Skip to main content
D
defaultumk37ctnr0bq
Participant
September 18, 2021
Answered

PDF transparency

  • September 18, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 337 views

Hello, 

I am working on In Design on a flipbook and would like to have one of the pages be transparent and be able to have some of the information on the next page visible. I exported it and was able to keep the transparency on the pdf  but transparency doesnt show in the flipbook. 

 

Thanks

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Jacob Bugge

defaultumk,

 

As I (mis)understand your enquiry, the actual appearance in an actual (flip)book depends entirely on the use of a fully or partially transparent sheet (which may be by degree or extent), so it is completely independent on the way you create the artwork/background in AI/PDF/INDD. In connexion with normal printing, both transparency and white simply mean no ink.

 

So to get the desired effect in an actual (flip)book you simply have to use a transparent sheet, corresponding to the well known insertion of different sheets for glossy photo pages.

 

To (more or less) see what it will look like, you can do what Ton said to fake it. If you have a printer that can print on a transparent sheet, you can print the top page on that (with or without something on the other side) and place it on the next page on (normal) paper, and then you can work on the fake to make it look the same, with or without blurring/fading/whatever.

 

4 replies

Jacob Bugge
Community Expert
Jacob BuggeCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
September 18, 2021

defaultumk,

 

As I (mis)understand your enquiry, the actual appearance in an actual (flip)book depends entirely on the use of a fully or partially transparent sheet (which may be by degree or extent), so it is completely independent on the way you create the artwork/background in AI/PDF/INDD. In connexion with normal printing, both transparency and white simply mean no ink.

 

So to get the desired effect in an actual (flip)book you simply have to use a transparent sheet, corresponding to the well known insertion of different sheets for glossy photo pages.

 

To (more or less) see what it will look like, you can do what Ton said to fake it. If you have a printer that can print on a transparent sheet, you can print the top page on that (with or without something on the other side) and place it on the next page on (normal) paper, and then you can work on the fake to make it look the same, with or without blurring/fading/whatever.

 

T
Test Screen Name
Legend
September 18, 2021

Making a page in a PDF transparent isn't like having a page in a book that is transparent. I love the idea that you could see through to the next page, but it is absolutely out of the question. Transparency applies only within the current page, seeing all the way through to the opaque white background, which is always opaque.

Ton Frederiks
Community Expert
Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 18, 2021

If what you want is to be able to see 2 pages on top of each other at the same time, that is not possible, you only see one page at the time.

But maybe you can fake it by combining 2 pages into one.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 18, 2021

I'm not sure if that can be achieved at all, but if so, it would need to be provided by the reader app. THis is nothing you could do in Illustrator.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices