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Inspiring
January 24, 2019
Answered

PNG not placing with transparency in illustrator cc

  • January 24, 2019
  • 14 replies
  • 99858 views

I cannot get a transparent png file into my Ai document. They come in with a black background.

I have never had this issue before-till this week. I used to work with these all the time!

Is there some setting that i may have inadvertently checked off?  the png was saved correctly out of photoshop, and I can see the transparency in bridge.

Importing photoshop files with transparency is still working fine. it's only PNGs that are the problem.

anyone? thanks!

Correct answer Julian Gros

I encountered the same issue. The affected png files were set up in indexed colour mode. After changing to RGB mode the transparency was effective in Illustrator.

14 replies

Participant
February 6, 2021

In case anyone is still running into this issue in 2021. 

I attempted to import a PNG-8 as saved in the "export for web legacy" panel. Apparently Illustrator does not recognize this PNG type as far as transparency is concerned. 

I was successful with placing the image in illustrator once I resaved the image as a PNG-24. 

 

Participant
February 6, 2021

interesting thanks I'll make sure its a 24 next time.  That is probably the reason why come work and others dont.

 

Participant
November 26, 2020

I'm having this problem persist even after resetting Photoshop's image mode to RGB 8 bit. Trying to finish an assignment in Illustrator; frustrated...

Steve-S
Inspiring
November 26, 2020

Are you comfortable with uploading one of your images here so I can see what you having difficulties with?

Steve-S
Inspiring
May 16, 2020

The image mode option(s) may resolve your issue.

I changed my 8-bit (transparent background).png image file from indexed color to RGB color in Photoshop (CC) and dragged it from my desktop into an opened Adobe Illustrator (CC) .ai file. The transparent background remained after that procedure.

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 17, 2020

Please show.

Steve-S
Inspiring
May 17, 2020

IMAGE MODE - Indexed Color 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMAGE MODE - RGB 

furzleAuthor
Inspiring
January 24, 2019

also, I did try various methods of saving the PNG, as I thought mabye "save for web was the problem, but when i "saved as" a PNG from photoshop, it was an even worse result. once again, it looked fine in bridge. but when placed in illustrator, the whole thing looks like a broken up noise pattern.

Daniel E Lane
Inspiring
January 24, 2019

How are you placing them? I've tried it now with a bunch of png's and they are all coming in fine

furzleAuthor
Inspiring
January 24, 2019

I've tried all methods. dragging from finder, dragging from bridge, using place command.

I've triedembedding, using various view options.

It used to work fine for me too.

something mysterious has happened just in the last week, and i have no idea what.

although, the one thing that i forgot to try and i just did- use older PNGs (not recently created ones.)

success!

That narrows it down. I must be having a Photoshop problem, not an illustrator problem.