CMYK colors and RGB images with alpha channel

**instinctive.de** · 27 October 2011, 08:12 PM

Hello,

I hope someone can help me with this...

I'm exporting a design for the print shop, and have the following problem:

I have converted all colors to CMYK, and that's fine so far... however, I have imported a few PNGs with alpha channel into the design, and in the PDF output, these create a 'box' around them that seemingly has a flattened RGB version of whatever was behind it + the PNG image.

Same happens with any objects that have drop shadows.

Is there any way to avoid this?

Thanks

**Tabian** · 27 October 2011, 08:27 PM

What program was this created in and what kind of print output are you wanting to do

**instinctive.de** · 27 October 2011, 08:36 PM

Created in Xara Designer Pro 7.0, output is for a brochure...

I've so far worked around the issue by converting EVERYTHING except the text to a huge bitmap, and then putting ONLY the text on top as vectors...

**instinctive.de** · 27 October 2011, 08:41 PM

OK, I guess this workaround is probably the solution... converting everything to a huge bitmap and keep only the text as actual vector objects...

So, NOTHING TO SEE HERE!!! Thanks!!!

**Tabian** · 27 October 2011, 08:53 PM

More or less what I was going to suggest. I print large format PVC banners and some artwork that clients send to me can be a real headache but the problems can usually be solved with Photoshop and Flexisign. Anyway well done I'm glad you fixed it..

**instinctive.de** · 27 October 2011, 09:45 PM

I could probably have done it with a bit more "love" and keep a few more things as vectors... but anyway. Mostly pictures and stuff, so nobody will notice anyway.

Thanks

**Albacore** · 29 October 2011, 11:38 AM

If you are sending your PDF to the print shop their RIP software would be able to handle your RGB effects although it might give you a washed out bitmap as it depends on the shop. Easy out is to import the bitmaps as a .tiff file in CMYK but the PDF export will flatten any vectors behind as it would all transparencies but it would get rid of the box lines. It has really only in the last 7 years that print shops have been coftable printing with transparencies. Always place text on a separate layer and always on top.

**mwenz** · 29 October 2011, 02:31 PM

Most time I bring in something with necessary alpha, I use PhotoShop file format. And it is in CMYK if the job is destined for print. I find mixing RGBA on top of CMYK elements in XDP causes most issues.

If I get a bounding box from elements built inside of XDP that uses say drop shadows, it is often because I am defining the shadow color using RGB. Changing the shadow to CMYK has been successful for me. If I need certain effects in XDP and no matter what I immediately try I get a bounding box showing conversion issues, I just do them in PhotoLine as CMYK and export the file as a PSD to bring into XDP.

Take care, Mike