Problem with clipping paths? 1

[Nohjekim]

Today I am having a problem with files I am importing from Photoshop that have Clipping Paths.

No matter what I do they always have an opaque white background.

I have tried saving them as both EPS and Tif but nothing works, I have never had this problem before.

Anyone have any idea what’s going on.

Any help appreciated.

Mike

 

[Eggles]

How did you make the clipping path? Did you use the Pen Tool, make a Work Path then save as a clipping path? Or did you use one of the selection tools? I think PM has a hard time handling clipping paths with lots and lots of points (sometimes you get this if using a slection tool rather than the pen).

 

[viol8ion]

PM does not handle complex clipping paths very well. Can you turn the path into a selection in Photoshop, then make that selection into a clipping path? The new clipping path should be more simple, and sometimes PM will handle that better. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[jimoblak]

Does PM handle layered PSD files? I have given up on clipping paths and switched to PSD files with no BG. They work wonderfully in InDesign. Clipping paths only offer hard edges. PSD files allow hard and feathered edges.

 

[BionicJohn]

For advice on making clipping paths and placing the image in PM, see

http://www.cdds.co.uk/adobe/clippaths.pdf

at

http://www.cdds.co.uk/adobe/index.html.

Iechyd da! John
19:50 06/11/02 BST

PS. Hi! Carl.

 

[viol8ion]

Hey John...

You are wandering away from your normal territory, aren't you? When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[Eggles]

That Iechyd da! is a dead giveaway. (how do you pronounce it anyway?)

 

[Nohjekim]

I don't know what happened exactly but it started working again just as suddenly as it quit.

It may have something to do with the complexity of the path I increased the settings to less exact fit, and I think that is what did it.

I usually make the path by clicking in the background with the selection wand, then inverting it. (The files that I am placing usually don’t have backgrounds.)
Next I make a work path, save it, and make a clipping path from it.

Any way I'm back in business.

Mike

 

[viol8ion]

Your method for making the path is effective, but likely caused it to be too complex. Glad you found a work around. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[BionicJohn]

Hi, Mike,

> > Any way I'm back in business

That's good!

At the risk of being disciplined for the dreaded Adobe disease of going off thread, it's good to see you guys.

Iechyd da!

http://www.geocities.com/gil_fach_goch/

(The national colours of red white and green are too vivid!)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/catchphrase/catchphrase1/gwers1-1.shtml

Hwyl fawr! John
13:57 08/11/02 BST

 

[Nohjekim]

What is the recomended way of making a clipping path to avoid over complexity?

Mike

 

[Eggles]

In Photoshop, use the Pen Tool to place your anchor points. Place them only where what you are outlining changes direction (a circle for example can be outlined with four points). You may need to reposition some of the original points when you zoom in really close - use the white arrow. Then once you have laid down your points, change to the Tool that looks like > (can't remember its exact name) to create Bezier curves at the points. The handles that appear can be adjusted separately to match the shape you are outlining. You may find you need to add or subtract points to get the shapes right. Delete any points you don't need with the Subtract Pen tool, then click on the Paths palette, make a Path from the work path you have created, then making sure the path is selected, click on Make Clipping Path. Save as a PSD file. Then resave as TIF (or EPS) to plonk it in your page layout - no background comes through at all, and you can place it over a coloured background without the white bounding box visible.

 

[Linzey]

I do a lot of deep etching using clipping paths and find the "rubber band" option very useful to anticipate curved outlines. It is available through the pen tool options. (Double click pen tool to bring up check box)

 

[Nohjekim]

Thanks for the help I'll try it out.

I have always just used the selection wand to make the paths so this will be something new to do.

Mike

 

[Eggles]

Mike

The problem with the selection tool is that it puts in far too many points. The end result is that the clipping path is very jagged. This used to happen to me until I saw how much 'cleaner' the pen tool could make the selection. The fewer the number of points, the smoother the line. It takes a little practice knowing where to put the points, and how to get them to curve exactly where you want them, but persevere!

Here is a link to an excellent tutorial on using the Pen Tool.

http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/pen1intro.html