Part 2 of Letter "S" Photoshop Terms Glossary

Joli Ballew
Categories : Publishing ,Multimedia
Tags : Multimedia publishing topics dtp tips

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Simulated process color separations: Sometimes called fake process color separations, these are created when you want to print an image on a dark-colored shirt. Common images and clients for simulated process color prints include rock bands, fantasy groups, animals, motorcycles, and photographs. Simulated process color differs from true process color because these images are not printed using CMYK inks like regular process prints are. These images are printed using “regular” colors like red, black, orange, yellow, blue, white, etc., and are printed with all-purpose inks.

Skew: A Transform tool that allows you to slant an image vertically or horizontally.

Slice tool: Slices are generally used to define areas of an image that will later be used for animating for a web page, as links to URL addresses or for rollover buttons.

Smudge tool: Smudges an area of the image using any brush you choose.

Source (Sampled or Pattern): Used when repairing flaws in images (perhaps with the Healing Brush) to determine how exactly an image will be repaired. Sampled uses pixels from the current image, and Pattern fills the area with a pattern you select from the Pattern pop-up palette.

Spacing: Controls the distance between the brush strokes when using a brush. Increasing the spacing creates a skipping effect; decreasing the spacing creates less of a skipping effect (or none if set to 0).

Splitting channels: To send process color separations to programs that don’t accept DCS 2.0 files, you can split channels to create a separate file for each channel that you’ve created. When splitting channels, Photoshop renames them and places them on the screen one by one as they’re created. With these separate files, you can do a File>Save As command on each file, and then you can send them to a service bureau or import them into another program. To split the channels, simply click the right arrow in the Channels palette and choose Split Channels. Don’t do this until you’re sure though; this can’t be undone!

Spot color: Images that have a limited number of colors in the design. Generally, spot color prints are the easiest kind of images to both screen print and color separate.

Step Backward: Like the Undo command, you can revert to a previous state. With Step Backward you can undo even after you’ve saved the image with the state change.

Step Forward: Allows you to move forward one state. Moving forward is the opposite of moving backward and is only available after using the Step Backward command from the Edit menu.

Stochastic: Indexed separations use random square dots called stochastic or diffusion dither. These dots are not halftone dots and are used only in indexed color separations.

Strength: Used with Blur, Sharpen, and Smudge and specifies how strong the stroke should be. Lower numbers reduce the strength; higher numbers increase the strength.

Styles palette: Lets you apply a preset style to a selected layer, which can be the foreground or background or load different libraries of styles.

Sublimation: Printing with sublimation requires that you have a sublimation printer and sublimation inks, along with special papers for printing. Although sublimation can be used for printing T-shirts, caps, and totes, it is mostly used for printing coffee cups, mouse pads, luggage tags, clipboards, and similar materials.

Swatches palette: Allows you to choose a foreground or background color and allows you to add or delete colors from the swatches library of colors.

This post is part of the series: Photoshop Terms from A to Z - A Glossary

Learn common and obscure terms used by Adobe Photoshop in this A-to-Z series.