Text Fattens When It Overlaps EPS File 2

[signal49]

Hi Everyone

I've noticed that when I place text on top of a picture box with an eps graphic, the text gets fatter when I send the separations to our imagesetter. A workaround has been to place the text behind the graphic, but that only works if the eps background is transparent.

For example, I had an envelope with 2 lines of text for the address. The first line overlapped the picture box containing an eps, the second line did not. The first line was fattened, the second was not. When I moved the text box behind, both lines were normal. I know I'm going to run into a situation where I won't be able to move it behind... I'm using Quark 6 on Mac with Illustrator CS. Has anyone else has this problem? Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[graphicsolutions]

It's the trapping.

 

[signal49]

But it's not trapping with anything... it's on a background of nothing.

 

[prepressguy]

As long as type is placed over an eps it will trap, even if the eps has a transparent or white background. You could set that type to knockout in the trapping pallette. Where I am, we set trapping to knockout all in the trapping preferences and let the RIP do the trapping for us.

 

[graphicsolutions]

Spreading colored text when it's on top of a white area of a placed photo or graphic. When colored text is on top of white, it doesn't need to trap. But if the text is on top of a white area of a photo or other placed graphic, Quark thinks it has to trap, because Quark doesn't see the content of the graphic, just the presence of a graphic. It doesn't know if the graphic is white, purple, green, or polka-dotted. When text spreads, it becomes fatter.

Source:

http://www.techcolor.com/help/trapping.html

You must choose the best for you.

Regards

 

[signal49]

Wow that's weird. I've never noticed it before... seemed like it just recently started happening.

We don't have In-Rip trapping.... so would I still want to set it to knock out versus overprint? It's just 100% black so I'm not sure why it would fatten up anyway. I thought black overprints by default, and I thought overprinting wasn't supposed to change anything. But then, I guess eps files automatically knock out, right? Is that what's causing it?

The more work I do with eps files, the more we need in-rip trapping.... but my boss won't go for it. Argh.

Thanks prepressguy

 

[prepressguy]

Yes, you can set it to overprint. It will give you the same result as long as the eps background is white or transparent or a very pale tint of color. I'm not sure what the point size is, but I think anything 24pt or over will want to trap and under 24pt will overprint. Could be 18pt?

 

[signal49]

Thanks guys!! Your posts were both very helpful And of course, you were both right... Quark's trying to make it trap. I have never run into that before! Now I know how to fix it

BTW, very good link graphicsolutions! Covered many of my Quark trapping gripes. (Wish it would trap placed eps files... but I guess we need in-rip trapping for that.) Stars for both of you!!

 

[graphicsolutions]

Thankyou very much sorry I didn't expand on my earlier post but I was dog tired. Got caught myself a few years ago after a catalogue came back from the printers. Luckily you had to use a glass to see it so B/S'ed my way through it and got paid.