Transparency and PageMaker
Mikko Eerola
Is it possible to create an image with a transparent background so that
PageMaker (I'm using v6.5) would understand the transparency? I've tried
transparent GIFs and exporting pictures with transparent backgrounds in
various formats (ie. WMF, which should support it, since Office 97
cliparts are in WMF format and have transparent backgrounds) but with no
success.
Thanks,
mikko
If replying by email, please remove 'X' from my email address.
Warren Tryk
>PageMaker (I'm using v6.5) would understand the transparency? I've tried
>transparent GIFs and exporting pictures with transparent backgrounds in
>various formats (ie. WMF, which should support it, since Office 97
>cliparts are in WMF format and have transparent backgrounds) but with no
>success.
>
>Thanks,
>
>mikko
>
You need to use "Clipping Paths". It's in the manual.
Warren Tryk Design
Tumwater, Washington USA
<remove ".no.spam" from my email address to reply directly>
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Mikko Eerola
However, I'm using my university's computer resources, and as a student
I do not have access to the manuals. There's no exception to this rule.
So could you please explain how the trick is done?
mikko
If replying by email, please remove 'X' from my email address.
Glenn
Glenn Pechacek
Mikko Eerola wrote in message <377A7880...@tukkkX.fi>...
Warren Tryk
>Thank you, Warren, for your reply.
>
>However, I'm using my university's computer resources, and as a student
>I do not have access to the manuals. There's no exception to this rule.
>
>So could you please explain how the trick is done?
>
>mikko
>
>If replying by email, please remove 'X' from my email address.
>
Unfortunately it's a process that can be rather complex. See if you can scare
up a copy of the manual in your university's library or some commercial "how
to" publications re: Photoshop.
----- outlaw spam ------ @door.net moniker
Mikko Eerola <mikko....@tukkkX.fi> wrote in message
news:377A7880...@tukkkX.fi...
> Thank you, Warren, for your reply.
>
> However, I'm using my university's computer resources, and as a student
> I do not have access to the manuals. There's no exception to this rule.
>
> So could you please explain how the trick is done?
>
> mikko
>
The version of Photoshop you're using isn't mentioned, so I'm going to
assume that you're using Photoshop 5. One of this version's nifty little
gimmies is the Action called "Make Clip Path". Once you have a selection
that will clip the unwanted components of the image, just run this action by
going to Window> Show Actions, scroll down the list of Default Actions until
you find Make Clip Path, and click the little play button at the bottom. It
will ask you for a Path Name, but you can name it anything you'd like, or
stick with the default name of "Path 1". The next step is to save your
image as an EPS. This file will retain the path information when placed
into Pagemaker or Quark, thus "clipping" out the unwanted parts of the
original and making them transparent. If you are using an earlier version
of Photoshop, you'll have to make the Clipping Path manually, and be sure to
select it when saving the file.
I hope I was some help
Tim
Gilligan
the manual in it.
In article <7len8v$e...@brown.telepac.pt>, "Miguel Tavares"
<med...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Photoshop Clipping Paths in PageMaker General Information
> http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/SOLUTIONS/7af2.htm
>
> Creating Transparency in Images With Photoshop
> http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/SOLUTIONS/342e.htm
>
> Creating Clipping Paths in Photoshop
> http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/SOLUTIONS/9bf6.htm
>
>
> It is also possible to search for "clipping path" or
> "transparent/transparency" here:
> http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/database.html
>
> (Why do people don't ever look in the obvious places?)
Miguel Tavares
Larry Jaques
<mikko....@tukkkX.fi> wrote:
>
>Is it possible to create an image with a transparent background so that
>PageMaker (I'm using v6.5) would understand the transparency? I've tried
PS and PM both understand clipping paths in EPS and TIF format, so use
clipping paths with one of those formats.
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Cairns Plan Printing
Mikko Eerola <mikko....@tukkkX.fi> wrote in message
>
> Is it possible to create an image with a transparent background so that
> PageMaker (I'm using v6.5) would understand the transparency? I've tried
> various formats (ie. WMF, which should support it, since Office 97
> cliparts are in WMF format and have transparent backgrounds) but with no
> success.
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> If replying by email, please remove 'X' from my email address.
Here's the answer, from Adobe (I asked the same question and they emailed me
the answer) but you still don't seem able to apply a feathered edge...
Creating Clipping Paths in Photoshop
You can make portions of an Adobe Photoshop image appear transparent using
clipping paths. A clipping path creates the illusion of transparency in an
opaque image by masking everything outside of the path, so only the area
within the path appears when you print the image or preview it in another
application. This enables you to place an image in another document without
obscuring the other document's background.
To save a clipping path with an image, you must save the image in EPS
(Encapsulated PostScript) format or, if you'll import the image into Adobe
PageMaker 6.0 or later, in either EPS or TIFF format. A clipping path is a
PostScript object, and although the path is invisible when printed, the
printer interprets the path as it does other PostScript objects. Some
clipping paths can be too complex for a PostScript device to print, however,
which causes a "limitcheck" PostScript error to occur and prevents the image
from printing. You can avoid this problem by simplifying clipping paths.
Creating Clipping Paths
To create a clipping path in Photoshop 2.5 or later:
1. In Photoshop, choose Windows > Show Paths (Photoshop 4.0 and Photoshop
2.5.x) or Windows > Palettes > Show Paths (Photoshop 3.0.x).
2. Draw a path using the pen tool, or by making a selection with a selection
tool and choosing Make Work Path (Photoshop 4.0) or Make Path (Photoshop
3.0.x and 2.5.x) from the Paths palette menu.
3. Choose Save Path from the Paths palette menu to save and name the path,
then click OK.
4. Choose Clipping Path from the Paths palette menu.
5. In the Clipping Path dialog box, select the saved path from the Path
pop-up menu.
6. Enter a flatness value in the Flatness text box, if desired, then click
OK.
7. Choose File > Save As.
8. Select EPS or TIFF from the Format pop-up menu.
9. Specify the desired options in the EPS Format or TIFF options dialog box,
then click OK.
Simplifying Complex Clipping Paths
A PostScript printer cannot print a path if the number of straight lines
that describe the path exceeds the printer's limit. The higher the printer's
resolution, the more straight lines are required to describe a curve, which
requires more printer memory. Make sure a complex path prints to a
low-resolution device before printing it to a high-resolution device.
To simplify paths in Photoshop, do one or more of the following:
A. Decrease the number of points used to describe the path by deleting
points or by using the pen tool to redraw a path created by the Make Path
command.
B. Increase the Flatness value in the Clipping Path dialog box. The Flatness
value determines how many lines your printer uses to draw a curve: the
higher the value, the fewer line segments are used. If you set the Flatness
value too high, however, the curve may print with noticeable angles. As a
guideline, use a Flatness value of 8 to 10 for high-resolution printing, and
a Flatness value of 0 to 3 for low-resolution printing.
C. Increase the Tolerance value in the Make Work Path dialog box (Photoshop
4.0) or Make Path dialog box (Photoshop 3.0.x and 2.5.x). The Tolerance
value can range from 0.5 to 10 pixels. The higher the tolerance, the fewer
anchor points are used to draw a path.
D. If you're using Photoshop 3.0.x or earlier for the Macintosh, set
Photoshop to write PostScript code for clipping paths using the non-zero
winding number rule, instead of the even-odd rule. To do so in Photoshop
3.0.x, copy the Even-Odd to Winding Rule plug-in and the About Even-Odd to
Winding Rule ReadMe file from the Optional Extensions folder on Install-Disk
1 to the Photoshop plug-ins folder. In Photoshop 2.5.x, select the Even-Odd
to Winding Rule option in the Clipping Path dialog box. (Photoshop 4.0 does
not include Even-Odd to Winding Rule functionality.)