Frequently Asked Questions about T-Seps
Q. I have FastFilms. Is it still being supported and what happens if I need an unlock?
A. FastFilms is being supported personally by developer Scott Fresener. We would not leave you hanging. If you need support or an unlock simply email scott@tbiznetwork.com along with your FastFilms serial number. In fact Scott is offering Toll Free support for FastFilms and T-Seps at 1/888-801-1561! T-Seps should be considered “FastFilms 5.0” and sooner or later you will need to upgrade to T-Seps for new operating systems (Windows 7 and 8 or the latest Mac OS) and new versions of Photoshop. Plus T-Seps 2.0 works in Photoshop CS5 and CS6 32-bit and 64-bit. T-Seps 4.0 works in all the CC versions. FastFilms users can upgrade to T-Seps 2.0 or 4.0. Purchase or upgrade HERE.
Q. What is T-Seps?
A. T-Seps is a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop that automates doing high quality separations. T-Seps 2.0 is available in FIVE languages. T-Seps 4.0 is only in English and only works in an English version of Photoshop. Changing the language version of Photoshop is easy and is covered on the Troubleshooting page.
- Photorealistic Simulated Process Color separations on dark AND light shirts From 4 – 14 colors (or more)
- Index Color separations on dark and light shirts including push-button routines for four-color designs.
- Process Color (CMYK) separations for light and pastel colored shirts
- Spot Color separations
- Discharge/Waterbased ink separations
- Old Photo Vintage separations
- Option to output pre-halftoned separations (no RIP necessary).
- Special Effects such as Edge Effects and the Distressed look.
- T-Seps tells you the proper mesh counts, color sequence, ink selection, printing techniques and more.
- It includes a detailed Reference Manual that can be viewed and printed on your computer or printed out with Adobe Acrobat. The manual is loaded with Photoshop help for those who don’t know the program that well.
- It is based on Scott Fresener’s YEARS of teaching the process and his intimate knowledge of using Photoshop for high-end color separations. Scott has consulted people who print for Disney, Harley and many others.
- T-Seps is basically the same as Scott Fresener’s very popular FastFilms program. Under the hood T-Seps uses the powerful color separation routines that were used in FastFilms. With new improvements to the Color Separation Engine and tweaks to routines you will get separations similar to and better than with FastFilms. Plus, if you don’t have a software rip for your printer, you can output films without a RIP (yes, a RIP does a better job of ink control than the typical Epson driver).
- T-Seps works on both Mac and Windows platforms as a plugin for Photoshop 6.0 through all CC versions including support for Photoshop 64-bit.
Q. Will it work in Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator
A. No. And, it never will. Corel and Illustrator are vector based program and T-Seps is designed to only work in Adobe Photoshop – a pixel/raster based program. It will also not work in Photoshop clone programs like Photo Paint. Corel users click here. Don’t be fooled by Corel Draw plug-ins that claim to do what T-Seps does. Nothing is better at image manipulation, underbase building and color accuracy than Photoshop and T-Seps. And, there are not a lot of convoluted steps to do the separations. But, you can create the image in Corel or Adobe Illustrator and simply save it as a PDF file and then do great color separations in T-Seps.
Q. What is the difference between T-Seps and other “similar” programs?
A. We are often asked to compare T-Seps to other color separation programs. Many of them brag that they are “the same” as FastFilms or T-Seps. The truth is that Scott Fresener did not write their programs. Color separation programs are VERY complex. They are only as good as the person who actually has the color separation experience and skills. Good color separations are done by very skilled operators who have had years of experience in creating separations that work for screen printing.
T-Seps was written and developed by Scott Fresener who has taught the color separation process around the world and in most major factories for the last 35 years (on the camera before there was computer graphics). T-Seps has his hundreds of subtle tweaks and adjustments built in. It is these things that make a pretty good set of separations by someone else, an outstanding set of separations with T-Seps or the original FastFilms. Don’t be fooled when someone says their program is “the same or better than” T-Seps or FastFilms. But, in many cases, separations from other programs are find for every-day work. The real difference is in critical jobs.
T-Seps does a great job on images that have a lot of detail and have critical colors to match. Also, T-Seps has the best monitor display of all the programs. The display of the final seps is designed to show how the print will look when you apply dot gain that you get on press. What you see on the monitor matches what the print will look like.
Another “difference” is the level of support you get with T-Seps. Support is provided personally by Scott Fresener. What more could you want than support (at all hours of the day) from the person who wrote the program and does thousands of color separations per year. Trust your instincts and go with the number one color separator on the market. Keep in mind that a different software program is not a “deal” for less money if the program doesn’t work! Most competing programs have free trial versions. Give them all a shot and judge for yourself. You SHOULD try any expensive program before you buy it.
Q. What is all this talk about “magic color models”?
A. There is a lot of talk about competitors creating magic color models that do “dead on” separations every time using specific ink colors. The problem with this is that these type of separations try to use the colors of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Red, Green, Blue and an Underbase – and that is just too many colors. AND….. they are similar to CMYK printing in that they make all the colors from just their specific colors rather than allow you to print a nice solid spot color where you need. There is simply no reason you would want to print a golden yellow using yellow and red. Or, if you needed a specific burgundy you would never want to make this by printing black halftone dots over red. You would print the exaact burgundy out of your ink bucket. These color models and separation types sound good in theory but it is obvious that their developers are not real world screen printers where most jobs need specific spot colors and color callouts.
Q. Will it work with a a low quality, low resolution JPG image?
A. Yes and no. If the image is critical with a lot of detail then if you zoom in on it you will see that the edges are very soft and jagged. You can upsample the image to 300 dpi and have less jaggies but the image will be soft. There is no magic here. But, many images are graphics that are more freeform or maybe “grungy” looking and if they are a little soft when printed no one will know the difference. T-Seps has a routine that helps improve low quality JPG images and there are other third party plugins for Photoshop that will do this. If possible you should at least upsample the image to 300 dpi and then if there are type or hard edge elements try to replace them.
Q. Will it work on a bootleg “cracked” version of Photoshop?
A. We believe in helping maintain the integrity of the industry and protecting software developers like ourselves. T-Seps is not guaranteed to work on a “non-legal” version of Photoshop.
Q. How will I know how to print the job?
A. T-Seps is VERY smart and it will make you very smart, too. It will tell you what ink colors to use using off-the-shelf standard plastisol colors. It will tell you what mesh count to use, what color sequence to print the job, and what halftone angle and line count to use to output great films. It will make your life EASY!
Q. Is there a demo available?
A. There is a fully functioning 20 day trial version that works for all routines. Download it from this site.
Q. Is there support?
A. Technical Support for T-Seps is FREE! Support is by e-mail and by phone. Call Scott Fresener direct at 480-212-1078 or Toll Free at 1/888-801-1561. Email support@tbiznetwork.com.
Q. Is there free training?
A. Of course! We want you to be printing shirts, not wasting your time figuring out how to use software all by yourself. You get our online Photoshop Training Course for free with the purchase of a full version of T-Seps. And, there are dozens of Training Videos and a great Reference Manual to help you have success with T-Seps. Plus when you buy a full version you get access to the Photoshop Master Class training course for free.
Q. How much do upgrades cost me?
A. In order to keep up with constant changes made by Photoshop, Microsoft and Apple, we often have to jump through hoops to keep the program upgraded. If the upgrade is minor there is often no charge. There is a small charge when a complete new version number is released. Upgrades are a simple download.
Q. Will it work with a four-color or a six-color press?
A. Yes!! Although your images on a four-color press may be limited to light shirt colors, you can do excellent images on light and dark shirts with only a six-color press. We had hundreds of users who only have a six color press and who are doing great designs on light and dark shirts. In fact our index routines will even do four-color separations that work on light shirts.
Q. How do I print out the images?
A. Once the Photoshop channels (separations) are created it is a simple matter of printing the channels directly from Photoshop or even Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. You normally need a software RIP when printing halftones. If you don’t have a software RIP then T-Seps will also convert the file to halftone dots – ready to print from any program. If you want to print the “channel separations” from other programs like Illustrator or Corel Draw, simply export the file as a dcs2.eps or as a PDF file and print from those programs. Easy!
Q. Can I put it on more than one computer?
A. T-Seps is sold with a TWO user license. If you want to put it on more than two computers you will need to purchase additional licenses. If your computer crashes or you buy a new computer a new unlock is as easy as an email away. And, there is NO dongle to hassle with.
Q. Will it really do seps in less than one minute?
A. Yes! In fact, if you have a new speedy computer it will do seps in less than thirty seconds! But, once the basic separations are done you will normally need to spend a few minutes or more tweaking the seps to match the original artwork. You can see on screen the exact changes when you lighten, darken or change a color. This is often the case when you have critical Pantone color call-outs or extremely colorful artwork that needs to print with a limited number of press colors.
Q. Can I really print Photorealistic images on a manual press?
A. Yes, thousands of printers do it every day. Take a look at our Gallery. Over 50% of the samples are done on manual presses!
Q. Can I use vellum to burn the screens?
A. Yes, but if the image is detailed or tight registration you would be better off using an inkjet printer for a more solid halftone dot and better registration.
Q. How many flashes do I need for dark shirts?
A. Generally one is all you need (after the underbase white).
Q. Do I need to buy a special brand of ink?
A. No, the program gives ink specifications and colors that are readily available off-the-shelf. You are not locked into using a specific ink brand.
Q. Will the separations be dead-on the first time?
A. Generally, yes, but because of the differences in printing techniques and quality of original art, a job may need to be adjusted slightly. The program allows you to preview each film in the correct color and make adjustments to color sequence and opacity right on the computer before ever going to press.
Q. Is the program hard to use?
A. Not at all. You should have a basic grasp of Adobe Photoshop, but once the image is scanned and adjusted to look the way is should look on the shirt – just push the button and sit back! There are dozens of training videos on this website showing how to use the program. And, if you feel you need in-depth Photoshop training check out our Photoshop Online Master Class that includes 27 videos – over four hours of training.
Q. How does the program work?
A. It analyzes the design for a very specific color set and goes through hundreds of complex calculations. It then creates individual channels for the underbase white, highlight white and each color. All the channels are adjusted for the proper dot gain, interaction of colors, garment color and ink opacities.
Q. Can we return it if we don’t like it?
A. This is no different than any other software. We don’t offer refunds. We offer a free trial that is fully functioning for 20 days so you can evaluate the program and make sure it works for your needs before you make the purchase. The program will create excellent separations that will need to be screen printed using good techniques (proper tension, good press, sharp squeegees, etc.). If you have a six-color or more press and are good at screen printing you will LOVE the program. We would not be selling it if we didn’t know that it works. If you have any doubts simply download the sample files or demo and do some evaluation prints first. We will gladly supply a list of references and phone numbers.
Q. Won’t the text look ragged if printed from Photoshop?
A. Let’s not forget that we are printing on a T-shirt. Many computer artists are taught to always take an image into a drawing program to add text and other graphic elements. If you work at a resolution of 300 dpi, the image is more than sharp enough for printing directly out of Photoshop. A LOT of the shirt images you see hanging in major department stores are created entirely in Photoshop at 300 dpi.