DCS plate file

[pspdfppd]

Anyone had this problem?:


We had a job come in today, a repeat book from a file that was created in 1996. It's done in quark and when you check the links there they are, a whole bunch of .eps files...however, when you try and open them, this message comes up: "Could not open or parse a DSC plate file because the file cannot be found."

Now I'm figuring that a DCS file means "desktop color separation" and if memory serves me correctly, that means it's already been separated and there should be 5 files..one for the preview plus one for each cmyk channel. But there's only 1 file........? Could it be the preview only file?? When I try and print postscript to make a pdf quark says unpredictable results will happen and the pictures come out as 72 dpi. My memory is straining on this one. Haven't had a dcs file to deal with in a long time.

The job was in 6.5 but in the collect report it says it was created in 3.3......

 

[disbellj]

Re: DCS plate file

DCS files were saved as multiple files at that time I believe. You have it correct. You can try to open the DCS in Photoshop and i it will open it was saved as a single file. If it will not open, you need to try and find the separation eps's because all you have is the preview file (which is 72 dpi).

Don

 

[pspdfppd]

Re: DCS plate file

yeah, thanks...... I seem to remember an old program on os9 called dcs merger that we never really used..maybe if we can locate the missing eps's we'll have to try the merge thing to make composite pdfs...

 

[disbellj]

Re: DCS plate file

You you have the missing eps's, you can put them in the folder with the main .eps and then you can print as separations out of Quark (if you use a separated worklflow, sending separations to the rip), or (if you use a composite workflow such as dropping PDF on a rip hotfolder) open the main .eps in Photoshop, which will see the separation .eps's in the same folder and open. Then you can save as Photoshop .psd (I think, if you have Quark 7), or use DCS Merger (if you don't have Quark 7) and print out composite PDF (again, if you use a composite workflow).

Don

 

[pspdfppd]

Re: DCS plate file

Thanks Don, yeah, we have to use a composite workflow to proof and color correct....

 

[beermonster]

Re: DCS plate file

IF it will alow you to now place your resaved "psd" file then you should be fine

IF it wont though - you may need to find another solution.....and if you look in the adobe section here, there's a thread about distiller settings and dcs files - i've posted a little something there that might help

cheers and good luck ppspffdsdspsppsdpdfsppd

beermonster
ex ppf'er and drunk

 

[pspdfppd]

Re: DCS plate file

Thanks beermonster.....I realize you're a former ppf'er....me too.

I always say, thank God for alcohol......without it, ugly women would'nt ever have the joy of childbirth.....and.....the printing industry would have a shortage or prepress workers....

 

[beermonster]

Re: DCS plate file

haa i know you are mate it was for the "others"

hows it going anyway? enjoying pp?

 

[pspdfppd]

Re: DCS plate file

Hey beermonster

So far I don't have the urge to come on here as much as ppf for some reason or reason(s).

However, I did post this thread and my problem was solved so I think the site has already helped me out.

I resaved the dcs files as .psd's and reimported into quark and was thus able to make a pdf composite. The c,m,y,k files were missing and the creator of the original file had to get them to us to make it work.

 

[Tech]

Re: DCS plate file

Hi All,
I'm a little late on this but does anyone know the solution to merging corrupted DCS files? I ran a few test using Smart XT in Quark and DCS Merger, neither program/xt can merge the files and hence I concluded somehow the same files that printed like 10 times previously is now corrupted.

We changed vendors and the new vendor can't work with the old DCS files... the last time these DCS files were created or modified dates back to '96! Can these "corrupted" DCS still be printed through separation instead of a composite workflow? I suspect that might be how the images were printed by the previous vendor.

Thanks.

Edited by: Gavin on Oct 19, 2007 12:22 PM

 

[Shawn]

Re: DCS plate file

Hi Gavin

It depends on where the corruption is coming from. If the individual color plates are corrupted, then you're stuck, but if the master EPS file is corrupt or lost, you can manually rebuild the file(s). Just open the individual channel files in Photoshop and merge them into a normal CMYK file there. Then resave in whatever format suits your workflow.

Shawn

 

[Tech]

Re: DCS plate file

Hi Shawn,
Thanks for the suggestion, but the problem with reconstructing the master files is that our individual color channels are all grayscale and the end result is a grayscale master file. Our images are 4 color. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong in photoshop?

Please advice. Thank you.

 

[Shawn]

Re: DCS plate file

Hi Tech

That's the way that the DSC format works. Each high-res channel is a separate grayscale file, you place the master low-res in your document and when Quark prints seps it automatically links to the grayscale channel for that separation.

To recombine in Photoshop, open the individual separation plates. Select all on one of them and copy it, then create a new CMYK document. Pick the correct channel in the channels palette and paste. Repeat with the other separations until you have all channels pasted in the right place and re-save.

Shawn

 

[Tech]

Re: DCS plate file

Hi Shawn,
I see where I made the mistake... when I copied the channel plates into a new CMYK file, I pasted into new channel and hence getting alpha channels instead.

Thank you so much for clearing that up. Manually fixing our files beats waiting another day to hear from our oversea vendor for a working solution.