A T-Seps alternative with no Photoshop plug-in or locale dependency

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. The separation does not depend on Photoshop's interface language; that is different from claiming every web-app label is translated. Spot and index separation are free permanently rather than for 20 days, and they run entirely client-side, so no artwork pixels are uploaded; anonymous outcome beacons send metadata only. After free sign-in, the local output includes both PSDs alongside the plate files: a real layered PSD, and a multichannel PSD with true spot channels carrying their ink colours and names. That last one is a paid-tier feature almost everywhere else in this category.

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 separated angles, choked underbase, separate highlight white, per-ink choke and spread, dot gain, registration marks, optional SVG tracing, CMYK and simulated process — is 10 credits per image with free re-renders of that image for 24 hours. The multichannel PSD with real spot channels sits on the free side, written in the browser after free sign-in. Plans are monthly, and there is a one-off pack whose credits never expire — see the pricing page for current prices in your currency. 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 and Separation Studio advertise manual channel control on simulated process, which reflects how much judgement the job needs. This workspace is narrower: if a local Spot or Index palette is retained, its whole-channel density sliders feed the Simulated-process render; a direct render has no editable channels, and neither path exposes per-channel tone curves or an adjustable highlight threshold. Do not choose this tool on the assumption that its first automatic pass is press-ready; test the same hard photograph in every product you are considering.

What we do not have

No built-in RIP or direct-print path — the paid render outputs grayscale plates or 1-bit film and optional SVG, while local spot/index results can be written as layered or multichannel PSDs; 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.