Illustrator Workshop

Colour

CMYK are the 'process' colours

You can choose colours from the colour picker, colour palette and the swatches palette
There is more consistency using the swatches palette as you are able to 'save' colours
You are able to remove and add swatches through the options menu amongst other things
By changing the swatches menu to a list view, you can confirm whether it is a CMYK colour or not
You can also create a swatch through the colour palette window through the options menu
To save a group of swatches: Swatch options menu > Save swatch library as AI
(alternatively, save swatch library as ASE to use across all of the Adobe programs)
To open these swatches: Swatch options menu > Open swatch library > User defined

Global colours

"A global colour is automatically updated throughout your artwork when you edit it. All spot colours are global, however, process colours can be either global or local."

Swatches menu > Options > 'Add used colours' to add all colours from your document
These colours become 'global' swatches and when altered, affects every shape with the same swatch
You can change the tint percentage of a global swatch in the colour palette window
This can then be used to create new swatches of varying tints
By changing the colour of the 100% swatch, it will affect all of the tints you created
You cannot specify a tint if the swatch is not 'global'

Registration

Appears as a crosshair icon in the swatches window
It equates to 100% of each of the process colours
The registration swatch should only be used if you want it to appear on every printing plate
It is prominent when small text is used as the colours may be offset slightly

Spot colours

"A spot colour is a premixed ink that is used instead of, or in addition to CMYK process inks. You can identify spot-colour swatches by the spot-colour icon."

When screen-printing, you use a ready-made ink - the equivalent to a spot colour
Process colours are made up of the CMY and K plates whereas spot colours requires its own
Examples include metallic ink and fluorescent colours
Time equates to cost and using spot colours saves on time and therefore price
A 2 colour print using 2 spot colour plates will be cheaper in production as opposed to using four (CMYK) plates
Spot colours are primarily used in branding in order to keep consistency

Pantone

Pantone solid = ready mixed
Solid and uncoated refers to the stock you will be using
Swatches menu > Open Swatch Library > Colour Books to add pantone swatches

Printing

Print > Output > Mode > Separations will separate each of the image positives
This is useful for screen-printing as you are able to print each, individual positive
You are also given the option to convert all spot colours to process