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PhantasmSepsPDF Script

The "PhantasmSepsPDF" Adobe Illustrator script was developed by Nathaniel V Kelso (www.kelsocartography.com/scripts/) specifically for Phantasm CS Studio users. The idea is thanks to a customer of the professional plugin.

PDF output PhantasmSepsPDF allows users to quickly and easily generate pre-separated PDF files. By using the PDF layers feature, these files allow users of even the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (download here) to view any combination of inks used in a document.

System Requirements

Download and install

Click here to download the script. Open the ZIP file to find the PhantasmSepsPDF.js script file.

To install the Adobe Illustrator CS2/CS3 script, please follow these steps:

  • Quit Illustrator, if running
  • Locate where Illustrator is installed. On the Mac, Ctrl-Click on the Illustrator icon on your dock and select Show in Finder. In Windows, follow Program Files » Adobe » Adobe Illustrator CS2/CS3.
  • Open the Presets » Scripts folder.
  • Copy the PhantasmSepsPDF.js script file into this folder.
  • Re-start Illustrator.

Benefits and notes

By using this approach, the following benefits may be gained:

  • The script is free and is very simply to operate; a few clicks and you're there!
  • It is possible to provide customers with artwork where they may view any combination of ink used in the document (separations) without the need for Adobe Acrobat.
  • By default, Adobe Acrobat and the free Reader version do not display overprints correctly. Pre-separated artwork using Phantasm CS Studio removes this issue, ensuring that your customer will see all technical aspects correctly.
  • The output mimics final printed output very well. Transparencies are flattened where necessary, but leaving as many vector objects in-tact as possible, allowing zooming-in on detail.
  • The original artwork is not immediately accessible, further securing your ownership.

Please note the following:

  • Due to processes required to produce fully separated work (see this features page for further details of what this is about), resultant file sizes — and therefore rendering time — is increased.
  • The script does not operate on Adobe Illustrator CS.

How to use the script

To demonstrate the process and benefits of using the script in combination with Phantasm CS Studio, the following is an example sequence. It is possible to download original Adobe Illustrator files (compatible with Illustrator CS2 and CS3) along the way; these files do not require Phantasm CS Studio to view.

The first stage is creating the original artwork for print. The document has to be in CMYK color mode...

Using the Generate Separations button in the Phantasm CS Separations panel/palette window (shown above), fully separated artwork is produced...

Note: at this stage, it is possible to specify printer's marks from the Phantasm CS Separations panel/palette. If enabled, they will be present in the final PDF.

The PhantasmSepsPDF script is called upon (note that it was first installed, a process described earlier in this document)...

Following the selection of the PhantasmSepsPDF script from the File » Scripts menu, a warning window is displayed stating that the script does not check to see if a file of the same name already exists in the chosen location. Click OK on this message; it is possible to cancel the process in the next dialogue window.

You will then be presented with a standard "Save as" file dialogue window. Choose the file name you wish to save as (include the .PDF extension if you wish) and where you wish to save the file. Then select Save if you wish to proceed, or Cancel if you want to halt the script.

The script will then process the PDF (this may take a short while, no process indication is given), revert back to the fully separated artwork file and then automatically load the PDF. The PDF will display in your default PDF viewer — it is advised that this is Acrobat or Acrobat Reader in order to view the separations layers...

Note: at this stage, it is possible to specify printer's marks from the Phantasm CS Separations panel/palette. If enabled, they will be present in the final PDF.

Advanced

The following is intended for advanced users only.

It is possible to edit the behaviour of the script by loading it into a plain text editor (such as TextEdit on the Mac or Notepad in Windows) and alter the settings declared at the start of the script:

var deleteEmptySeperations = true;
var deleteInvisibleSeperations = true;
var closeFileOnPdfExport = false;
var minimizeMemoryUsage = false;
var alwaysUsePdfExtention = false;
var warnAboutReplacingFiles = true;
var dest="";

Each variable, apart from the last, should be set to true or false (highlighted in red). It is vital to ensure the final semicolons (";") remain. Each variable is explained in the script.

There are limitations with some options. For example, deleteEmptySeperations can only operate on simple artwork. If in doubt, it defaults to ensuring all process channels remain.

Also, if alwaysUsePdfExtention is set to true, two files will be produced — a "null" temporary document with no .pdf extension and the final document with .pdf appended. This is a limitation of using a script.

As disclosed in the initial script warning message, it is possible to not display the file overwrite warning on each occassion by setting warnAboutReplacingFiles to false.