# How do I go from PSElements to SEMO? or F&M?



## wooleybugger74 (Jun 17, 2012)

Hi all,
I've spent the past couple hours searching the net and this fine forum for a question that still remains: 
With the programs I have now, (Adobe Photoshop Elements 10, and Inkscape, and Vector Magic), can I create a vector image in Pantone colors for the purpose of plastisol heat transfers to be made?

I'd really like to move from strictly JPSS paper to both paper and plastisol transfers, but I'm still not entirely sure how to take my jpegs and PSDs and send them off to someone like SEMO or F&M or Dowling without either paying another artist to finish my art, or breaking down to buy Illustrator. . .

I'm hoping that someone here is also making their designs in PS, and has found a way to upload proper images, with proper colors, to the printer? and could share with me?

Your help is greatly appreciated. This forum has been tremendously helpful to me!
Dave


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## AnonBri (Jun 20, 2012)

SEMO will not take non-vector files (I believe) they like to get orders out quick and artwork takes too long to get done. However, they are a great company to work with and I highly recommend them. They truly have no setup fees and are lightening fast, they shipped the day after I placed my last order. Not to mention great customer service and quick communication. 

But you have to send them vector art work. If you have raster you can have a company convert your artwork to vector for you: Artwork Source or you can buy illustrator and do it yourself.

You can always buy the adobe master suite thing, I think it's only $50 a month, and comes with a ton of Adobe programs. Illustrator is a great program to have in this business and I prefer to do all my artwork myself, but that's just me.


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## Riph (Jan 11, 2011)

If you have a decent tracing function on those software packages you named, and if they support a pantone color palette (whichever one your transfer printer needs) then you should be able to get there.

I don't know those software packages well enough to give you a specific answer.

I do what you are saying in the Corel X5 suite. Works like a champ. Took a bit of fooling around to get my pdf's exported properly with the pantone colors, but I have that dialed now. So, if you can spend some money on Corel, it should solve your problem. Admittedly, you would be spending some cash.

Also, I think illustrator or CS6 can purchased in a subscription model, so that might be an alternative that doesn't involve a lot of upfront cash.


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## wooleybugger74 (Jun 17, 2012)

Thank you Bri, that link to Artwork Source is very interesting and I'll look into it.
I kinda know how to change my bitmaps into vector using Inkscape, but Inkscape doesn't let me choose the Pantone colors that Semo is requesting that I use, and that's really where I'm stuck. . .
I'm like you, I want to be able to do all my artwork in-house, but maybe I could give Artwork Source a shot.

Can I ask, are there plastisol transfer makers out there that don't require artwork in Pantone colors? And if so, how does this work? Do they mix custom colors for the artwork? Or choose the closest color to what's on my image?
Thanks, Dave


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## AnonBri (Jun 20, 2012)

wooleybugger74 said:


> Thank you Bri, that link to Artwork Source is very interesting and I'll look into it.
> I kinda know how to change my bitmaps into vector using Inkscape, but Inkscape doesn't let me choose the Pantone colors that Semo is requesting that I use, and that's really where I'm stuck. . .
> I'm like you, I want to be able to do all my artwork in-house, but maybe I could give Artwork Source a shot.
> 
> ...


I started out with inkscape too, but I have to say I really love illustrator more. After you learn how to use the basic tools you can really do *anything* in there. It's worth it.

F & M and Dowling Graphics will mix colors but they are still pantone colors, you just have much more options. I believe it's around $20 a color. SEMO might mix colors for higher quantity runs but they advertise that they don't. 

Dowling has great customer service but their setup fees add up like crazy; even if you have perfect artwork or simple one color designs. Dowling does cost less per transfer but if your doing smaller quantity runs it's not quite worth it with all the fees. I haven't done business with F&M yet.

*You don't have to send the artwork in the correct pantone colors*, you can just say the green is supposed to be pantone 346 or whatever. But they might prefer to be in pantone in the actual artwork if you have a lot of colors. 

You can buy pantone color charts so you see the colors in person before ordering transfers.


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## wooleybugger74 (Jun 17, 2012)

That's good to know. I do plan on calling around, it's just that they're closed for the weekend, and it's nice to hear thoughts coming from customers.
I would love to be able to simply send them my artwork and include a jpeg image that has an arrow pointing to each color on my image with a corresponding Pantone color number. I'll call around Monday and see if any of these companies work like that. Thanks again for your help.
I know, I know, I gotta step up into Illustrator. It's hard to leave behind a program I've been working with for so long now. I downloaded the trial version of Illustrator, and gave it a bit of a go. . . but it's a lot to learn right now with all the other stuff I'm putting together for this T shirt company I'm trying to get off the ground. In time, I suppose. . .


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## AnonBri (Jun 20, 2012)

wooleybugger74 said:


> That's good to know. I do plan on calling around, it's just that they're closed for the weekend, and it's nice to hear thoughts coming from customers.
> I would love to be able to simply send them my artwork and include a jpeg image that has an arrow pointing to each color on my image with a corresponding Pantone color number. I'll call around Monday and see if any of these companies work like that. Thanks again for your help.
> I know, I know, I gotta step up into Illustrator. It's hard to leave behind a program I've been working with for so long now. I downloaded the trial version of Illustrator, and gave it a bit of a go. . . but it's a lot to learn right now with all the other stuff I'm putting together for this T shirt company I'm trying to get off the ground. In time, I suppose. . .


Yep I about tore my hair out for the first month trying to use illustrator. But now (about 6 months later) I've used it so much I don't see why it was so hard to start using in the first place. Everything makes sense in the program -- in time . At first I was just like WHY ISN'T THIS LIKE PHOTOSHOP!!! now I'm like... ohhhhhhh


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

If you want to work in vector graphics for t-shirts, CorelDraw is really the way to go. It's intuitive and much easier to learn than Illustrator.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

How many colours are you trying to do?.....

As far as Inkscape, it will do everything you need to to do....


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## wooleybugger74 (Jun 17, 2012)

royster13 said:


> How many colours are you trying to do?.....
> 
> As far as Inkscape, it will do everything you need to to do....


Most of my designs are heavy on colors as I've been doing the JPSS thing and not having to worry. But I will probably narrow the colors down to seven or eight. If I can get two designs using the same seven or eight colors, and then gang those two on to one sheet I can cut the costs.
But when you say it can do everything I need it to do, my research indicated that Inkscape and Pantone don't have any sort of agreement together, and therefore you can't really do your work in Pantones. SEMO requests it to be done so. I did find out that Dowling Graphics justs asks that you indicate which color of the design is which shade of Pantone, so that's cool. . . I might try working with them while I save up for Illustrator.


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## jamerican352005 (Nov 1, 2008)

You don't have to have your colors in Pantone colors for SEMO. As it states on the website as long as you don't have over 30 different CMYK colors in your file those colors will be converted in house to spot Pantone colors at no additional fee. Some files can have hundreds of CMYK colors and it is very timely to go in and convert each color over to Spot Pantone colors. Try to keep the CMYK colors down under 30 and use colors that are similar to the colors you pick with your online order and there are no worries with your artwork :0)


Take care of your customers they feed your family-Bre SEMO Imprints


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