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Image problem when exporting to PDF
- Thread starter garykford
- Start date
I'm not that familar with bringing in eps files into InDesign but it seems they arent very compatible, like eps in Xpress.
I was reading that the best way is to just keep Illustrator files in the native.ai form or rasterising the postscript file when placing it in InDesign. Theres an option to do that when initially placing the eps.
I was reading that the best way is to just keep Illustrator files in the native.ai form or rasterising the postscript file when placing it in InDesign. Theres an option to do that when initially placing the eps.
eugenetyson
Technical User
Placing an EPS is fine and there really isn't too much of a problem with it. That said, yes a .ai file is better, but make sure you choose to make a PDF with the .ai, it's in options, it's better that way.
As for the OP problem,
can you post a screen shot?
As for the OP problem,
can you post a screen shot?
- Thread starter
- #4
Can you say how you would get rid of the white bounding box around a graphic when an eps is placed into InDesign?
I placed a logo yesterday and it had a white box behind it when it should have been transparent. After some research I read that .ai worked but I couldn't test that as it wasn't possible for me to open the eps file because it had been produced in a more recent Illustrator version than I had access to. So I then I read that you can rasterize the eps to achieve the transparent effect.
Will this raterization work ok when sent to a rip or is it better to go with the native .ai format and will that be ok when sent to a rip? The rasterised version looked a bit ragged in design view but it looked great on the pdf.
I've worked in Xpress for a number of years so I'm finding my way around InDesign at the moment.
How about pdfs created directly within InDesign? Are they good for high end output or should one be making an eps and dropping that onto Distiller?
Cheers
I placed a logo yesterday and it had a white box behind it when it should have been transparent. After some research I read that .ai worked but I couldn't test that as it wasn't possible for me to open the eps file because it had been produced in a more recent Illustrator version than I had access to. So I then I read that you can rasterize the eps to achieve the transparent effect.
Will this raterization work ok when sent to a rip or is it better to go with the native .ai format and will that be ok when sent to a rip? The rasterised version looked a bit ragged in design view but it looked great on the pdf.
I've worked in Xpress for a number of years so I'm finding my way around InDesign at the moment.
How about pdfs created directly within InDesign? Are they good for high end output or should one be making an eps and dropping that onto Distiller?
Cheers
You really should not have any problem with eps in Indesign. so long as it was created properly, with appropriate transparency in the first place.
The problem with transparency usually comes in when somebody created an eps that contains raster elements that do not have proper transparency, like clipping. Unfortunately, unless you made the eps, it can be hard to tell what's in it. You can open the eps in AI, make a colored rectangle different than the colors in the eps and move the eps over the rectangle to check for transparency.
If you rasterize the eps you lose all the vector benefits, as long as the eps is pure vector in the first place.
Don't know exactly what you mean by a bounding box showing. Click on preview mode (bottom right on the tool pallette, and see if it disappears. Normal layout mode in ID shows all bounding boxes.
PDFs exported from ID at the proper quality (generally Press) will be fine - same as those from distiller. ID will also allow you to create and save custom pdf export settings for specific needs. Unless they've changed in the newer version, the one problem is pure grayscale pdfs. ID does not make them. If you need pure grayscale, with things like only grayscale color bars, for things like newpaper ads, it's best to print a grayscale postscript file and distill that.
Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4 & G5
The problem with transparency usually comes in when somebody created an eps that contains raster elements that do not have proper transparency, like clipping. Unfortunately, unless you made the eps, it can be hard to tell what's in it. You can open the eps in AI, make a colored rectangle different than the colors in the eps and move the eps over the rectangle to check for transparency.
If you rasterize the eps you lose all the vector benefits, as long as the eps is pure vector in the first place.
Don't know exactly what you mean by a bounding box showing. Click on preview mode (bottom right on the tool pallette, and see if it disappears. Normal layout mode in ID shows all bounding boxes.
PDFs exported from ID at the proper quality (generally Press) will be fine - same as those from distiller. ID will also allow you to create and save custom pdf export settings for specific needs. Unless they've changed in the newer version, the one problem is pure grayscale pdfs. ID does not make them. If you need pure grayscale, with things like only grayscale color bars, for things like newpaper ads, it's best to print a grayscale postscript file and distill that.
Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4 & G5
eugenetyson
Technical User
As jmgalving says, no to rasterising EPS's complete diasaster and you lose the vector abilities.
You can "Place" newer illustrator files into a blank document in Illustrator to alter them.
If the background is white, then it's white, there's nothing you can do about it.
But in InDesign, you can go to Object>Clipping Path> Detect Edges and then play with the settings to get the desired result.
If the Image looks "ragged" in InDesign it's because it's showing a low resolution temporary file created by InDesign rather than displaying the actual image, you can go to View>Display Performance>High Quality to get a better idea if the logo is hi or lo res, as in Typical mode it will most likely appear lo res.
Again, there is nothing wrong with rasterising an image, but you are probably shooting yourself in the foot in doing so.
You can "Place" newer illustrator files into a blank document in Illustrator to alter them.
If the background is white, then it's white, there's nothing you can do about it.
But in InDesign, you can go to Object>Clipping Path> Detect Edges and then play with the settings to get the desired result.
If the Image looks "ragged" in InDesign it's because it's showing a low resolution temporary file created by InDesign rather than displaying the actual image, you can go to View>Display Performance>High Quality to get a better idea if the logo is hi or lo res, as in Typical mode it will most likely appear lo res.
Again, there is nothing wrong with rasterising an image, but you are probably shooting yourself in the foot in doing so.
Hummm.... well it's a bit confusing. I haven't found too many downsides to InDesign as yet but I don't think it handles eps files as well as Quark (or should I say as simply as Quark)
I mean as default InDesign is in 'normal mode'. right? If I have to keep clicking on this 'preview mode' to get rid of the white behind a logo that's bit backwards. Why isn't there just one mode which shows the document correctly in the first instance. A document which doesn't render the page correctly (without switching modes) isn't really any good to a designer, is it, so why is it there in the first instance?
Plus isnt this confusing for reprographic houses? If they see a white box behind a logo they might assume its meant to me there. Seems a bit of a blip and not very well thought out by Adobe.
I'm not really that bothered about losing the vector benefits if an eps is rasterised as most eps's that I bring in are logos or graphics that shouldn't be altered anyway.
I'll explore around a bit more tomorrow and see if I can find this 'preview mode'
I'd still like to use eps format as I can see somewhere down the line I could well be creating some work in Xpress and it would be nice to have to deal with just one file format which works in both the programmes.
Thanks for the information on the pdf output. I've had conflicting information about which program makes better pdfs. Again I guess its all based on personal opinion.
I mean as default InDesign is in 'normal mode'. right? If I have to keep clicking on this 'preview mode' to get rid of the white behind a logo that's bit backwards. Why isn't there just one mode which shows the document correctly in the first instance. A document which doesn't render the page correctly (without switching modes) isn't really any good to a designer, is it, so why is it there in the first instance?
Plus isnt this confusing for reprographic houses? If they see a white box behind a logo they might assume its meant to me there. Seems a bit of a blip and not very well thought out by Adobe.
I'm not really that bothered about losing the vector benefits if an eps is rasterised as most eps's that I bring in are logos or graphics that shouldn't be altered anyway.
I'll explore around a bit more tomorrow and see if I can find this 'preview mode'
I'd still like to use eps format as I can see somewhere down the line I could well be creating some work in Xpress and it would be nice to have to deal with just one file format which works in both the programmes.
Thanks for the information on the pdf output. I've had conflicting information about which program makes better pdfs. Again I guess its all based on personal opinion.
Again, ID should have no problem with eps. I've used thousands with no problem and don't know anybody else with the problem. After all, Adobe invented ps and eps. If there is a problem, it's with the particular eps.
As a simple test, just open AI and create something simple like the letters ABC. Save as eps and place in ID over a colored background.
Preview mode is just so you can see what the finished product looks like. You can work in that or normal. Also it might help to go to View menu/display performance and pick High. That gives you a good idea of what graphics will really look like as they are shown in much higher quality on screen.
Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4 & G5
As a simple test, just open AI and create something simple like the letters ABC. Save as eps and place in ID over a colored background.
Preview mode is just so you can see what the finished product looks like. You can work in that or normal. Also it might help to go to View menu/display performance and pick High. That gives you a good idea of what graphics will really look like as they are shown in much higher quality on screen.
Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4 & G5
eugenetyson
Technical User
The preview mode rids of the Pasteboard so all you see is the document, you don't see guides, margins or frame edges. It takes about 1 second to switch inbetween preview and normal mode. Along with this preview mode you can view your bleed area (if you've set them up) and slug area (if you've set that up).
The preview mode also shows what an image would look like when Flattened, i.e., when it's put through the PDF stage there is an option to Flatten the Transparacy. Which is something you don't get in Quark. I can tell you about 100 times I have had work in Quark and when I went through the rigourous process of creating a PDF that things looked wrong on them. Simply because it didn't have a setting where I could see what it looked like after I processed it, but before I did anything with it.
If you're just beginning to use InDesign don't stand back and start slating it.
Eps works fine in InDesign, never been a problem and seen as adobe invented eps then I guess they know how to make it work in InDesign, way better than you or I could possibly know.
If you're having serious problems about being able to do something in InDesign, then by all means come back and tell us what you're doing and what you want to achieve and we'll help you.
But tek-tips isn't the place to come by and complain about a product that you just installed yesterday and haven't really used yet. Your EPS question has already been answered and we've told you everything you need to know.
Get stuck into some projects and when you need some real trouble shooting advice then swing by. I certainly won't be partaking in a frivilous debate as to which is better Quark or InDesign.
If Quark can do things that InDesign can't then fair play to Quark, but there are a way more things InDesign can do that Quark can't do.
Don't be afraid to use the Help Menu either. It's great for figuring out what things like PREVIEW MODE are for etc.
I really hope you don't think I'm being mean spirited or anything like that and I certainly don't hope you think I'm being rude.
The preview mode also shows what an image would look like when Flattened, i.e., when it's put through the PDF stage there is an option to Flatten the Transparacy. Which is something you don't get in Quark. I can tell you about 100 times I have had work in Quark and when I went through the rigourous process of creating a PDF that things looked wrong on them. Simply because it didn't have a setting where I could see what it looked like after I processed it, but before I did anything with it.
If you're just beginning to use InDesign don't stand back and start slating it.
Eps works fine in InDesign, never been a problem and seen as adobe invented eps then I guess they know how to make it work in InDesign, way better than you or I could possibly know.
If you're having serious problems about being able to do something in InDesign, then by all means come back and tell us what you're doing and what you want to achieve and we'll help you.
But tek-tips isn't the place to come by and complain about a product that you just installed yesterday and haven't really used yet. Your EPS question has already been answered and we've told you everything you need to know.
Get stuck into some projects and when you need some real trouble shooting advice then swing by. I certainly won't be partaking in a frivilous debate as to which is better Quark or InDesign.
If Quark can do things that InDesign can't then fair play to Quark, but there are a way more things InDesign can do that Quark can't do.
Don't be afraid to use the Help Menu either. It's great for figuring out what things like PREVIEW MODE are for etc.
I really hope you don't think I'm being mean spirited or anything like that and I certainly don't hope you think I'm being rude.
Hi jm/eugene
Weird I brought in the same eps today and surprise, surprise there was no white background. Not sure what occurred subsequently but the eps definitely came in with a white background.
I've seen quite a few other posts referring to the same problem so I thought InDesign had problems with eps's, but at least for the moment it seems to be 'playing ball', which is good news as I prefer to stick with the file format I know well.
As for knocking the product that wasn't my intention. It just appeared that something that I thought should have worked simply didn't, so it was not a very good first impression, that's all.
I have been using InDesign for a couple of weeks and yes, so far I do like the product. As I am familiar working with Illustrator/Photoshop for over 10 years it han't been the giant leap I thought it may be. First impressions, apart from the eps issue, are encouraging.
I obviously have not been using it long enough to say whether it can handle heavy text-orientated projects better that Xpress but for the run-of-the mill publishing/magazine stuff, so far it's proving to be a nice program.
And of course I havent actually got to the stage were I've sent anything out to press at the moment. I guess that might be a bit of a learning curve as mostly I just used to send Xpress files along with graphics/fonts. I suspect now I will just go with high-res pdfs. Some local repro houses I've spoken to aren't keen on InDesign mainly because they are a little scared of it I guess and dont want to learn the pre-press angle.
Anyways I appreciate both of your inputs and I suspect I'll be around a bit to get some further advice. I'm working on a large project at the monet so I dare say I will run across a few issues.
Kind Regards.
Weird I brought in the same eps today and surprise, surprise there was no white background. Not sure what occurred subsequently but the eps definitely came in with a white background.
I've seen quite a few other posts referring to the same problem so I thought InDesign had problems with eps's, but at least for the moment it seems to be 'playing ball', which is good news as I prefer to stick with the file format I know well.
As for knocking the product that wasn't my intention. It just appeared that something that I thought should have worked simply didn't, so it was not a very good first impression, that's all.
I have been using InDesign for a couple of weeks and yes, so far I do like the product. As I am familiar working with Illustrator/Photoshop for over 10 years it han't been the giant leap I thought it may be. First impressions, apart from the eps issue, are encouraging.
I obviously have not been using it long enough to say whether it can handle heavy text-orientated projects better that Xpress but for the run-of-the mill publishing/magazine stuff, so far it's proving to be a nice program.
And of course I havent actually got to the stage were I've sent anything out to press at the moment. I guess that might be a bit of a learning curve as mostly I just used to send Xpress files along with graphics/fonts. I suspect now I will just go with high-res pdfs. Some local repro houses I've spoken to aren't keen on InDesign mainly because they are a little scared of it I guess and dont want to learn the pre-press angle.
Anyways I appreciate both of your inputs and I suspect I'll be around a bit to get some further advice. I'm working on a large project at the monet so I dare say I will run across a few issues.
Kind Regards.
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