Not So Easy Technical Question

[Mark321]

Well, I've used a bitmap tracer and traced a photograph. And, when I print it out (using Adobe Acrobat Reader) it prints out great. No problem.
However, if I print that same document from my Xara Designer Pro software, I get tiny white lines separating the shapes that make up the image. While I have no clue as to how to overcome that, my BIGGER question is this: If I create a document with this same vector image (that prints great from Adobe Acrobat Reader) and then send it to a client who then takes the document to, say, FedEx, for printing in large quantities, will FedEx get that same tiny white lines in the image that Xara shows? SCARY.

Mark

P.S...I wonder if FedEx uses Adobe Acrobat Reader to print documents?

[mwenz]

Depending upon the colors in the traced image, one can mitigate the lack of the edges meeting up perfectly by placing a colored rectangle (or other shape) behind the trace. Why you are getting a difference from your Xara product versus Reader when printing is difficult to say, unless the trace has been fully or partially rasterized (i.e., no longer vector in full or part).

In all cases where we have had FedEx print, they use Acrobat (it's not Reader) to print to their print device's RIP software.

[Mark321]

Depending upon the colors in the traced image, one can mitigate the lack of the edges meeting up perfectly by placing a colored rectangle (or other shape) behind the trace. Why you are getting a difference from your Xara product versus Reader when printing is difficult to say, unless the trace has been fully or partially rasterized (i.e., no longer vector in full or part).

In all cases where we have had FedEx print, they use Acrobat (it's not Reader) to print to their print device's RIP software.

Mike,
Are you saying that Acrobat turns the image into a raster image and that's why there's no lines? And I have used the rectangle behind the image trick but honestly wish there was some kind of software setting (i.e. tracking) that could make the shapes get closer to each other.

[Mark321]

By the way,

I just figured out a BETTER way to print a vector image without having tiny white lines! Instead of putting a colored rectangle behind the image (which won't work for me since my image has no background in it anyway); what I discovered is that I can clone (CNTRL+K) the image 3 or 4 times on top of the vector art and not only does it work but the colors between the spaces MATCH the shapes! Woo Hoo!!!! I'm a Cappy Hamper! *doing my Cappy Hamper dance*

P.S...And the image is darker, only a little, (less transparent than when I printed it in Acrobat)!

[mwenz]

Hi Mark,

No, Acrobat is only a soft RIP--it just displays what it is given. Depending upon what is on your page, applications will either send bitmap data or vector or a mix of both. I cannot see your XAR file from here (;^) nor the PDF that was created so have no idea what the difference is. For what it's worth, I (almost) never print direct from any application. I nearly always produce a PDF and print from Acrobat. Not because of this issue, but as I am not going to turn over original files for the print service, I want to print from the same PDF they are going to get (this also allows me to review the PDF for any errors before possibly wasting paper and ink).

Tracking only applies to adjusting spacing on text. But I get what you are seeing. Because AI and CorelDraw allows for scripting and/or macros, there are some for adding a light outline (I use 0.25 pt) around each traced object using the same color as the object. This eliminates the potential of this type of issue.

But this is not possible without tedium in Xara products unless the trace is simple. In general and depending on the type of paper being printed on, the ink spread from absorption most often takes care of the issue.

Mike

[Mark321]

Thanks for the input, Mike!

Mark

P.S...also, you don't need multiple clones, just one clone of the original vector art directly on top of it. (I have no clue why it works. It seems like it would still have tiny white lines but it works anyway.)

[PhilM]

The "white lines" are an artefact of the way Designer does anti-aliasing. It's only in Designer's super-fast display routines so the same objects won't have the artefacts when they are exported to other vector graphic formats, such as PDF.

When you clone objects in the same position then for each anti-aliased edge pixel more of the colour comes from the shapes and less from the background so the contribution of the (white) background is lessened.

Phil

[dutchim]

Interesting to know about the placing another copy on top of the first to get rid of the white lines.

Had been bothered by those lines myself and didn't know how to 'fix' it.

Thanks!

[Mark321]

Interesting to know about the placing another copy on top of the first to get rid of the white lines.

Had been bothered by those lines myself and didn't know how to 'fix' it.

Thanks!

You're welcome, dutchim.

Mark

[Mark321]

As a side note here,

If you place one, two or three copies on top of the original vector art the lines will diminish more and more. Sometimes only one copy is necessary. At other times two or three does the trick. It varies from artwork to artwork, so experiment and see what works best for you.