Colour separation for screen printing, from an image

Updated on 5 October 2026

To separate the colours of an image for screen printing, force your ink palette in Homotope, then export one file per colour (a ZIP of PDF, EPS, SVG or DXF) or a layered SVG.

PNG illustration: potted plant shaded in two tones, dark brown outline, yellow sun. — 600 × 600 px PNG and the SVG produced by the engine, Illustration preset, « Nombre de couleurs » (number of colours) set to 10, untouched: the ten colours of the drawing, none invented: one per thread, screen or vinyl.

The same illustration traced to SVG, each area a single colour. — 600 × 600 px PNG and the SVG produced by the engine, Illustration preset, « Nombre de couleurs » (number of colours) set to 10, untouched: the ten colours of the drawing, none invented: one per thread, screen or vinyl.

Try it with your image

Steps

The workshop interface is in French; the button names are quoted below in French with their meaning.

Open the workshop, drop the image, Logo or Illustration preset.
In « Palette imposée » (fixed palette), paste or import your inks (list, CSV or ASE), then tick « Imposer ce nuancier »: each pixel takes the closest ink, no colour invented. Dithering (Floyd–Steinberg) is optional.
In Export, keep « Découpé » (cut) mode and tick « Une couche par couleur » (one layer per colour).
Choose « Un fichier par couleur (ZIP) »: one file per ink, named after your palette.

Homotope traces in your browser: the engine runs on your own machine, in a Web Worker, and your image is sent nowhere unless you save it to your account or ask for a server computation. The workshop opens without an account and without a usage limit: tracing, preview, SVG and PNG exports are free. Fabrication exports (DXF, EPS, PDF, separations): 2 free per month with an account, unlimited with Pro; the conversion stays in your browser.

What the separations contain

Each file is the visible area of its colour; files are disjoint (knockout): nothing is printed under another ink.
Layered SVG: one layer per colour, recognised by Inkscape and Illustrator.
DXF: one layer per colour, named after the palette.
They are RGB files in flat colours, one per ink, not films ready for exposure: output to film stays with your software or your printer.
Separations are flat colours: no halftone screen and no trapping; add them afterwards in your software if the job needs them.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a colour separation for screen printing?

Force your inks in the Homotope palette, keep cut mode, tick one layer per colour and download the ZIP with one file per colour.

Are the separations knocked out?

Yes: each file is the visible area of its colour and the files do not overlap.

Which formats for the separations?

One file per colour as PDF, EPS, SVG or DXF in a ZIP, or a single SVG or DXF with one layer per colour.

Does Homotope ship Pantone colours?

No, no Pantone table is shipped: paste or import your own palette, as CSV or ASE.

More guides

Try it with your image