Processing a pattern swatch to use in commercial applications.

Question

Hi,

I have encountered an issue with processing patterns developed in AI.

I am noticing a feint white line after a pattern is rendered for using on a product. It is not happening every time but is presenting problems in getting to an acceptable print.

My processs is not complex I create a pattern in a rectangle usually oblong sometimes square dependent on the pattern convention being used. I make certain everything is centred and perfectly contained in the document and then once satisfied I turn this rectangle in to a clipping mask carry out a test on the mask to ensure repeatability on all sides and then use the pattern tool to create a swatch. Once the swatch is created I drag the swatch out of the swatch panel and then use this as the basis of my PNG file and then I save a copy of this swatch as PNG.

I have noticed that in some cases the swatch from the swatch panel shows a very minor change in its dimensions so for example a square pattern swatch created on a art board of 300 x 300 pixels shows a dimension of 300.00001 on one side which of course my account for the feint white line. However I am not sure nor am I sure that I have done anything wrong that this might happen.

should I bee using a different process can anyone help to unravel this mystery.

thanks,

Gerard

Monika Gause · Accepted Answer

Frankly thats a very elitist statement! Ah I understand professionals don't like it knowing that other less qualified autodidactic erks like me use a tool expressly fashioned for just for them. Mmmmm how interesting one for Mr Jung I suspect. You know its responses like this that iritate me to the point of saying what the cmyk am I bothering for! Humility is something that is learned perhaps you might want tyo go back to school to find out more about that. Perhaps Adobe needs to add on the tin the wonderfully all embracing marketing tag line "Made for for Professionals not suited to amateurs" Have a wonderfully bountiful head in the sand day.

No, that is not elitist. You can watch it in this and other forums: people complaining about error dialogs being presented to them about basic stuff. And there are a lot of complaints. And if it were elitist, then what are all the professionals doing inthis forum explaining their trade to you and other beginners?

And it's also not about professionals not liking it that others use the software. But it's just that the trade is not only about learning how to use a software, but also about all the technical stuff that accompanies it. There's a reason that it takes several years to learn the trade. And the software cannot teach you that - it doesn't even know what your pattern is made for, so where ahould it start?

It's not the software's job to train you. The software is just a tool. A hammer also doesn't teach you about wood. And which wood to use best with which nail.

If you would like to make a proposal to the engineers to include specific warning, then please make a feature request: http://illustrator.uservoice.com

Monika Gause · Answer

When you create an artboard for your swatch (after dragging it out of the swatches panel) make sure your artboard is aligned to the pixel grid.

When exporting it, either don't change the resolution from 72 ppi or just use multiples of 72.

Also: after exporting the PNG, open it in Photoshop and check for excessive lines along the edges. And if they have been generated, crop them. Sometimes they just can't be avoided.

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded