Flattening transparency

[ldg40]

Using Illus. 10. Is there a way to when you flatten transparencies to do so without having the white box (background, whatever you call it) not visible? Right now I am doing it at 100% vector, all out lines, etc. No matter what percentage of vector to raster I choose the white background still remains. The logo is entirely vector built. If an upload to this thread is required to understand what I am saying, just let me know.

[reddaisy]

Hi Ldg

You're sure you're using "flatten transparencies" and not "rasterize"? I don't have Illy10 anymore but both cs and cs2 give no problems. Perhaps indeed some uploading would shed light in dark times?

Let me know.
Cheers
Tom

[Scott]

THere are some things that simply can not be vector. Things like glows, drop shadows, gradient meshes with blend modes. These items will ALWAYS result in raster elements (and their white background). If you really want all vector art, NEVER touch the transparency palette and NEVER use any raster effects like glows and shadows.

The transparency palette can be used safely and the art can be flatten easily if you work with solid filled objects, but anytime you throw a gradient into the transparency mix results can be unpredictable. And anytime you throw a gradient mesh in there you'll always get raster elements.

I can't remember if AI10 had the flattener preview palette (in the window menu). If it does, you can use that to see what objects will be effected by flattening. Another option is to save your AI10 file as a native AI10.ai file. Then save as again as a v8 eps file. And in the save dialog choose to discard all transparency and preserve paths. Then close the file and re-open the v8 eps. You'll see exactly what flattening will do to the artwork.

[ldg40]

I'll post something for you. And no, not using rasterize. Thanks Tom! :)

edit: The first image is the non-flattened, the second isflattened with the pop-up flattening window enclosed.

This was the first logo I did in AI, a while back so can't really remember what I did, but the client is happy. The black bkgrd is added for clarity

After reading your post Jolt, it's pretty apparant that this is the issue and will try to save it as you suggested. Thanks guys! :)

[reddaisy]

Hi ldg
why would you want to flatten the transparencies?
grt
tom

[ldg40]

[QUOTE=reddaisy]Hi ldg
why would you want to flatten the transparencies?
grt
tom[/QUOTE]

Well, when I resize the logo (smaller) everything gets all smooshed ie: very dark etc. I am trying to use it in conjunction with another logo built without gradients etc, amazing what you can learn in 6 months! Although I never realized that gradients etc. screw things up. Blending shapes and different colors is what I do now. Maybe the correct way?

Live and learn, I guess just making the additional logo larger and leaving the other as is, is the way to go! :)

[Scott]

It's not the gradients in the image that are causing issues Linda, it's all those drop shadows. If you're taking it to Photoshop you could re-add drop shadows in Photoshop. a la http://www.pixeladdiction.com/bb/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=5

[ldg40]

[QUOTE=Jolt]It's not the gradients in the image that are causing issues Linda, it's all those drop shadows. If you're taking it to Photoshop you could re-add drop shadows in Photoshop. a la http://www.pixeladdiction.com/bb/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=5[/QUOTE]

Wow! This is on my need to learn-pronto list! I imagine the best way to use the logo is to recreate it with out the drop down shadows. I know there is no way to remove them as is. I want this to remain completely vector.

Thanks for your help! :)

[Scott]

[QUOTE=ldg40]I know there is no way to remove them as is.[/QUOTE]

Uhm.. there should be. Look in the Appearance palette. Drag the drop shadow in the Appearance palette tot he palettes trash can... viola! No drop shadow.

[ldg40]

Whoa! I can never in a lifetime imagine learning all there is to know about this program! (I know, "Take a class or two Linda")

Thank you Jolt! :)

[reddaisy]

Hi Ldg & Jolt

sorry for not answering right away: domestic things like bringing one's children to bed sometimes are more important ;)

The logo probably gets smooshed because the dropshadows remain equally large when you make the whole logo smaller. If you want the dropshadows to resize too, you doubleclick the resize tool and type in "100%" and you tick the "scale strokes and effects" box. From now on everything you resize will stay in proportion with the total selection.

I also would copy everything paste and make one solid shape out of it (pathfinder). Then I would rasterize the logo and use the shape as a mask around the whole thing (object>clipping mask>make).

Then after that you can still give a dropshadow to the thing in PS, when you take the path with the rasterized objects.

But then that might be again a bit too much of a hassle...

cheers
tom

[ldg40]

[QUOTE=reddaisy]
But then that might be again a bit too much of a hassle...[/QUOTE]

Like I said just wow! Nope this a very important logo! Worth any additional time and effort (and it certainly needs it).

Thank you again, very much! :)