Trouble creating tiling pattern 2

[Lyell]

I've been working on a tiling pattern which consists of diagonal stripes of double spirals. When I test it, it looks fine at 100%, but as I zoom further in, I see a faint line surrounding the pattern. I start seeing the line at between 150% and 300% magnification. The line disappears at around 1600% to 6400%. (I guess I've exceeded the resolution of my monitor?)

I've checked to make sure the bounding box has neither a fill nor a stroke, and is exactly the size I want (via the transform coordinates). My double spiral pattern is placed so that the bounding box cuts through the spirals on the edges, and the pattern appears to be perfectly aligned, even when I view it at 6400%.

I've made the background larger than the bounding box, hoping to eliminate that as the cause of the problem. But I note that the faint line appears to be the same color as the background (it's so faint that it's hard to tell precisely what color it is).

I've tried and tested everything I can think of, and don't know where to go from here.

[I'm using AI/CS3, monitor resolution is 1280x1024]

 

[apepp]

...this can be the nature of pattern tiles in illustrator rendering to screen with anti-aliasing turned on in the preferences, if you turn that off and you still have gaps or lines then you can be sure that the pattern is incorrect...

...the same is true in acrobat with certain pdf files, you can test your pattern by saving to pdf and viewing in acrobat, with smooth line art turned on in acrobat preferences, they can render better to screen than illustrator...

...first step though is to simply turn off anti-aliasing in illustrators preferences...

...if your still concerned then save to pdf and check in acrobat...

Andrew

 

[Lyell]

Thanks, Andrew. It looks like the anti-aliasing was the problem. When I turn it off, those faint lines disappear. So that, I think, means that the pattern is correct. But, without anti-aliasing, my pattern now looks awful with all the pixilated edges.

I need to send the pattern tile to my client as an .SVG file, and I believe he opens it with AI. I'm afraid that if I leave anti-aliasing off when I create the .SVG, won't he get the pixilated pattern? But if I leave it on, I'm afraid he will get the faint lines like I do.

 

[apepp]

...that preference is application specific, not document specific, so your client will have to be made aware that those faint joins are in fact the nature of on screen smoothing in the computers calculations of vector art (assuming the client has it turned on)...

...your client will have to control whether they view a graphic anti-aliased or not in their computer...

...there is nothing you can do about it really, anti-aliasing is a problem but at the same time a solution to screen rendering of vector art...

...i have had to teach many clients this factor with pdf files in acrobat and have to reassure them that all is well and not always as they see on screen...

...most usually accept this over time as many of us in the graphics world also have to accept...

Andrew

 

[Lyell]

OK, Andrew -- I will learn to live with it -- and thanks very much for your help. You always can explain things so clearly.

Lyell

 

[apepp]

...no problem Lyell!!

...always glad to help wherever possible...

...i also want to add that i have yet to test out CS4, so it might well be better at anti-aliasing patterns than previous versions, but of course you still end up with explaining to clients the nature of anti-aliasing on certain jobs viewed at certain magnifications...

...i do know of photoshop cs4 being improved at on screen rendering...

Andrew

 

[GrapefruitMonkey]

I actually find it useful. This function allows one to know that there are two objects touching without overlap.

This also occurs when you live paint -> expand. But the fake outline that is created does not print. It is simply letting you know that the two objects aren't connected.

So if you see the line, but are sure there is none, you can go ahead and send the project to the printers, It wont come out on the hard proofs (or final product), but it will as a PDF.

 

[Lyell]

Unfortunately, my image was not for printing, just for viewing on a web site. But thank you very much, GrapefruitM; that's useful information. I learn more every time I come here.