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dedine3
Known Participant
Mar 31, 2017 2:54 PM UTC
Answered

Ghost box around drop shadow on digital printing

Hi,

When printing on a digital printer, only on black, there is a ghost box around objects that have Drop Shadow effect.

Is there a way to get rid of it (without having to rasterize the file)?

Thanks in advance

      Mike_Gondek10189183
      Mike_Gondek10189183Correct answer
      Community Expert
      Mar 31, 2017 7:47 PM UTC

      Why is your document RGB?

      Set your document color mode to CMYK and try the suggestions I posted.

      Another way to resolve this is to slid all the way to rasters. If you set your resolution high enough you will get the max quality of that printer.

      View reply

      7 replies

      chuck.heather
      chuck.heather
      Participant
      Jan 4, 2025 6:41 AM UTC

      I had the same ghost box and none of these suggestions quite fixed it, but I found that when I increased the bounds of the shadow to 400% the box disappeared. (Effect - 3D Materials - Lighting - Shadow Bounds)

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      Mike_Gondek10189183
      Community Expert
      Mike_Gondek10189183Community Expert
      Community Expert
      Mar 31, 2017 4:56 PM UTC

      Do you have spots?

      or

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      Kurt Gold
      Community Expert
      Kurt GoldCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      Mar 31, 2017 4:56 PM UTC

      Which version of Illustrator are you using. What printer? What print settings? What do you mean by "ghost box"? Can you take a photo and post it?

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      dedine3Author
      Known Participant
      Mar 31, 2017 5:28 PM UTC

                            Kurt Gold                    Mar 31, 2017 9:56 AM                                     (in response to Diane Minier)                     

      Which version of Illustrator are you using. What printer? What print settings? What do you mean by "ghost box"? Can you take a photo and post it?

      Here are more details.

      I use Illustrator CC.

      Document in RGB

      Printer : HP color laserJet

      It is difficult to see on a picture, so I made a "simulation" of the effect I see on paper. See attached document.

      I add dot red line around the ghost box.

      There is a box like that around every object that has drop shadow effect.

      Translate
      Mike_Gondek10189183
      Community Expert
      Mike_Gondek10189183Community ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      Mar 31, 2017 7:47 PM UTC

      Why is your document RGB?

      Set your document color mode to CMYK and try the suggestions I posted.

      Another way to resolve this is to slid all the way to rasters. If you set your resolution high enough you will get the max quality of that printer.

      Translate
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