trouble importing PS eps into Illustrator 10

[Justin Kerr]

I've got an issue with importing Photoshop eps files. Here's the issue:

• I'm importing (placing) a Photoshop eps into an Illustrator file
• The eps is in monotone format and assigned a spot color (PMS 470)
• The Illustrator file contains vector elements that are also PMS 470
• When I print to separations, I cannot get the PMS 470 eps file to show up on the same separation as the PMS 470 vector elements

The help files for Illustrator say that when I place the file into the Illustrator document, I'm supposed to get a dialogue box that will allow me to assign the eps file the same spot color as what is in the Illustrator file, but no dialogue box is appearing when I place the eps.

[PixelFactory]

Are your PMS colors the exact same name? Illustrator may add a C or CVC to the end of a PMS name. example: PMS 470C. Make sure the the colors are the same name and see if that helps. If not I would import the PS file and change the vector artworks color to the imported color.

[Justin Kerr]

That's one of the problems. Photoshop assigns different suffixes to PMS colors than does Illustrator. PS gives "C" and "U" for coated and uncoated while AI places "CVC" and "CVU" after its PMS numbers. I'm not sure how to remedy that.

[PixelFactory]

Double click on the Illustrator PMS Color and rename it in the dialog box to the name the PS file uses. Then when you import the PS file it should come up with the dialog box.

[niallerc]

You are using a spot colour alpha channel in the photoshop file aren't ya? Also saving it as DCS2, if you're saving it as a standard eps file your spot colour will have been converted to cmyk.

[niallerc]

ignore that last post, I re-read your original post and spotted "MONOTONE" do what the other folks suggest and make sure the colour names are exactly the same. I'll try it here myself and see what happens.

[Justin Kerr]

PixelFactory,

Your suggestion worked. I renamed the PMS according to the PS naming (in this case "PMS 470 C") and when I placed it from within AI, I got the dialogue box asking me if I wanted to use the PS name or the AI name. I chose the PS name and when it placed, there were no extra swatches added and the seps printed just the way they were supposed to.

Thanks!