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Need Background to be Transparent!

topic posted Sat, September 15, 2007 - 2:53 PM by  Om Shiva
i'm going to seriously hurt my CS2 software. i've tried everything i know and what others know.
maybe someone here has an idea...

ive got a 3 color vector graphic logo that needs to have a transparent background for print.
i save it as .tiff and open it in photoshop.
i've tried removing b/g by hand,
i've saved as using quick mask, alpha channels, etc. then importing into InDesign to check results.
i get the transp. b/g but all the edges are jaggy.
i've never had such issues before. its ridiculous how many diff. things i've tried to get results.

how do i get my background transparent AND get clean lines around the edges of my image?
argh!

thanks in advance for your help!
posted by:
Om Shiva
offline Om Shiva
Seattle
60 friends
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  • Re: Need Background to be Transparent!

    Mon, September 17, 2007 - 2:21 PM
    If you import (or paste) the artwork from Illustrator as a smart object OR pixels, it will have no background as a default.

    Also, is there a specific reason you need the format as a tiff?
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    • Byron
      Byron
      offline 99

      Re: Need Background to be Transparent!

      Tue, September 18, 2007 - 8:45 AM
      Marty is right to question why you need to convert it most print shops can handle .ai files and if they can't I'd question their ability to hnadle your job anyways ! Anyways you can export also as a GIF which supports transparency as well.
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      • James
        James
        offline 26

        Re: Need Background to be Transparent!

        Tue, September 18, 2007 - 5:03 PM
        Actually GIFs are only good for the web, not for print. The resolution and color range is too limited to get anything like a decent print quality. The standard resolution for print is 300 dpi or higher. For the web it is around 72 dpi. I've lost count how many times I've had to tell a designer that you can't give me a web graphic and expect it to print like anything but crap.

        I'm with Marty in wondering why do you need it as a TIFF file anyway? If it is a vector graphic built in Illustrator, then why not just save it as an EPS file and import it into whatever page layout program you are using that way? If you must...MUST, have it as a TIFF file. then export it into Photoshop and make a clipping path around the graphic elements that you want to show up. But you'd be much better off simply saving it as an EPS file.
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        • James
          James
          offline 26

          Re: Need Background to be Transparent!

          Wed, September 19, 2007 - 7:06 PM
          On second thought, I just realized that for the clipping path to work in your page layout program, you have to save the whole thing as an EPS anyway. So you are just better off saving it as an EPS vector image in Illustrator anyway.
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          • Re: Need Background to be Transparent!

            Thu, September 20, 2007 - 2:49 PM
            james is right... but one more thing: can it just remain as an AI file? especially since CS2, Adobe apps work want to work together in native formats.
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            • James
              James
              offline 26

              Re: Need Background to be Transparent!

              Thu, September 20, 2007 - 5:39 PM
              "can it just remain as an AI file? especially since CS2, Adobe apps work want to work together in native formats."

              Of course you are assuming that
              (A.) it's not being laid out in Quark (which may or may not handle native AI files yet) and
              (B.) it is don't going to go through a digital image setter for seperations.

              A lot of RIP software is written for EPS only and won't seperate AI or PDF files into four color process or spot colors. Adobe is working on software that will eventually seperate PDF files like it does EPS but it is not out there yet.

              If you are doing something you will not needing seps for, like a digital print from an inkjet printer. Then you can save it as an AI file fine. If on the other hand you are working on something that needs to go to a commerical printer, then I'd say save it as EPS. Otherwise your printer will have to make the change themselves...and charge you for it.
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              • Byron
                Byron
                offline 99

                Re: Need Background to be Transparent!

                Sat, September 22, 2007 - 7:04 PM
                I think what needs to be clarified really is what is the final destination of the file ! If the printer can't handle anything other than Tiff files you should wonder about it. Thanks James for clarifying the gif info I know that but was letting them know it is a viable solution for transparency ! I didn't say anything about printing from it !

                EPS sucks ass it is undependable and breaks all the time. If you can keep it in its' native format yo are best off. Lastly something that hasn't been covered but maybe you by accident have a layer that has a block of colour underneath your image and that is why you aren't getting your transparency .
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                • Om S...
                  Om Shiva
                  offline 60

                  Re: Need Background to be Transparent!

                  Wed, September 26, 2007 - 2:35 PM
                  well after running my brain thru the mill on this and trying more ways of figuring this out than i wish to ever do again...

                  discovered png. cool.
                  doesnt resize for client well though. actually, not even for me.
                  i had to resize IN the ai document and then save as png. interesting.

                  also realized that i can get the tiff to be transp when using my prof design software to import into ID, etc.
                  however, the CLIENT is creating her own postcards on Vistaprint (her choice - i know...designer shudders) which actually look really good. she has a pretty good eye for layout. but when you arent using prof design sofware to do your print docs, you get a non-transp background.

                  i have had issues with eps not showing up transp background too, even IN CS2.

                  got the web logo figured out. once i put the matte behind the gif, same color as the website, it started showing up great. weird how that matte edging was the key to it showing up non-dithered on the site. sometimes the software limitations elude me.

                  this was a HUGE learning curve and oh so strung out and painful. but now i know ;)
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