The spot colors in a file are defined and named in the software used to create the original input file. When a spot separation VPS or TIFF file is opened in VPS+, the software should automatically detect a spot color and display its CMYK dot percentage equivalents, provided that the software creating the TIFF writes that information into the header of the output file. If you are using a Prinergy workflow system, select the Advanced TIFF Tags check box in an Output Process template, in order to embed color definitions into the header of the VPS or TIFF file.

If VPS+ software does not recognize a spot color, it means that the spot color information is not provided in the file header, and you will have to define the CMYK equivalent in either the Separation Handling dialog box or the Edit Separation dialog.

If VPS+ encounters a spot color it does not recognize while opening the file, it should display the Separation Handling dialog to allow you to specify CMYK display values for spot color. The CMYK equivalent values section of the dialog displays the input file's Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black values. 

When a TIFF input file specifies an unrecognized spot color, the color name is added to the Separation Name list, and you can manually define the color values. When a TIFF input file name specifies a color that already exists in the Separation Name list, the software automatically uses the stored values, even if the TIFF file tags contain no separation data.

Defining a new spot color

1. Select Edit > Separation Handling.
2. In the Separation Handling dialog box, click the Edit (Pencil) icon  in the bottom left-hand corner of the panel.
3. In the Select Color dialog box, in the Separation name box, type a name for the new spot color.
   Or, if a new unrecognized color name was automatically added to the list, select the new spot color. 
4. Define the color values on one of the tabs (CMYK, HSB, Swatches), and click OK.

Modifying the values of a spot color

1. Select Edit > Separation Handling.
2. In the Separation Handling dialog box, in the Separation name box, select the color and click the Edit (Pencil) icon  in the bottom left-hand corner of the panel.
3. In the Select Color dialog box, edit the color values on one of the tabs (CMYK, HSB, Swatches), and click OK.

Modifying the values of a spot color in the Inventory Separations Panel.

1. Select the color name and click the Edit (Pencil) icon  in the bottom left-hand corner of the panel.
2. In the Select Color dialog box, edit the color values in one of the tabs (CMYK, HSB, Swatches) and click OK.