[b]Help with transparent Images![/b]

[JJinks]

I need to create transparent images to give to users which can be used in most all popular graphic applications (i.e. Pagemaker, Illustrator, InDesign, Corel Draw, Freehand, MS Publisher, Quark, etc.).

I continually have problems trying to create a transparent image which displays correctly in all of these applications. I've tried using tiff with transparency, alpha channels and clipping paths. In some cases these procedures will provide a result which works for some applications but not in others.

Has anyone found a procedure to create a transparent image which displays correctly in all graphic applications?

Also does anyone know of a way to create a clipping path which produces an anti-aliased border?

I seem to have the best luck using alpha channels, however they are not tranparent at all in some programs.

Thank you for any help regarding this issue! :lol:

Jason

[dimitri]

i don't think there is a unic way for that. in quark you would make clippingpaths --> eps, or if you need soft edges you make the whole page in photoshop and place it in quark in the back.
in microsoft programs you would work in rgb and create alpha channels for transparency. save it as targa or tif files.

in new versions of quark or in indesign you can place photoshop files with transparency saved as photoshop pdf file (or in indesign place the psd)

so for each application you would have to take a different approach...

cheers

[Bodes67]

I work on a Creo/Scitex rip and Indesign files that have Photshop files or elements within ID that have transparancy can cause major headaches when ripping pages that have these elements.

If your going to send ID files to your printer contact them to see how you should set up files and what are problems on the rip they are using.

I work for a printing company in the pre press dept. and when we first starting getting ID files with tranparancies......UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHH

But we figured out how to utlize other applications to get the same effect that the designer wants to create in ID. This helped out when ripping pages that there was no major problems and there was no bottleneck of spending too much time on one job.

[nayrb]

i know that in indesign you can place layered psd (which is why i love indesign) files with the background removed and create layermask from a clipping path on the layer that needs a transparent background.

this way you can keep nice soft edges around your image while retaining any correction or adjustment layers in your placed file.

long live indesign!

[DCurry]

Originally Posted by Bodes67

I work on a Creo/Scitex rip and Indesign files that have Photshop files or elements within ID that have transparancy can cause major headaches when ripping pages that have these elements.

I work for a printing company in the pre press dept. and when we first starting getting ID files with tranparancies......UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHH

But we figured out how to utlize other applications to get the same effect that the designer wants to create in ID. This helped out when ripping pages that there was no major problems and there was no bottleneck of spending too much time on one job.

I also use Creo RIPs (PS/M 7, Brisque 4), and ID files rip pretty darn well for me. Do the problems you experience have to do with type or vector art getting rasterized into the CT because a nearby transparent object takes them with it? If so, go back into the ID file and move the object you want to stay in the LW onto a layer above the one with the transparent object and it will rip into the LW rather than the CT! Way easier than recreating the effect in another app. Also works with Illustrator files that use transparency.

The only issue I've run into is when transparency is mixed with spot colors.

[Bodes67]

We had a specialist come in from Adobe and work with our prepress dept. now we have no major problems with transparancie issue. We dod run into occasional problems with tiff files pleced in ID, when you rip the file at creo/brisque station and you view your ripped files whe you look at your Cts in the lower left corner of the ct there is a smaller version of the ct almost like a thumbnail. Only work around so far is to re-save the file as a Photoshop eps file.

Bodes

[cari]

You must be careful when blending with Spot colours... Multiply and Screen mode are safest and in InDesign -- at least -- retain their spot colour status, other blends have the tendency to generate process colour separations.

Can't test at the moment -- XMas day, and am on holidays -- but should work fine in most cases...

Also there now is native .psd spotcolour support (from Photoshop cs for InDesign cs).

Cheers,

Cari