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Please troubleshoot problems by reading this section before calling for technical support.
Problem: Errors when first running a routine.
“Can’t Find T-Seps or Can’t Find FastFilms”
Solution:
This is the most common error you can get and it simply means that for some reason the installation routine did not put the plugins in the Adobe Automate folder. T-Seps must have the files T-Seps.8li and CustomIndex.8li in the Program Files/Adobe/PhotoshopX.X/Plug-Ins/Automate folder. (For MAC OSX – also T-SepsOSX.8li and CustomIndexOSX.8li). In older versions of Photoshop this folder is under a folder called Adobe Photoshop Only.
If these files are not found by Photoshop you will get the error “Command T-Seps is not available” or other “not available” errorsimmediately upon running a routine. Section 1 Explains this in detail.
If the files are not in the correct Automate folder, then they must be moved from the TSeps folder to the Automate folder. Simply copy and paste these files to the new folder before starting Photoshop.
If you are on Photoshop CS4 (Windows version only) you must be using the 32-bit version of Photoshop (it is installed along side the 64-bit version and is called x86). Many plugins are not 64-bit compatible.
Make sure Photoshop in “pointing” to the Plugins Folder:
If the program still can’t find the plugins, check to see that Photoshop is “pointing” to the plugins folder. In Photoshop 5.0-5.5, go to File/Preferences/Plugins & Scratch Disk. In Photoshop 6.0 – 9.0 (CS2) , go to Edit/Preferences/Plugins & Scratch Disk. Make sure it is set to point to the Plug-ins folder (not Automate). If you have more than one version of Photoshop, there is a good chance you are pointing to the wrong version. As an example, early versions of Photoshop put the program in the Adobe folder. In later upgrades on PC’s, Adobe puts Photoshop in the Program Files/Adobe folder.
Problem: General File Errors when running routines.
“can’t perform command” “command not available” “object not available” etc.
Solution:
If you get continuos errors such as “commands” can’t be found, it usually means the file is not in the correct format. Make sure the original file is RGB, No Layers (must say “Background Layer”) and has no additional channels other than the RGB composite and individual R, G, B (four channels total). Even if you think the file is OK, take time to open the file and double-check these issues:
Checking for RGB:
1. Open the file.
2. Open the Channels Palette (Window/ Channels).
3. The file MUST have four channels – RGB, R, G, B. There can be no additional “alpha” channels, channel masks, etc. Sometimes if you stop a routine in the middle and save the file, these extra channels stay with the file. Also, when getting files from customers, there are often mask channels that they forgot to delete. NEVER run a file without opening it first to check it out.
Checking Layers:
1. Open the file.
2. Open the Layers Palette (Window/Layers).
3. There MUST only be ONE layer and it MUST say “Background.” If there is more than one layer or if the single layer says “Layer 1″ or anything else, the layers are not flattened. To flatten the layers, go to the upper right arrow in the Layers Palette and click on Flatten Layers, or save the file as a .JPG – since this file format will not allow additional layers or channels.
Problem: The channels do not look right when separated.
Solution:
The image MUST be in RGB mode and there cannot be any layers except a locked (lock symbol on the layer) or any additional channels besides RGB, Red, Green, Blue. This is the most common support issue. Check the mode of the image (Image/Mode) and open the Layers Palette to verify that the image is flattened. It MUST say Background in the Layers Palette. Make sure the program was not stopped in the middle of a routine. If ANY action button is RED, the program was stopped and the Actions Palette must be reset. In this case, click the yellow Reset Menus button near the top of the T-Seps action list. Also, this could be caused by memory errors. Photoshop has a “memory leak” that allows it to build very large temporary files that are not always deleted as you close work files. If certain channels do not look correct, close and re-start Photoshop and/or re-boot your computer.
Problem: The separations are not dead on – the job doesn’t look like the original.
Solution:
It is very difficult to take an image with thousands of colors and have them print with only a handful. Many designs will be extremely close. Other images may need a little “tweaking” to bring them around to match the original. Sometimes your first few jobs will be a learning experience – especially if you have never done this type of work. You will learn to trust what the monitor shows you and to trust your screen printing experience when “tweaking” the separations. Color settings can affect this as well (see Section 4.6 – Photoshop Setup & Color Settings for more information) Most of the time, one or two minor adjustments is all it takes. T-Seps will generally get you within 95% of where you want the separations to be. Without a program like T-Seps it can take hours and hours of work, even for a Photoshop professional, to do the separations and many failures at the printing press. With T-Seps as a tool, it generally takes less than 5 minutes on most modern systems to run a basic routine and then just a few more minutes to do minor adjustments.
Problem:T-Seps will not load properly on a MAC with Intel processor.
Solution:
Working with 3rd Party plug-ins like T-Seps and FastFilms on Intel-based Macs (Mac only) may create some problems. The new Intel-based Macintosh platform has caused Adobe to update the entire Photoshop plug-in architecture to ensure compatibility. Sometimes the incompatibility of plug-ins is from security programs used to wrap and lock software.
Intel-based Macs give users the option to run applications such as Photoshop either natively on the Intel platform, or under emulation on Power PC (via Rosetta). However, you must choose to run the entire application (including plug-ins) entirely natively or entirely under emulation.
Therefore, if you are using third-party plug-ins with Photoshop CS3 or CS4, either the plug-ins must be updated to run on the Mac Intel platform (by the third party developer) OR you must run both Photoshop and the third party plug-ins in emulation under Rosetta. If you choose to run under Rosetta, it is expected that you will lose some of the performance gains that Photoshop has seen on Mac Intel.
Problem: The separations on the monitor look great when the Black Channel is turned on but when I turn it off, the image looks flat.
Solution:
This is not uncommon. If you have areas of solid black in the image, they must not have any color. This means if you use the Info Palette and do a reading, they should be at 0 levels for RGB. If these areas are NOT dead black, T-Seps will “think” you want color where you actually want it to be the color of the black shirt. When you display the Underbase Channel without the Black Channel on, you will be seeing a small 1% or 2% dot pattern. Obviously you won’t be able to burn this on the screen, but it will show on the monitor. To clean up the Underbase, simply press the button marked Remove Black from Underbase. This removes all areas on the black channel from the Underbase and helps the image display better. You can also take a Tone Curve (Image/Adjustments/Curves) and adjust the Highlight end slightly give the Underbase a higher contrast.
Problem:The prints at press look muddy and are not bright.
Solution:
It is critical that you have a good clean Underbase. Low tension screens will give a mottled look to the white. Increase the screen tension and make sure you are on the correct mesh. The top colors need a clean and fairly fast stroke.
Problem:Process color prints look muddy on the shirt.
Solution:
If you are experiencing too much dot gain (from low tension screens, soft shirts, poor printing conditions, etc.) apply 10% more dot gain to the image before running the routines (make it 10% lighter) by using Image/Adjustments/Curves.
Problem:The original design has solid spot colors of text and the program made the colors halftones.
Solution:
T-Seps uses a pre-determined palette of colors. If your image has a light red, T-Seps will have to make the red (Scarlet Pantone 185) from it’s palette lighter by using halftone dots and other colors. If you want the red area to be 100% color, simply be agressive with a Tone Curve to that particular channel. If you need to do 100% solid Pantone matches through-out the image, it is better to run the Custom Index Color routine where YOU pick the colors from the image.
Problem: Index images do not look correct if resampled.
Solution:
Some of the users have created Index Color Separations and then decided to upsample the image to a larger page size. DO NOT DO THIS. When upsampling an indexed image, Photoshop places grayscale pixels of various shades around other pixels causing the pixels during printout to be very soft. Make sure to be at the final resolution and size before running the Index Separation routines.
Problem:White underbase is not heavy enough.
Solution:
The white Underbase has been carefully created to make a soft Underbase where there are gradations in the image, and a solid Underbase where there is solid text and graphic elements. If this Underbase is too weak, simply select the Underbase channel and apply a Tone Curve adjustment to it (Image/Adjustments/Curves).You cannot adjust the white Underbase in an index image once it has been indexed. (Except in the Custom Index – Halftone Base routine, where the white channels are halftoned). If the Underbase it too weak in an Custom Index – Index Base routine or any of the standard index routines from T-Seps 3.5 or before, make the version of the file that has been masked (the first one to load) lighter than normal before running the program routine.
Problem: Black channel too weak on simulated and real process jobs.
Solution:
The dilemma is how to make the black display the way it will print. Since black ink will gain more than any other color, it is hard to have it both ways. Generally the black plate is correct but may look a little light on the monitor. If you feel the black channel is too light, simply apply a slight Tone Curve to it. Another way to avoid this is by changing a setting in the Color Settings. Try setting Black Generation to Medium and/or Black Ink Limit to 100% instead of 85%. See Section 4.6 – Photoshop Setup & Color Settings for more information.
Problem: Program asks to approve all of the routines.
Solution:
If you run the program and it asks you to approve almost every move it makes, you have accidentally turned on the “stops” in the program. This is an easy mistake to make when switching from List View to Button Mode in the Actions palette. The only solution is to Replace Actions from the Actions menu. This is the small, round button with an arrow on it at the top of the Actions palette. Make sure to select the correct T-Seps action file. Reload the .ATN file named “TSEPS10-English.ATN“. The program may also not be installed correctly. See the next “Problem.”
Problem: Interlok Errors “Interlok Device Driver Not Found” “Certain device drivers need to be updated and/or require a reboot” OR Photoshop crashes or the computer restarts without notice.
Solution:
Interlok is the third party anti-piracy program that is used by T-Seps to prevent piracy of the program and also to prevent theft from registered owners. These errors are easilyfixed by visiting www.paceap.com and downloading the “Interlok drivers” for end users for your particular operating system (Windows, MAC OS9 or MAC OSX). Close Photoshop, install the newest drivers and then reboot the computer. This will solve these errors. These drivers are also on the T-Seps installation disk.
Problem: Can’t find T-Seps in Actions Palette. “I loaded the action and it is still not there”
Solution:
There is no way to automate the loading of the actual “action” that T-Seps uses in the Actions Palette. This must be done manually. Simply open the Actions Palette (Window/Actions) and go to the upper right hand arrow. Come down to Replace Actions. When the Load menu appears, select the appropriate action from the T-Seps folder. Make sure the actions are in Button Mode (upper arrow and select Button Mode). The buttons are in purple, yellow, etc. A common mistake when moving from a demo version to a full version or when upgrading to a newer version is that if you load the action, it places the new version BELOW the old version. You have to scroll down on the menu to even find it. You must REPLACE the action – not LOAD it.
Problem: The Index routine images look grainy on the monitor.
Solution:
Index images can be grainier on the monitor than when they print. Also, the file resolution determines how “grainy” the image will be. You must be at a resolution of at least 150 to 200dpi for indexing to look good. If you run the routine on a low resolution file it will be very grainy AND you can’t upsample an indexed image once the routines are run.
Problem: Index routine underbase and top colors don’t match in size.
Solution:
This one is easy to miss. When the index routine is running the menus will prompt you TWICE to “verify that the input and the output resolutions are the same.” Sometimes Photoshop will change the resolution in this menu. If it says Input 200 dpi and Output 150 dpi, then you will be sampling the image down in size. The Underbase will now be SMALLER than the top colors. You must read the menus and follow the directions.
Problem:Unlocking issues.
Solution:
T-Seps uses a security program called Interlok that only allows you to install the program on two computers at a time. Once the program is installed on the computer correctly, you will receive a series of words called a Challenge when opening Photoshop or running a routine. If you have the full version of T-Seps, it needs to be unlocked within 20 days. We do not accept the Challenge words verbally over the phone because these words are very specific and there are usually errors in understanding them, not to mention the time it takes to transfer them all verbally. You must email them in to support@tbiznetwork.com. When you get the Challenge words, there is a button marked “Copy Challenge” in this window. By pressing this button, you automatically copy the words to “clipboard” on your computer. You can simply paste these words into the body of your e-mail. We will send you back a series of words called a Response that will then unlock T-Seps. Please don’t forget to also include your T-Seps Serial Number (it starts with “TS”) and company information in your unlock request.
Problem:If All Else Fails…..
Solution:
If all else fails, please re-read the manual and re-run the routine making sure to follow the on-screen menus exactly. It is also helpful to view the video training again and learn more about proper image adjustment.
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