Bitmap printing problem

[Artworx]

When this color bitmap prints to a color printer there is a light box that prints around the bitmap. How do I eliminate the box in the printing process?? The image is a ornate thumb tack head (from Xara) with a drop shadow and it prints over the corner of another rectangle shape with a bitmap fill. Thanks, Lew.

[mwenz]

Hi Lew,

Can you post your example file? That way I am using the same bitmap fill and pin head.

Take care, Mike

[Artworx]

Hi Mike,

I think I have the file attached. I believe my problem is that the transparency needs to be flattened. Can you do that in Xara??
Thanks for your help.

Lew

[mwenz]

Hi Lew,

Something goofy about the file. It went to PDF perfect, but wouldn't output at all to my HP.

I have attached a modified file. See if this works for you.

Take care, Mike

[Artworx]

Thanks Mike, I'll see if your modified version works any better. What did you do to modify the file? In the interium, I open the Xara pdf in Illustrator and selected the "tack" and the card with the drop shadow and flattened the transparency. Then the file printed fine without the boxes I mentioned previously.
I guess the transparent effects needed to be flattened, can that be done in Xara?? More later and thanks very much. Lew

[mwenz]

Hi Lew,

I just selected everything and copied to a new file. Everything worked after that. Oh, the one thing I didn't copy was the tack sitting off to the right on the pasteboard.

Flattening. An image by nature is flattened. Some of the PDF profiles will flatten such effects. Beginning with the ver. 5 profile, certain transparency effects (which is what is meant by flattening) are kept "live" which means they are resolution independent and it is the output device which determines what the DPI setting really is for transparency. PDFX-1a flattens (rasterizes) effects. And some of these choices can be overridden in the PDF profiles, too.

The file above I attached prints and goes to PDF just fine here.

Take care, Mike

[Artworx]

Thanks very much for the info, I;ll talk to you soon if necessary. Lew