A T-Seps alternative that does not need Photoshop

What T-Seps is, as its vendor describes it

T-Seps is published by T-Biz Network International, founded by Scott Fresener — t-seps.com now redirects to t-biznetwork.com. When we checked on 28 July 2026, T-Seps 4.0 was listed at $345, reduced from $395, as a one-time purchase, with the store page stating it can be installed on up to four computers (an older FAQ page still says two, so confirm with the vendor). It is a Photoshop plug-in: the vendor states it works on Mac and Windows inside Photoshop, with T-Seps 4.0 for versions after CS6, and notes that 4.0 is English-only and works only on an English version of Photoshop. Activation is by emailing a request code to the vendor; there is no dongle. The vendor advertises spot, simulated process, index, CMYK and monochrome separation, a built-in halftone routine that outputs films without a separate RIP, a job proof module, mesh count and print order recommendations, and a 20-day fully functioning free trial with no credit card required. Verify current details with the vendor.

Where T-Seps is likely the better choice

The built-in halftone routine is a genuine convenience — it produces printable films from inside Photoshop without a separate RIP, which for a small shop is one fewer piece of software to buy and learn. The job proof module, mesh recommendations and print order guidance encode decades of practical printing experience rather than just image maths. If you already live in Photoshop and want your separations produced in the panel next to everything else, a plug-in is the right ergonomics. And one payment, four machines, no recurring bill is a straightforwardly appealing deal.

Where this is genuinely different

No Photoshop requirement and no install at all — it is a browser tab, which matters if your art station is old, if you do not carry a Photoshop subscription, or if the machine that needs to separate is not the machine with the licence on it. No language restriction. Spot and index separation are free permanently rather than for 20 days, and they run entirely client-side, so your artwork makes no network call — verifiable in the browser's network tab, not a promise. And the output includes a real layered PSD and a multichannel PSD with true spot channels alongside the plate files.

The cost comparison, plainly

T-Seps was $345 one-time when we checked, plus whatever Photoshop costs you. Here, spot and index separation are free with no time limit, and the print-ready render — halftones at non-moiré angles, choked underbase, separate highlight white, choke and spread, trapping, dot gain, registration marks, vector plates, CMYK and simulated process, multichannel PSD — is 10 credits per image with free re-renders. Plans are $8.50 a month for 600 credits or $19 for 1,500, plus an optional $9 top-up of 500 credits that never expire. A one-time purchase pays for itself against a monthly plan eventually; where that crossover sits depends on how much you separate, and if you separate every day it is not that far away.

Both of us make you drive simulated process

T-Seps, UltraSeps, Separation Studio, the AI-branded browser services and this all keep manual channel control on simulated process, and that is not a coincidence — automatic sim-process is unreliable everywhere. We ship the per-channel curve and density override in the same release as the automatic pass and put it on the marketing page rather than in an advanced tab. If your main reason to switch tools is hoping for a one-click sim-process that just works, no vendor in this category can honestly sell you one.

What we do not have

No built-in RIP or direct-print path — we output grayscale plates, 1-bit film, PSD, multichannel PSD and SVG, and your workflow continues from there. No mesh count or print order recommendations, and no decades of accumulated shop knowledge baked into presets. No Photoshop panel. What we do have: nothing to install, nothing to activate, no watermarks on any tier ever, a free half that never expires, and a separation that can run without your customer's artwork leaving the building.