Color separation service alternative

Skip the separation service queue: separate it yourself in 30 seconds

Separation services are people, and people have turnaround times. This is software: upload your art below and see the spot-color separation right now, free. Download the press-ready plates when you're happy with them.

Instant, not next-dayFree previewPay per job or own itAutomated (not a human artist)

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)

Separation service vs. doing it in software

A separation service is a person (often a prepress artist) who takes your file, pulls the separations by hand and sends films back, typically charging per design and taking hours to days. That is still the right call for complex simulated-process jobs where you want an expert's judgment on every channel.

For the everyday work (logos, spot-color illustration, customer art for a 2–6 color job), software gets you the same plates in seconds. AI Separations detects the inks, builds a plate for each one with an automatic white underbase on dark garments, and exports film positives.

What it costs

Free: the preview on this page, with ink count, palette and a press simulation.
Pay per job: credit packs in the online separator start at $19 for 25 credits.
Own it: the desktop app is $179 one-time, less than a handful of jobs at typical service rates.

Bad customer art? Recreate it first

Services often charge extra to redraw a blurry JPEG or a photo of a shirt. The online separator includes Recreate artwork (AI), which redraws rough art with hard edges and flat color so it separates cleanly (2 credits per run). It is a redraw, not a copy: letterforms can shift, so always compare before you print.

Questions

Is this a human color separation service?

No. AI Separations is automated software. You upload the art and the engine produces the separation instantly. For complex jobs where you want a prepress artist's judgment, a human service is still a good option.

How much does a color separation cost here?

The preview is free. Press-ready plates cost credits in the online separator (packs start at $19 for 25 credits), or the desktop app is $179 one-time for unlimited use.

Can it fix low-quality artwork?

The Recreate artwork (AI) tool redraws rough or low-resolution art so it separates cleanly, for 2 credits per run. Check the redraw against the original before printing.