
mottled look to the white. Increase the screen tension and make sure you are on the
correct mesh. The top colors need a clean and fairly fast stroke.

Problem: The separations on screen are muddy and are not bright.
Solution:
It is very important to begin with bright, vibrant images so that T-Seps can separate as
much color on each channel as possible. Photoshop is very good at displaying poor
quality images better than they actually are. Images that have been upsampled
(increased in physical size at the same DPI) may have pixel compression that won't be
very noticeable until the file is broken down to just a few colors. Sometimes, this is
caused by a darker color printing over areas of a lighter color.

Example: You separate a photograph of a horse standing on a field of grass. You

definitely need to print a brown channel because of the tones in the horse, but you notice
that when you turn the brown channel on, the grass area becomes darker. Because the
original file had a darker shade of green on the grass area, it separated brown in those
areas. You can either spend more time adjusting the channels after separation, or begin
with bright original files in the first place.

Also in this case, you may use the green channel to make quick adjustments. You could
put the Photoshop eye (channel visibility) on only the green channel (also select the
channel) and use the Magic Wand tool to make a selection in the areas where green
would print. Then you would simply select the brown channel and push the delete key.
This would effectively delete any information that was going to print on the Brown
Channel wherever it was going to print over Green Channel, since you are only affecting
the selected areas. This gives you GREAT control over what colors print in certain areas
after separation, since you can use the different channels to make these selections.

Problem: Process color prints look muddy on the shirt.

Solution:
If you are experiencing too much dot gain (from low tension screens, soft shirts, poor
printing conditions, etc.) apply 10% more dot gain to the image before running the
routines (make it 10% lighter) by using Image/Adjustments/Curves.

Problem: The original design has solid spot colors of text and the program made
the colors halftones.
Solution:
T-Seps uses a pre-determined panel of colors. If your image has a light red, T-Seps will
have to make the red (Scarlet Pantone 185) from its panel lighter by using halftone dots
and other colors. If you want the red area to be 100% color, simply be aggressive with a
Tone Curve to that particular channel. If you need to do 100% solid Pantone matches
through-out the image, it is better to run the Custom Index Color routine where
YOU pick the colors from the image.

Use the Info Panel (Window/Info) to read the gray levels of each separation/channel.
Solid areas should read 100% K. If not, use a Tone Curve to make obvious solid areas
100%.

73
Problem: I can’t get the Registration Marks routine to work on a Mac.
Solution:
This is a problem depending on what the Mac Hard Disk is called. The program is hard
coded to look to a certain location for the targets. If you get an Open window when
running this routine simply find your Mac Hard Disk and the folder called TSEPS. There
are three files. “regmark15.png” (.25 inches), “regmark1.png” (1 inch), “regmark 5.png”
(1/2 inch). Simply choose the file you want and follow the rest of the prompts.

Problem: Index images do not look correct if resampled.

Solution:
Some of the users have created Index Color Separations and then decided to upsample
the image to a larger page size. DO NOT DO THIS. When upsampling an indexed
image, Photoshop places grayscale pixels of various shades around other pixels causing
the pixels during printout to be very soft. Make sure to be at the final resolution and size
before running the Index Separation routines.

Problem: White underbase is not heavy enough.

Solution:
The white Underbase has been carefully created to make a soft Underbase where there
are gradations in the image, and a solid Underbase where there is solid text and graphic
elements. If this Underbase is too weak, simply select the Underbase channel and apply
a Tone Curve adjustment to it (Image/Adjustments/Curves).You cannot adjust the white
Underbase in an index image once it has been indexed. (Except in the Custom Index -
Halftone Base routine, where the white channels are halftoned). If the Underbase it too
weak in an Custom Index - Index Base routine or any of the standard index routines
make the version of the file that has been masked (the first one to load) lighter than
normal before running the program routine.

Problem: Black channel too weak on simulated and real process jobs.
Solution:
The dilemma is how to make the black display the way it will print. Since black ink will
gain more than any other color, it is hard to have it both ways. Generally the black plate
is correct but may look a little light on the monitor. If you feel the black channel is too
light, simply apply a slight Tone Curve to it. Another way to avoid this is by changing a
setting in the Color Settings. Try setting Black Generation to Heavy and/or Black Ink
Limit to 100% instead of 85%.

Problem: Program asks to approve all of the routines.

Solution:
If you run the program and it asks you to approve almost every move it makes, you have
accidentally turned on the "stops" in the program. This is an easy mistake to make when
switching from List View to Button Mode in the Actions panel. The only solution is to
“refresh” the action to get it back to the original version. Go back to the Actions Panel
and Replace Actions from the Actions menu.

Problem: General File Errors when running routines.

"can't perform command" "command not available" "object not available" etc.
Solution:
If you get continuous errors such as "commands" can't be found, it usually means the file
is not in the correct format. Make sure the original file is RGB, No Layers (must say
74
"Background Layer") and has no additional channels other than the RGB composite and
individual R, G, B (four channels total). Even if you think the file is OK, take time to open
the file and double-check these issues:

Checking for RGB:

1. Open the file.
2. Open the Channels Panel (Window/ Channels).
3. The file MUST have four channels - RGB, R, G, B. There can be no additional "alpha"
channels, channel masks, etc. Sometimes if you stop a routine in the middle and save
the file, these extra channels stay with the file. Also, when getting files from customers,
there are often mask channels that they forgot to delete. NEVER run a file without
opening it first to check it out.

Checking Layers:
1. Open the file.
2. Open the Layers Panel (Window/Layers).
3. There MUST only be ONE layer and it MUST say "Background." If there is more than
one layer or if the single layer says "Layer 1" or anything else, the layers are not
flattened. To flatten the layers, go to the upper right arrow in the Layers Panel and click
on Flatten Layers, or save the file as a .JPG - since this file format will not allow
additional layers or channels.

Problem: Can't find T-Seps in Actions Panel. "I loaded the action and it is still not
there"
Solution:
There is no way to automate the loading of the actual "action" that T-Seps uses in the
Actions Panel. This must be done manually. Simply open the Actions Panel
(Window/Actions) and go to the upper right hand arrow. Come down to Replace Actions.
When the Load menu appears, select the appropriate action from the T-Seps folder.
Make sure the actions are in Button Mode (upper arrow and select Button Mode). The
buttons are in purple, yellow, etc. A common mistake when moving from a demo version
to a full version or when upgrading to a newer version is that if you load the action, it
places the new version BELOW the old version. You have to scroll down on the menu to
even find it. You must REPLACE the action - not LOAD it.

Problem: The Index routine images look grainy on the monitor.

Solution:
Index images can be grainier on the monitor than when they print. Also, the file
resolution determines how "grainy" the image will be. You must be at a resolution of at
least 150 to 200dpi for indexing to look good. If you run the routine on a low resolution
file it will be very grainy AND you can't upsample an indexed image once the routines
are run.

Problem: Index routine underbase and top colors don't match in size.
Solution:
This one is easy to miss. When the index routine is running the menus will prompt you
TWICE to "verify that the input and the output resolutions are the same." Sometimes
Photoshop will change the resolution in this menu. If it says Input 200 dpi and Output
150 dpi, then you will be sampling the image down in size. The Underbase will now be
SMALLER than the top colors. You must read the menus and follow the directions.

75
Problem: Image has a square box of black around it.
Solution:
Many first time users don't understand about the black "masking" around an image. Any
areas outside of the actual design are called the canvas. These areas must be filled with
black. This doesn't mean a black box around the design. It means the black must go up
the edge of the image. Just imagine what the image should look like on a black shirt and
this is how the masked version must look.

Problem:
If All Else Fails.....
Solution:
If all else fails, please re-read the manual and re-run the routine making sure to follow
the on-screen menus exactly. It is also helpful to view the video training again and
learn more about proper image adjustment.

76
77
ABOUT THE DEVELOPER
Scott Fresener
Director of T-Biz Network International, LLC
Former CEO of U.S. Screen Print & Inkjet Technology
Co-Founder of The U.S. Screen Printing Institute

Scott Fresener has been in the screen printing

industry since 1970, when he and his wife Pat
opened a small garment printing business out
of their garage. This business grew to be a
large company with automatic equipment and
gave the Freseners experience in both
technical areas and business management. The lack of standardization and training
programs in the industry prompted the Freseners to write their books and begin offering
training classes.

Scott and Pat are the authors of How To Print T-Shirts For Fun and Profit! and The
Encyclopedia of Garment Printing. In 1979 they co- founded the U.S. Screen Printing
Institute and have taught over 14,000 students the business of screen printing on
garments. In 1989 and 1992, Scott and the Institute received the coveted Magnus Award
from the Screen Printing Association International (now called the Specialty Graphic
Imaging Association, or SGIA) for outstanding contributions to the industry. Scott has
written hundreds of articles for the trade magazines and has been a feature speaker and
lecturer at industry trade shows and has presented over 500 seminars and workshops
around the world.

In 1995, Scott was made a member of prestigious SGIA Academy of Screen Printing
Technology. In 1996 Scott was awarded the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association's
prestigious Parmele Award, which is the highest honor you can receive in this industry.
This award is given for outstanding lifetime contributions to the industry.

Scott was a member of the Board of Directors of the SGIA from 2004 to 2008. He is also
a popular industry consultant and has spent much of his time on the road consulting
large and small firms in this country and abroad on screen printing and computer
graphics. His specialty is teaching companies how to do very high-end separations for
light and dark shirts in house. In the pre-computer days Scott taught the separation
process using the original darkroom method with a process camera.

Scott has also produced numerous video tapes and DVD's on screen printing and
computer graphics including T-Shirt Graphics with Adobe Photoshop, T-Shirt Graphics
with Corel Draw, Dark Shirt Printing Made Easy and Index Separations for Screen
Printers.

Scott also is a professional color separator and does thousands of separations every
year for large and small clients around the world including people who print for Disney,
Harley, Wal-Mart and more. Chances are when you buy a hot NASCAR shirt or get a
shirt from a Disney theme park – Scott did the separations. And, of course Scott uses his
own programs to do the separations and then applies his own screen printing knowledge
and understanding of the printing process to tweak the separations.

78