Transparency

[VlBusby]

I was trying to use a text box with a 45% transparency setting. On my screen
and deskjet, it prints fine, but when my commercial printer tries to print or
if I try to convert it to a .pdf, it looks grainy. Whats going on??

 

[Matt Beals]

Transparency doesn't exist in PostScript. So one way or another Windows is
flattening the transparency when it sends it to the printer. So it's
probably being done at a low resolution which you wouldn't necessarily see
on screen. I would suspect that on your deskjet that it would not be visible
either because it is an inkjet on a porous paper. So the ink will spread and
hide a lot of defects.

On thing that could be tried is to use Acrobat Pro 7 to directly convert it
through the PDF maker plug-in. Doubt it will make a difference but it's
worth a shot. If they have tools like PitStop Professional they could
recreate the transparency in your PDF and then flatten it at a high
resolution using their RIP or Acrobat. That really would be the best way to
do it, recreate the transparency. It's more of a pain in the arse but you
will get better results with less dinking around.


Matt Beals
Consultant
Enfocus Certified Trainer, Markzware Recognized Trainer
(206) 618-2537 - cell
(720) 367-3869 - fax
mailto:[email protected]

Come visit me at:
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[Jono]

I was trying to use a text box with a 45% transparency setting. On my screen
and deskjet, it prints fine, but when my commercial printer tries to print or
if I try to convert it to a .pdf, it looks grainy. Whats going on??

I've run into this before, and nobody around here had any ideas.

The transparency works fine when printing to a GDI printer (desktop
inkjets, etc.) but when printing to Postscript printers (or pdf) the
transparency generates a kind of cross-hatch pattern.

The only way I found to get around it is to make the transparent object
in a program like Photoshop, import it into Publisher and then put your
text on top of the object.