When working with a vector PDF in Separation Studio NXT, the base plays a crucial role. It creates a solid foundation for colored inks, ensuring vibrant, high-quality, and durable prints —especially when printing on dark or colored garments. A base also fends off garment dye sublimation that dulls ink, making it essential for professional results on dark fabrics.
Using the BASE Generation Feature
In Separation Studio NXT, clicking the Base button will open the Base Properties window, which controls the creation and modification of a base separation. The options available are:
COMBINE: Includes or removes all separation from the base. Toggles allow for all or individual on/off control.
APPLY TO ALL: Allows all separations to use the same Choke and Style settings or customize each separation.
CHOKE: Value up to 2 pt to improve on-press registration. 1pt equals 1/72 of an inch.
NOTE: For more information on Choking a base separation, see this article here: How to Set and Preview Base Separation Choke in Separation Studio® NXT
STYLE: Honor both solid and halftone values (mixed solid and halftone icon) or force all values to 100% solid (solid icon).
A walkthrough of the Base generation can be seen here: VIDEO LINK >
Understanding LIVE vs STATIC Bases
When creating a Base, there are two options to choose from: Live and Static:
Static Base
- Fixed once created; cannot be changed
- Consistent results across prints
- Separations can be removed without affecting the base
Live Base
- Ideal for designs needing frequent changes to the base
- Adjust anytime; right-click the base separation and select “Update Base”
- Automatically adjusts when separations are removed
Comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.