Registration marks and spot colors in Photoshop

[NeroInferno]

Hello,
I generally use Illustrator for my separation and my life is easier, however this time I must separate colors on a Photoshop file. The separation is super easy because the colors are really spot each other.

I select the colors with Select> Color range and in Channels palette I click on a "New Alpha Layer" icon on the bottom and I have my layer 1 and layer 2.

The point is I can't add my own registration marks into the alpha channels. I've tried to add the registration marks in the specific color layers and merged the registration mark+color layer but when I select the color with "Color range" function the result is poor.

I want to add my own registration marks because the automatized way to add registration marks in Photoshop wastes tons of expensive inkjet film.

I need 2 alpha channels with the registration marks. In this way I can print the 2 alpha channels on a file (for example pdf) and then use these two files to create a third file and print wit my Epson 7880, to save film.

Any help is really welcome!
Fabio

[lil_tuffy]

Convert your alpha channels to bitmaps and put 'em in illustrator. That's what I do.

[El Roacho]

i just have a seperate file with my registration marks saved on my computer and then cut-paste-merge with what ever layers i need them to be on.

[squeegeethree]

I place my reg marks on their own layer then merge that layer with the one I'm about the output, then unmerge.

[B-DROID]

Output from illustrator using placed DCS.

[Casey Burns]

These are all equally good solutions. Yay team GP.

[Casey Burns]

Fabio, have you tried working in spot channels rather than alpha channels? I paste reg marks into spot channels with no problem.

[NeroInferno]

Hello,
if you are using LAYERS you can add whatever you want and you can merge them then print, if you are using ALPHA CHANNELS it seems to me I can't drag and drop anything into che Channels palette. If I drag and drop my registration marks into the LAYERS I can't see them because when I'm going to print the alpha channels I must deselect all the others channels to see the channel 100% black.

Any tip?

Thanks!
Fabio

[NeroInferno]

Fabio, have you tried working in spot channels rather than alpha channels? I paste reg marks into spot channels with no problem.

Hi Casey,
when I select colors with "Color Range" function I click on the "Save selection as channel", then I CTRL+double click the layer I've just created in the Channels palette and select "Spot Color", but when I drag and drop the registration mark from the original .ai file into the file to make the color separation this damned registration mark finishes into the Layers palette, like a new layer. Then if I need to print the black layers (read spot layers into the channels palette) I must turn off all the layers and keep turned on just the layer I want to print, but turning off the composite channel (RGB) the registration marks disappear..that's right but I'd like to find a way to print them with my black spot color layers.

Thank you!
Fabio

[B-DROID]

Channels and Layers are not one and the same. Make a selection of your registration marks and save it, then go to each channel and load the selection and fill it with 100% black.