Although you cannot create objects, you can have Plate Builder fill any objects containing stroked paths that are closed by selecting Fill closed paths. In this way, you can use a position keyline to create an overall varnish or white backing plate. For example, to fill the following circle with a varnish or white separation, select Fill closed paths or edit the circle in the original desktop software so that the circle's fill color is no longer set to None; otherwise, Plate Builder adds only the outline of the circle to the separation.
- Click the Plate Builder Tool button to start a Plate Builder session.
- Select an object or objects.
- On the Plate Builder toolbar, click Add selected objects to separation, or right-click (Control-click), and select Add Objects to a separation.
- In the Add Selected Objects to Separation dialog box:
- In the Separation list, select a separation, or select Edit Separation List and add a separation.
- In the Object Borders area, select Choke or Spread, and type the size of the border in the Size box.
You can spread, or overlap, the border of an object to an underlying object or substrate, or you can choke, or shrink, the border of an object for a color separation. You can also specify the geometry of line joins so that they are Bevel (default), Round, or Miter. If needed, you can set the Miter Limit. - From the Line Join Style box, select Miter, Round, or Bevel (default), and if needed, set the Miter Limit.
- In the Small Objects area, in the Ignore text smaller than box, type smallest sized text that you want Plate Builder to recognize, and in the Ignore strokes smaller than box, type the smallest line size that you want Plate Builder to recognize. Plate Builder will not add objects smaller than these values to the separation.
- If you want Plate Builder to fill any stroked paths that are closed with the separation color, select Fill closed paths.
- Click OK.
The highlight color changes to the Object in Separation Selection color.