PDF Export Shows Glitch

[jimhanus]

I'm exporting to PDF from DP7 using the commercial print settings. There is one layer of text on top of another of color bars. Where the edge of the top layer of text ends there is a step made in the color bars that shouldn't be there (see attached). I tried grouping first but the step is worse. Any ideas how to eliminate this? I know it's not much but it's not supposed to be there and I would like to get rid of it.

Thanks!
Jim

[Soquili]

Jim have you tried removing the shadow? If you need a shadow do it the old fashioned way by using a vector object rather than the Shadow Tool.

[jimhanus]

Bill,
Sorry, I'm not familiar with the old fashioned way (vector object shadow). Can you explain what you mean? You are correct that it doesn't do it when the shadow is removed.

Jim

[Albacore]

You remove the shadow as it is an RGB effect, so on export the whole area is rendered as a bitmap causing that small step. When it is printed you might not see the small see, where the rectangular bitmap finishes and the vector starts again. There are a few ways to achieve a total vector shadow I will try and explain: (do a search here, or make it wider to include how to do it in AI, just the same. Ignore the Gaussian burr one as it is RGB)

Once shadow is removed, select text & clone text(ctrl+K), Copy onto the clipboard (ctrl+C), Paste in place (shift+ctrl+V), put directly behind the text (shift+ctrl+B). Now you have three objects of text in a stacking order. Since you're working in layers turn viz off in all other layers and make them non selectable. Move top 2 away from the other one now select the top most and give it a tint of black of around 70-80%, Select the next one down you might have to hold down alt with top most selected and give a tint of black of around 4-10% (I use the lower value), Now position the two lines of text to where you want the shadow to go (where you had the shadow effect placed in your original). Select both and hit W key for the Blend Tool, Now drag mouse down from the bottom shape to top and with both still selected and blend drawn still using the Blend Tool enter 25 instead of the default of 5 steps, Still in the Blend Tool you might want to plate around with both position and attribute profiles to get it how you want it.

2. The next is simple use the Contour Tool. Copy Text to clipboard (ctrl+C), Use the contour tool with the object still selected and drag out, this time enter a higher number than 25 around 40 steps, Zoom in on the outside contour and click it, on the info. bar on the bottom left it should say 1 contour selected, bring up colour editor (ctrl+E) and give it a very light tint (nearly white or even a nearly white with a blue tint), You can also now edit the inner contour and change it a different tint.

Hope this help but do do a search here and I am sure Gary has done a tut in the Xone on the subject showing both plus others. Still think when this is printed you might not notice slight step.

[Soquili]

Jim the old fashioned way is to use a copy of your text or shape rather than the Shadow Tool. Give the text/shape an appropriate color some transparency/feathering so it looks like a shadow. Also place it below your text so it looks like a shadow.

[jimhanus]

Bill,
So the shadow effect is the problem, but transparency would still export OK? The transparency effect is not exported as a bitmap?

[Soquili]

Jim, the transparency my also cause the effect but until you try it we won't know. Also your vector shape may not need transparecy, only feathering.

[Albacore]

All effects included here will be rendered as a bitmap that includes transparencies, guassian blurs, feathering (which is the same a blur) shadows, glows and some complex fillls. Unless you want someone else to edit the file it is no problem. As I said yesterday that step may not show up on the wet copy if you have a laser printer have a shot at printing it out or pay for a print at your local digital print shop as it will only cost you a dollar for and A4 sheet. I have seen files with this effect before and even white borders around whole areas of transparencies which have been rendered into bitmaps which caused no problems when printed. If you work in layers with the text layer on top with lessons the effect as well as overprint. Other way to solve problems like this is the way that AI does it is to flatten your transparencies (rasterize the area) make a bitmap copy of the area. Now AI does this with one cllick of a button and highlights the areas effected but it is quite simple to do Shift+Ctrl+C then hide your vectors using your layers palette. When you think of it that all the PDF export is doing rasterizing the areas but it is doing it for the whole affected area and not just on a background or on just text. That is the beauty when you use layers you have more control of the design, the output and the quality of your drawing

[jimhanus]

Thanks for the suggestions/tips. I tried outputting to PDF through Adobe and the artifact didn't show up so I sent it to the printer anyway. Results were even worse (but they were able to correct it for me) so I'll have to try some of these suggestions on the next one.

Thanks!
Jim