Transparent Background for AI

I opened an existing ai file and added a shadow. However, when I save it, I am getting a white background. How do change the background for an ai export to transparent.

Thanks

kw

I opened an existing ai file and added a shadow. However, when I save it, I am getting a white background. How do change the background for an ai export to transparent.

Thanks

kw

I suspect that the white background is a rectangle behind your objects?

At any rate, if you are exporting vector objects to *.ai format, when you open the image in Illustrator, select the white background and delete it.

If you are exporting bitmaps then try the *.png file format with True Color + Alpha option. And do not select a background rectangle unless it has no fill and outline.

Gary

"I opened an existing ai file and added a shadow. " - Keith W

Hi Gary,

I think you missed the key phrase in Keith's question. I appears to me that when you save a shadow as an .ai xara saves a bitmap as the shadow. That would account for the rectangle...

Import the following file into xara yourself, ad a shadow then export it as an ai...

Ah yes, that would be correct John.

The shadow is converted to a bitmap, hence the white background.

Xara's AI export filter does not create a shadow with a transparent background.

My advice would be to create the shadow in Illustrator.

Gary

That could be a good suggestion for an update if XaraX could export the shadows as transparent .png

kindly,
ivan

Intrestingly, a swf export of a shadow exports as a transparent bitmap. Not sure of the type tho?
Egg

Hi Egg,

looks like a 96DPI bmp.

That's what Flash tells me John, but I didn't think bmp supported transparencies?
Egg

The rectangle was not transparent in ai. I had 27 bmps layered on top of each other. None where transparent, just different heights.