How to print and export transparency

[xarb]

Hello

Reading the Help document it says that transparency in a document is rendered as a bitmap when printing because PostScript can't handle it. This is also the case when exporting to certain file formats.

Isn't there a better solution to this? There are some truly magnificent tools in Xara and I'm sure this means that the technology is there to render documents in a suitable form when printing and exporting.

I've just tried to get a simple logo using some flat transparency from Xara into a Microsoft product and the transparent parts have given me big headaches as I want a true vector solution. The only way I found to work was going via Adobe Illustrator. If Illustrator can do it then why can't Xara? Isn't there some way that Xara can analyse the parts with transparency and create new vector objects where possible?

How does everyone else handle this - do you all simply ignore the transparency tool and work without it?

[PeteS]

Export the document as a PDF file which will retain the vector shapes with threir transparency.

[xarb]

Sadly I can't import PDF into Word 2007 or anything else I normally use.

My question was: what is Illustrator doing to convert the transparency that allows it to be imported into Word?
And can Xara also be persuaded to do the same thing?

[mwenz]

And what format are you exporting from AI to get transparency into Word?

On the Adobe forums, and it has been my experience, the general recommendation is to export from AI to PNG for use in Word. Without starting AI, I believe there is even an option on the File menu for exporting to Word and it is PNG format.

Mike

[xarb]

I just used the clipboard (which I think was EMF when I used Paste Special)

[mwenz]

Try this. Create a colored rectangle in Word. Paste your image. Make sure the colored rectangle is nearly on top of the whole image. Click on the image and select Wrap Text. Select In Front of Text. the image should now be on top of the colored rectangle. Is it fully transparent?

Mike

[xarb]

I've just realised I didn't explain myself very well.

Imagine a circle and a larger rectangle of a different colour on top which completely covers the circle.

Now make the rectangle 50% flat transparency so you see the circle through it, and the colour has changed.

If that cannot be printed because of the transparency then it has to be converted to a bitmap. Same when trying to import it into Word.

Now how about Xara de-construct the objects to create two objects, a circle of the new colour and a rectangle-with-circular-hole so that they don't overlap. That would solve the problem and no transparency would be needed. (Maybe that is what AI is doing when I use it to paste into Word)

[Albacore]

Don't know if your interested but Adobe Reader 11 has online converter from PDF for both Word & Excel. Also if you have the new Acro Pro you can do it from that. Why not buy Word 2013 if you are going to do this frequently? There are other file converters available which you can try for free and can be downloaded from here: http://www.ehow.com/how_5189233_chan...-document.html

[xarb]

I've done some research and discovered that AI calls it flattening
"Flattening divides transparent artwork into vector-based areas and rasterized areas."
See Illustrator / Printing and saving transparent artwork
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/illustra...c5f-64a2a.html

Maybe Xara could implement that?

[mwenz]

Now how about Xara de-construct the objects to create two objects, a circle of the new colour and a rectangle-with-circular-hole so that they don't overlap.

Which may introduce trapping issues.

I still am not convinced that AI to Word leaves transparent objects as vector. Please provide an AI file (and possibly the resultant Word file) that does so.

Mike