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Can I do Gradient fades to 0% and images fading as well

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samjoy

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Apr 28, 2009
103
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I have seen many brochures etc that show an image half faded in or this could be a gradient say the same colour as background on top of image faded from 100% to 0% opacity. I do this using layer masks all the time in ps but can this be done in Indesign. I know I can place an image from ps that has the fade I want but it can be a bind to change the fade ps to make it work with the text in Indesign when chaning things around, thanks Sam
 

...indesign cs3 and cs4 have the "gradient feather" option:

object > effects > gradient feather

...there are other basic feathers available too, anything required to be more customized would need to be done in photoshop and import as PSD...

andrew
 
Just curious -- why import psd? Why not save as jpg and then place jpg?
 

...PSD is a more flexible format, more streamlined workflow, an editable format that saves you the bother of having to re-save every time you edit the image to another format, and fumbling around trying to find the source layered file...

...not a written rule, but having two images, one layered and one flattened of the same subject means more images to manage, just makes life that bit easier in the long run...

andrew
 
Jpeg is a flat image, it does not support layers, it does not support transparency and if you save an image as a jpeg it adds artifacts to the image which lessen the quality of the image.

An artifact is the appearance of ringing, contouring, posterizing, staircase along curved edges and blockiness/chckerboarding in areas of solid colour.

These are all undesireable effects to have within an image. Everytime you save a jpg as a jpg it adds more and more artifacts to the image, reducing the quality again and again with each save.

If you open a jpg to make edits it's best to save it as a tiff or psd file, rather than a jpg. If you add text to the image, it's best to save it with the layers in tact and as a PDF.


PSD
This is a native photoshop format. IT SUPPORTS layers, it supports transparency, it supports type (although it outputs the type as raster - so back to PDF if you have type, vector shapes or vector masks).

PSD does not use any lossy compression (lossy means data is lossed when saved, so by not using lossy compression it keeps the image data intact).

PDF
Generally the only time you save as PDF is if you include Text, vectors, vector shapes, vector masks in the artwork. PDF is fully editable after saving, in photoshop, and it supports the output of vectors, types, vector masks etc.

For any other work (bitmap/raster images), a tiff or psd file is fine. If you have transparency then psd file is for you. If you don't have transparency then TIFF is just fine too. You can have transparency in a tiff but you need to create a clipping path first - so a psd file would be better suited as it negates the clipping path steps.






 
Let's say that I'm creating a newletter in InDesign that will have images. The newletter will be exported as a pdf and posted to a website. In addition, there will be some printed versions (printed on a color laser printer).

What would be the best format for the placed images? Some of the images will have gradients.
 
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