Color separation plugin alternative

Looking for a color separation plugin? Try it without the host app

Most separation plugins need Photoshop or Illustrator running underneath them. Drop your design below and our standalone engine separates it into spot colors right here: no plugin install, no Adobe subscription, free preview.

No plugin installNo Photoshop or IllustratorReal separation engine$179 one-time app

Upload a design and tap Separate free to see it broken into spot colors here.

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Want the actual print-ready plates?

AI Separations desktop — $179 one-time.

A film positive for every ink
Automatic white underbase
Halftone screening at your LPI
Choke & trap built in
Simulated process for photo art
Match to the inks you already stock

Get the desktop app — $179 Or download plates online (pay per use)

Plugin vs. standalone: what actually changes

A plugin lives inside a host application. For Photoshop-based separation plugins and actions, that means you pay for the plugin and keep a Creative Cloud subscription running, and you work in channels. Illustrator workflows separate vector art by assigning spot swatches, which works well for clean vector files but leaves raster art (photos, distressed textures, customer JPEGs) awkward.

A standalone separator reads the pixels directly. AI Separations finds the spot colors in raster or flattened art, builds a plate per ink with an automatic white underbase for dark garments, and exports film positives, with no host app involved.

When a plugin is still the right call

You already live in Photoshop all day and have actions tuned to your press.
Your art arrives as clean vector with spot swatches already assigned. Illustrator's own separations preview handles that.
You need a feature specific to your RIP or plugin vendor.

If none of those describe you, the plugin is mostly a reason to keep paying for the host app.

What you get free on this page

The number of significant inks in your design
The detected spot-color palette (hex values)
A press simulation on a dark or light garment
A quick read on screen print vs. DTF

Press-ready plates (one film positive per ink, halftones at your LPI, choke and trap) come from the $179 one-time desktop app, or pay-per-use in the online separator.

Questions

Is there a color separation plugin that doesn't need Photoshop?

Plugins by definition run inside a host app. If you want to avoid Photoshop, use a standalone separator instead. AI Separations runs on its own in the browser (preview) and as a Windows/macOS desktop app.

Can Illustrator do color separations without a plugin?

Yes, for vector art with spot swatches: Illustrator's Separations Preview and print-to-separations handle it. Raster art such as photos and textured designs is where a dedicated separator helps.

How much does AI Separations cost?

The browser preview is free. The desktop app is $179 one-time with a free trial, and the online separator offers pay-per-use credit packs.